On Wednesday, March 18, the Kentucky Society for Healthcare Purchasing and Materials Management (KSHPMM) will host a webinar to discuss COVID-19 Pandemic Contingent Workforce Preparedness/Response.

Joseph A. Dunmire will provide an overview of the current state of the supplemental healthcare workforce, the clinical disciplines/specialties expected to be in most demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the various solutions available to healthcare delivery organizations.

Discussion topics will include:

How has your facility adapted to product shortages? What product protection strategies have you driven? How have you enforced vendor restriction policies? For details, view the flier.

To register, or if you are not a member of KSHPMM and would like to attend, please contact KSHPMM President Brent N. Pacanowski, MBA (Brent.pacanowski@nortonhealthcare.org).

On March 12, KHA will host a webinar to update member hospital and system executives on the current state of the Cornoavirus (COVID-19) and ways to ensure your hospital is prepared.

Learn steps you should take to get a plan in place at your facility, the state's activities to address the virus and the latest information available.

Thursday, March 12
11:00 a.m. (ET)

If you would like to participate, RSVP to Ginger Dreyer at KHA (gdreyer@kyha.com) for log in information.

 

KHA will host an Environment of Care and Life Safety Overview including behavioral health and beta-test of the new EC survey process on February 25 at the Hilton Garden Inn Northeast in Louisville.

This one-day program will provide valuable information for those responsible for creating the Environment of Care and Life Safety programs and who must understand the Joint Commission survey methodology and recent changes to the standards. Information will be provided so attendees can implement a practical, continuously compliant program to achieve maximum performance while effectively preparing for unscheduled Joint Commission and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services surveys. Attendees will also receive guidance to understand and interpret the most serious deficiencies commonly found in surveys. Sufficient time will be provided for questions...

KHA Affinity Partner SUNRx will host a series of webinars on 340B. KHA members are welcome to participate in these complimentary events.

March 10 2:00 p.m. (ET) Regulatory Update - Snapshot of Regulatory Activity Brochure Registration

June 9 2:00 p.m. (ET) 340B Innovation Targeting the Uninsured Save the Date

September 8 2:00 p.m. (ET) 340B Innovation...

Register now for the first Kentucky Chapter ACHE program of 2020. The program will be held in Frankfort on February 20 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. (ET), right after the Kentucky Hospital Day at the Legislature (separate registration).

A panel of Kentucky hospital leaders will speak on the importance of Emergency Department Service Standards: Best Practice Approach for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE). Participants can earn 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face Credits.

View the agenda for details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (pkirchem@kyha.com).

KHA will host a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) Awareness webinar on February 12 at 11:00 a.m. This webinar is complimentary for members and will focus on awareness of SANE law in Kentucky, the definition of SANE-ready designation and challenges around having processes in emergency departments statewide to ensure a sexual assault exam can be performed 24/7 if a SANE nurse is not available.

Keynote speakers for this webinar will be Carrie Jackson from the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs (KASAP) along with Vicki Yazel and Amanda Corzine, SANE coordinators from University of Louisville Hospital.

Please invite your emergency department leaders, staff and others from your facility to make sure your entire team is knowledgeable of the law and the requirements your must meet.

For log in information, please contact Carla Donnell at KHA (cdonnell@kyha.com).

...

 

Registration is now open for the Annual KHA Quality Conference, March 4-6 in Lexington.

Hospitals, physicians and other health providers are experiencing the need to improve their services and skills to meet the growing needs of tomorrow’s communities. This is a time when all of health care must join together to seek innovations and to maximize the quality services provided to patients at all levels of care.

The 2020 Quality Conference is designed to bring together all health care stakeholders to provide a better understanding of the patient’s needs. With better care and the closure of communication gaps, patient outcomes will continue to improve in Kentucky.

Special thanks to the many conference sponsors for their support this year!

View the brochure...

Throughout the year, KHA will host a series of webinars with featured speaker Sue Dill Calloway on updates to CMS standards. These programs ensure your hospital is prepared to meet all new requirements and is in compliance.

Schedule

April 8 Boards and Medical Staff: Complying with the CMS Hospital CoPs Brochure Registration

August 11 CMS CoP Standards for Hospitals and Proposed Changes: 2020 Update Brochure Registration

...

Save the date for KHA's 91st Annual Convention, May 21-22 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington.

Alden Mills, the event's keynote speaker, will present Unstoppable Teams: The 4 Essential Actions of High-Performance Leadership. Mills — through surprising stories and lessons from his many years as founder and CEO of the fastest-growing consumer products company in America, as well as his tenure as a three-time Navy SEAL platoon commander — shares the four pillars he uses to develop Unstoppable Teams. You’ll also get his C.A.R.E.-based leadership framework, which will make it easier for you to discover new passion for leading and building teams.

KHA extends a special thanks to this year's Diamond Sponsors Collective Medical, Portola Pharmaceuticals and Unified Technologies.

In December, KHA is hosting a series of webinars on updates to various CMS rules and regulations with popular presenter Sue Dill Calloway. Only two webinars are left this month. These webinars will fill up fast, so register early!

December 12 Discharge Planning: Compliance with the New CMS Hospital & CAH CoPs Due to the importance of this topic, this webinar will be presented twice on this date: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM, ET Brochure Online Registration and 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM, ET Brochure...

The Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) has two more educational events scheduled for 2019 where members can earn face-to-face credits.

On November 14, earn 1.5 credit hours by attending a panel on Career planning, coaching, mentoring, and managing professional development discussion with industry professionals at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences. Visit the online registration page for more details.

On November 22, another panel will explore Disruptive innovation to improve patient outcomes for 1.5 credit hours at the St. Elizabeth Training and Education Center in Erlanger. Details are available for this...

On November 12, KHA and Collective Medical will host a webinar on Predicting and Preventing Workplace Violence Through Better Care Coordination.

In 2016, workplace violence cost hospitals and health systems over $1.5 billion, spent on security, training, staff turnover, medical care and absenteeism. Additionally, over 77 percent of emergency physicians believe that violence in the emergency department (ED) has harmed patient care through decreased productivity, emotional trauma and increased wait times.

Addressing workplace violence can help reduce costs and increase productivity. In 2018, health care leaders were asked for their best practices for addressing violence in health care. ...

Registration is now open for the 2019 Day for Infection Preventionists, November 12. The event is aimed at supporting Kentucky infection prevention professionals in their daily work to reduce health care associated infection and provide quality patient care. The one-day conference builds on foundational skills provided in previous educational offerings and explores topics with emerging importance. The target audience includes infection preventionists, chief nursing officers, risk managers, quality improvement and patient safety personnel in the hospital.

View the brochure for details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, please contact Melanie Moch...

After attending the KHA Health Care Leadership Conference on November 8 in Lexington, stay to earn 1.5 ACHE Face-to-face credits at the ACHE event: Sustaining a Financially Vibrant Health Care Organization.

Today’s health care executives face many challenges such as workforce shortages, updating technology, making facility infrastructure improvements and providing safe high-quality patient care. Each of these initiatives make financial challenges extraordinarily complex. In addition, health care leaders face ever-increasing regulatory demands and diminishing financial rewards. What organizational strategies are available to health care executives to affect their organization‘s bottom line? How can leaders use meaningful metrics to examine such areas as product lines and supply chain costs and revenues? What are the critical links that exist between financial and non-financial managers (or clinical and nonclinical managers) that can impact the financial health of departments and the organization...

The 2019 Day for Infection Preventionists, November 12, is aimed at supporting Kentucky infection prevention professionals in their daily work to reduce health care associated infection and provide quality patient care. The one-day conference builds on foundational skills provided in previous educational offerings and explores topics with emerging importance. The target audience includes infection preventionists, chief nursing officers, risk managers, quality improvement and patient safety personnel in the hospital.

Mark your calenders now to attend!

If you have any questions, please contact Melanie Moch (mmoch@kyha.com) or Deborah Campbell, RN-BC, MSN, CPHQ at KHA (dcampbell@kyha.com).

If a CMS surveyor showed up at your hospital tomorrow would you know what to do? Are you sure you are in compliance with the entire grievance requirements by CMS, OCR and the complaint standards by the Joint Commission or your accreditation organization? Join KHA for a webinar on October 9 to make sure your hospital is ready.

View the brochure for more details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

Registration is open for the KHA Annual Volunteer Conference. Volunteers, auxillians, foundation and health care leaders from across the state will meet on September 26 to discuss new and exciting techniques to excel in their local programs. This is a completely revised conference bringing focus on the most requested topics and issues faced by hospital volunteer groups. Join KHA to reflect on the past, prepare for new challenges and learn how to rise to a new vision.

The registration fee includes two days of conference attendance, conference materials, meals (including entry into the networking reception with vendors and admission to the BBQ dinner with entertainment provided by the Moron Brothers) and eligibility for personal and facility prize drawings.

...

Join KHA on October 9 to learn directly from surveyors from the Kentucky Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and other experts so your facility can be better prepared for OIG surveys. Surveyors, a legal expert and hospital leaders will discuss the basics of an OIG survey, immediate jeopardy and real-world scenarios. Plus, as a participant, you will have the opportunity to ask questions to further enhance your understanding.

View the brochure for program details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, contact Laurie Gutermuth at KHA (lgutermuth@kyha.com).

Don’t miss this opportunity for local, affordable and high quality education for your entire health care facility's maintenance and engineering team including your front line technicians starting at $75! The Healthcare Coalition Conference (HCC) will be held in Louisville on September 17.

Registration is open for all tracks offered at the HCC and includes options for one-day or multi-day attendance. Registration includes breakfast, lunch and the opportunity to learn from nationally recognized keynote speaker and basketball legend Thurl Bailey. Tracks include the Toolbelt Track (a full day of hands-on training designed for front line technicians), Management/Leadership Track (multi-day for Facility Leaders), Security & Safety, Materials Management and Emergency Preparedness.

View the full agenda and register today at https://kshe.org/page/2019hcc_agenda! If you have any questions, please...

KHA and the Kentucky Statewide Opioid Stewardship (KY SOS) Advisory Committee invite KY SOS hospital representatives to attend an upcoming Regional Training Meeting to begin KY SOS efforts across the state.

The Regional Training Meetings will highlight specific standards for the SOS program while educating hospitals and clinical leaders on the KY SOS program and its requirements. Hospitals will be provided tools to implement and further their opioid stewardship efforts at these meetings. Lunch in included.

Project Leads and/or other opioid stewardship champions, like physicians, nurses and pharmacists, are encouraged to attend one of the following meetings:

September 10 - Louisville September 11 - Lexington September 26 - Bowling Green September 30 - Paducah October 11 - Hazard

View...

The Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs (KASAP) released a video yesterday to provide training for hospitals on how they should respond to patients seeking help after a sexual assault.

This video will help facilities to understand their legal requirements, implement proper protocols and ensure emergency medical personnel are educated on proper care.



For easy links to this video and more resources from KASAP, visit https://www.kasap.org/get-info/resource-library/hospital-training-video-project.

The video is also available on the KHA website along with more education and resources for sexual assault response at http://www.kyha.com/sexual-assault-response.

...

Early Bird Registration for the KHA Annual Volunteer Conference will close on September 6. Volunteers, auxillians, foundation and health care leaders from across the state will meet on September 26 to discuss new and exciting techniques to excel in their local programs. This is a completely revised conference bringing focus on the most requested topics and issues faced by hospital volunteer groups. Join KHA to reflect on the past, prepare for new challenges and learn how to rise to a new vision.

The registration fee includes two days of conference attendance, conference materials, meals (including entry into the networking reception with vendors and admission to the BBQ dinner with entertainment provided by the Moron Brothers) and eligibility for personal and facility...

KHA and the Kentucky Statewide Opioid Stewardship (KY SOS) Advisory Committee invites KY SOS hospital representatives to attend an upcoming Regional Training Meeting to begin KY SOS efforts across the state.

The Regional Training Meetings will highlight specific standards for the SOS program while educating hospitals and clinical leaders on the KY SOS program and its requirements. Hospitals will be provided tools to implement and further their opioid stewardship efforts at these meetings. Lunch in included.

Project Leads and/or other opioid stewardship champions, like physicians, nurses and pharmacists, are encouraged to attend one of the following meetings:

September 10 - Louisville September 11 - Lexington September 26 - Bowling Green September 30 - Paducah October 11 - Hazard

If...

The 2019 Healthcare Coalition Conference is September 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency Louisville and the Kentucky International Convention Center. The Conference is designed to meet the educational needs of health care engineers, professionals involved in managing safety & security in health care facilities, as well as professionals in health care supply chain and materials management.

The Healthcare Coalition Conference will include top-notch educational content, hours of continuing education credits, as well as ongoing opportunities to discuss emerging issues and best practices with colleagues, vendors and consultants.

Registration is available online at https://kshe.org/event/hcc2019registration.

KHA Director of Administration Ashley Peterson was recently selected as an Ambassador for Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky’s (PCAKY) 2019 Kids Are Worth It Conference. KHA members are invited to attend the event September 9-10 in Lexington.

The program will cover trending topics such as what providers should know about opioids and children, human trafficking, attitudes towards corporal punishment, drug and alcohol trends, suicide prevention, helping children after loss, sudden unexpected infant deaths, preventing child neglect, homelessness in families/children, pediatric abusive head trauma, collaborating on investigations, working with trauma exposed children and many more

The Kentucky Hospital Association was proud to be a part of facilitating PCAKY’s Safe Sleep Practices & Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma Prevention Video this year.

For more information about the conference, visit https://www.pcaky.org/node/69.

Is 2019 the year you will Advance your ACHE membership and earn the prestigious FELLOW in the American College of Healthcare Executives or FACHE Credential? Why put it off any longer?

The graphic to the left explains the eligibility requirements to take this step in further developing your professional career.

If you have met, or you will soon meet, all requirements to be eligible, The Kentucky Chapter of ACHE invites you to a special Board of Governors (BOG) Exam Review on Friday, August 16, in Louisville. Harshaw-Trane sponsors this annual event and the details and registration information are available on the event website....

On August 14, KHA will host a webinar on Conditions of Participation (CoP) for Nursing. Please save the date and make plans now to participate. This webinar is a must-attend program for any clinical nurse, nurse leader or person interested in ensuring compliance with the CMS hospitals conditions of participation (CoP) in nursing.

View the brochure for additional details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

On August 20, KHA will host a program on the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) for critical access hospital (CAH) quality leaders.

MBQIP provides an opportunity for individual hospitals to look at their own data, measure their outcomes against other CAHs and partner with other hospitals in the state around quality improvement initiatives to improve outcomes and provide the highest quality care to each and every one of their patients.Conference participants will:

Develop strategies for improving social media and communications. Identify challenges to timely and appropriate care transitions. Review relevant and timely quality data See the program brochure for additional details. Online registration...

On August 20, KHA will host a program on the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) for critical access hospitals (CAHs). Please save the date and make plans now to attend.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

On August 14, KHA will host a webinar on Conditions of Paticipation (CoP) for Nursing. Please save the date and make plans now to participate.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

The Kentucky Department for Public Health invites you to participate in a Hospital Emergency Department Update for Kentucky’s Hepatitis A (HAV) Outbreak webinar on August 14. The webinar will cover a current situation update, ongoing data collection needs to address the outbreak in your setting and a discussion of “best practices” for prevention activities in the ED during this outbreak. There will also be a time for Q & A at the end.

View the agenda for program details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

Please contact James House, Public Health Preparedness Branch Manager (502-564-7243 x4034 or via email at jamesr.house@ky.gov), if you have any questions regarding...

If a CMS surveyor showed up at your hospital tomorrow, would you know what to do? Two upcoming KHA seminars will cover the 2019 changes in the CMS Hospital Conditions of Participation (CoPs). Hospitals have seen a significant increase in survey activity by CMS, so this is a great way to educate everyone in your hospital on all the sections in the CMS hospital manual especially ones that apply to their department.

CMS Hospital Conditions of Participation Made Easy 2019 July 17-18 Brochure Online Registration is closed, but on site registration will be available at the venue.   Revised CMS CAH Conditions of Participation 2019: Ensuring Compliance July 18-19 Brochure...

Nurse leaders and HR professionals are invited to a series of brief webinars on the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) presented by NCSBN. Webinar topics include:

• Overview of the Nurse Licensure Compact
• Update regarding the status of pending legislation in various states
• Explanation of Nursys, the national nurse licensure database and E-Notify
• Requirements when changing primary state of residence
• Answers to Your Questions

For more information and registration, visit https://www.ncsbn.org/nlc-meetings.htm.

The Kentucky Institute for Patient Safety and Quality (KIPSQ) will host its summer deep dive and safe table meeting on July 16 at Baptist Health Lexington. The event will also include a legal update for KIPSQ members.

ECRI Institute PSO’s Deep DiveTM: Meeting Patients’ Behavioral Health Needs in Acute Care explores how hospitals can meet patients’ behavioral health needs in non-psychiatric areas of the hospital. Failing to meet patients’ behavioral health needs has implications for patient safety, quality of care, occupational health, patient and staff satisfaction, security and risk management, legal and regulatory compliance, public relations and the organization’s operations and finances. In acute care settings, leaders should analyze how well the hospital performs in meeting patients’ behavioral health...

 

The Kentucky Society of Addiction Medicine will host a conference on June 29 in Lexington on Improving MAT in Kentucky. During this program, participants will learn about new research findings in the fields of addiction medicine. Attendees will learn about recent advances and current evidence-based approaches to understanding and treating substance use disorder and addiction. Attendees will acquire new knowledge and skills to improve the care of those with addiction.

The agenda's topics include:

Is it Psychiatric or Substance Induced MAT in a Primary Care Setting Caring for the Displaced Chronic Pain Patient Kentucky's Political Climate and Addiction Treatment Next Phase of Contingency Management - Technology Potential Endocrinopathies with Chronic Opiate Usage The program has been approved for 4.5 hours of HB1-approved CME credits.

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Did you know that the number one area of deficiencies in the CMS Conditions of Participation (CoP) is regarding restraints? CMS issued a memo summarizing all of the deficiencies against hospitals which is updated quarterly. KHA will host a webinar on June 19 discuss the most problematic standards in the restraint section.

If a CMS surveyor showed up at your hospital tomorrow would you be prepared? Does your staff understand all 50 pages of the CMS interpretive guidelines? This program will also discuss the proposed changes to restraints published in the Hospital Improvement Rule which address changing the term to licensed practitioners so PAs can order restraints.

See the program's flyer for additional details about the webinar. Online registration...

Safety net hospitals struggle to stretch scarce resources to provide crucial services to their patients while meeting their bottom line. It does not have to be this way. When managed compliantly, the 340B program does what it was intended to do: secure the financial future of safety net organizations who serve the nation’s vulnerable population.

The 340B program can have a significantly positive impact for hospitals, their patients and their communities if hospitals know how to administer and manage the program effectively.

KHA will host a 340B Compliance Workshop on June 27 in Louisville where subject matter experts will present insights for safety net hospitals to tap into the benefits of the 340B program, including increasing financial support that enables hospitals to provide better care, improve patient outcomes and help the indigent/uninsured gain access to the discounted medications they need.

View the program flyer...

KHA will host a very timely and informative seminar to assist member hospitals with swing beds in the transition to the Patient Driven Payment Model on June 27 at KHA Headquarters in Louisville.

The Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is a new case-mix classification system for classifying skilled nursing facility (SB/SNF) patients in a Medicare Part A covered stay into payment groups under the SNF Prospective Payment System. Effective beginning October 1, 2019, PDPM will replace the current case-mix classification system, the Resource Utilization Group, Version IV (RUG-IV).

This program is intended to assist small rural PPS hospitals with training for their staff to ensure they have a good understanding of what is PDPM, what are the changes in the MDS and/or how will it impact their revenue. PDPM is not just a payment shift, it requires a cultural change in care delivery and care delivery models, as well as a clear understanding of what should be expected from staff in implementing new processes.

...

The Kentucky Health Information Management Association (KHIMA) will host its 2019 Annual Meeting June 3-4 in Richmond.

This year's theme is Navigating the Seas of HIM. Health Information Management (HIM) professionals have weathered many storms over the past several years, including MIPS, MACRA, value-based purchasing and health care reform just to name a few. When the seas finally calm, new storms approach. HIM professionals must grow and nurture their skills to be ready to weather the storms of heath care.

HIM professionals are invited to the conference to learn from experts and one another, about how to navigate the ever changing seas of HIM.

Online registration is available for your convenience.

In addition, the organization has secured a block of rooms at the Marriott in Richmond for a discounted rate. The following...

KHA and the Kentucky Hospital Research and Education Foundation (KHREF) are providing a one-day seminar for Critical Access Hospital (CAH) swing bed coordinators. The content of the seminar will promote swing bed program growth, care quality and compliance with Conditions of Participation. This program is provided to KHA CAH members through the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program. A registration fee of only $50 will be charged to cover meal expenses.

The program brochure provides agenda details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com).



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Registration is now open for the Third Annual Kentucky Telehealth Summit, May 23 at the Knicely Conference Center at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.

The agenda includes:

Technology-assisted Remote Patient Monitoring of chronically ill patients in their home Guidelines to starting a clinical telehealth Service Project ECHO in Kentucky Telehealth in Primary Care Telehealth in behavioral health And much more Registration information...

You are invited to learn about KHA’s endorsed internet-based education management solution on August 8 at KHA Headquarters in Louisville.

careLearning is an internet-based education management solution. Its sole purpose is to develop and deliver a range of just-in-time training and education for health care providers and to provide the ability to manage and track employee, physician and non-employee records. careLearning is a nonprofit organization operated by more than 40 state hospital associations and the American Hospital Association.

Whether your hospital needs mandatory education, which includes a set of Health & Safety Compliance courses with complete recordkeeping and reporting functions; continuing education toward licensure; or various types of certification including self-paced, interactive and cost-effective continuing education anytime, on any computer with Internet access, careLearning offers something for every Kentucky hospital and their employees.

On August 8, careLearning...

KHA will host a webinar on April 18 to cover compliance with OCR Section 1557 and the CMS Hospital CoPs.

This webinar will discuss a law that applies to all hospitals, including critical access hospitals and other health care providers such as physician offices and nursing homes. Have you posted the required two signs, amended the patient rights statement, trained your staff staff and implemented your policies yet? Have you selected an employee, such as a patient advocate, to address any grievances on discrimination?

View the brochure for program details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

Renowned author Sam Quinones will discuss "the true tale of America's opiate epidemic," as told in his award-winning book Dreamland, as the keynote speaker at the KHA Annual Convention, May 8-10 in Lexington!

In 1929, in the blue-collar city of Portsmouth, Ohio, a company built a swimming pool the size of a football field; named Dreamland, it became the vital center of the community. Now, addiction has devastated Portsmouth, as it has hundreds of small rural towns and suburbs across America—addiction like no other the country has ever faced. How that happened is the riveting story of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic. Acclaimed journalist Sam Quinones weaves together two riveting tales of capitalism run amok whose unintentional collision has been a catastrophic opiate epidemic.

...

On April 11, KHA will host an Environment of Care and Life Safety Overview program including Behavioral Health Environment Risk Assessment Strategies. This one-day program will provide valuable information for those responsible for creating a hospital's Environment of Care and Life Safety programs and who must understand the Joint Commission survey methodology and recent changes to the standards. Information will be provided so attendees can implement a practical, continuously compliant program to achieve maximum performance while effectively preparing for unscheduled Joint Commission and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services surveys. Attendees will also receive guidance to understand and interpret the most serious deficiencies commonly found in surveys.

View the brochure...

 

Registration is now open for KHA's 90th Annual Convention, May 8-10 in Lexington. Join your colleagues from across the state for three days of engaging presentations, continuing education credits, ACHE face-to-face credits and excellent opportunities for networking.

Online registration is available for your convenience. Visit the brand new KHA Convention website for more details or download the printable program. The program will be mailed to members soon.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

Midway University is hosting its 4th Annual Nursing Continuing Education Program and Alumni Luncheon on Thursday, May 2. Health Care Issues in Vulnerable Populations will feature topics such as human trafficking, intimate partner violence/domestic violence, homelessness and veterans. Speaker announcements are coming soon.

Registration is available online at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mncl2. Cost is $55 for RNs; $35 for Midway University Alumni; and $20 for Nursing Students/Midway Faculty. Five contact hours will be awarded.

If you have questions, please contact Carrie Boling at Midway University (cboling@midway.edu or 859-846-5326).

Register today for the third annual meeting of the Kentucky Pediatric Emergency Care Coalition (KPECC), a voluntary and collaborative effort to improve emergency medical care for children. Everyone, from children’s hospitals to community and critical access hospitals, along with other partners, is working together to improve the care children receive when it matters most.

Join KPECC to raise the bar on pediatric readiness in the ED, to include pediatric metrics in QI programs, to increase capacity and disaster preparedness to address pediatric issues and ultimately to decrease morbidity and mortality for ill and injured children.

All hospitals are invited to join the Kentucky Pediatric Emergency Care Coalition at its third annual meeting on March 6, at the KCTCS System Office in Versailles.

March 6, 2019
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
KCTCS System Office
300 North Main Street
Versailles

Kentucky Hospital Association’s research and education foundation (KHREF), in partnership with the Kentucky Office of Rural Health, is offering access to a FREE database of clinic practitioner compensation, benefits and performance data. This is a national database with 19 other states already participating.

All hospitals with rural health clinics are invited to participate for free! POND will assist you in helping your clinic to recruit providers, ensure competitive compensation and benefits and establish meaningful performance targets.

There will be a POND kick-off and demonstration webinar January 15 at 10:00 a.m (CT)/ 11:00 a.m. (ET). Online registration is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/POND11519.

Additionally, the first 30 individuals who register their clinic and submit...

Directly following the KHA Hospital Day at the Legislature on February 21 in Frankfort, learn from an esteemed panel of Kentucky health care leaders, including hospital chief executive officers, a chief nursing officer and others, who will focus on effective management techniques for retaining staff.

View the flyer for agenda details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (pkirchem@kyha.com).

Are you aware that equipment maintenance management programs provide significant savings and lessen the administrative burden resulting from original equipment manufacturer (OEM) service agreements?

Join Pam Kirchem, Director of Hospital Services at KHA, and members of the Remi Group team on January 23 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) for an educational webinar, "Avoiding the Common Pitfalls of Equipment Maintenance Management."

Remi will showcase what their Equipment Maintenance Management program has to offer hospitals within KHA. Critical access hospital CEOs, CFOs and Material Managers are invited to participate.

To register, visit https://go.theremigroup.com/l/468561/2018-12-19/zczls  and learn more about how much time and money your institution can save.

Registration is now open for the Annual KHA Quality Conference, March 6-8 in Louisville.

Hospitals, physicians and other health providers are experiencing the need to improve the services and skills they previously offered to meet the growing needs of tomorrow’s communities. This is a time when all of health care needs to crowd together to seek innovations and maximize the quality service provided to patients at all levels of care. 

At the core of every functional and efficient team is a stable leader who operates with integrity and determination. Keynote speakers Paul Long, Darrell Raikes and Nancy Hooper have demonstrated this through the impressive achievements acquired over the course of their careers. The Kentucky Hospital Association’s Annual Quality Conference will begin with an afternoon on Leadership, followed...

The Kentucky Hospital Association and the Kentucky Hospital Research and Education Foundation (KHREF) will host an education session for Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality leaders on February 6 at KHA Headquarters in Louisville.

KHREF partners with Cynosure Health to provide quality improvement education, tools and technical assistance through both the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Grant for CAHs) and through the Hospital Improvement Innovation Network (HIIN). Barb Debaun will lead this educational session, working with quality leaders in reviewing data, learning best practices and discussing innovative strategies in improving patient discharge, transition and post-acute care.

View the agenda for program details. Online registration...

On February 19, KHA will host a webinar on Ligature Risks:Ensuring Compliance with the CMS Hospital CoPs and TJC Requirements. This a hot topic, and there is a great deal of survey activity around prevention of suicidal patients from harm or strangulation.

The Joint Commission announced that this is one of the four top areas of focus. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has promulgated requirements for hospitals to prevent ligature risk and self harm from patients that are suicidal. A 13-page memo was issued and the hospital manual was amended on December 29, 2017, to implement these changes. Any hospital that received Medicare, which is most hospitals in America, must implement these changes for all patients.

View the brochure for details and a program agenda. Online registration...

The Physical Environment is the number one area for validation survey citations. With increased regulatory compliance and ever changing code revisions, every health care facilities professional needs to stay current and be aware of the direction regulation is going. A competent understanding of NFPA 99 – Health Care Facilities Code - is one of the major code books for every health care professional. The Kentucky Society for Healthcare Engineers (KSHE) will host a full -day presentation with industry experts Dave Stymiest and Paul Rambos on November 30.

NFPA 99 is the central health care regulatory document used by accreditors, state and local jurisdictions as it pertains to the physical environment. While CMS adopted the 2012 version in 2016, there have been two revisions since — 2015 and 2018 — of which every healthcare facilities professional needs to stay abreast. Please alert any health care facility professional to this very important and timely education by industry experts. This event...

KHA will host an important program on Health Care Executives and the Opioid Epidemic immediately following the KHA Health Care Leadership Conference on November 9 in Louisville.

The Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives will offer 1.5 hours of Face-to-Face Education Credits for this panel discussion.

View the brochure for details. Online registration...

 

The Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives will offer 1.5 hours of Face-to-Face Education Credits for this panel discussion on the Health Care Executive's Role with the Opioid Crisis immediately following the KHA Health Care Leadership Conference on November 9 in Louisville.

View the brochure for details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (pkirchem@kyha.com).

The Ridge Behavioral Health System, the Kentucky Hospital Association,and the Advocacy Action Network will host the Suicide: Across All Ages and Stages Conference on December 7 in Lexington. This conference will address many of the causes of suicide as well as prediction and prevention. The keynote presentation will discuss the intersection of opioid misuse and suicide.

Suicide takes life without regard to age, income, education, social standing, race, or gender. Overall, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for all Americans, the 2nd leading cause of death for adults ages 25-34, and the 3rd leading cause of death for youth ages 15- 24. In Kentucky, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death. On average, one person dies by suicide every 12 hours in Kentucky.

View the brochure for Conference details. Online registration...

Norton Children's Hospital and the University of Louisville Physicians - Pediatrics will host the Seventh Annual Pediatric and Behavioral Mental Health Symposium on Friday, November 16 at the University of Louisville Shelby Campus in Louisville.

This symposium will address pediatric mental health concerns that often are experienced by individuals secondary to racial bias, immigration status, developmental status, chronic medical conditions and sexual orientation. Providers will gain insight into best practices for mental health screening within diverse populations, treatment options and existing community resources for children and adolescents with gender dysphoria, children of immigrant status with mental health concerns and children displaying behavioral problems as a result of chronic medical conditions or developmental disabilities. Additionally, providers will learn strategies to identify at-risk individuals and engage patients and families in developing mutually acceptable plans for utilizing...

King’s Daughters Medical Center neurologist Enawgaw Mehari, M.D., has practiced in the U.S. for several years, but he has never forgotten his home country of Ethiopia. Since 1999, Dr. Mehari has spearheaded an organization called People to People (P2P) to, in his words, “facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology to Africa with special emphasis in Ethiopia.”

Dr. Mehari has taken King’s Daughters physicians with him to Ethiopia— oncologist/hematologist Galena Salem, M.D., traveled there with Dr. Mehari in 2017— to teach medical professionals and care for patients. The organization alternates between visits to Ethiopia with medical professionals, and a U.S.-based medical conference for those with connections to Ethiopia. This year, People to People is hosting a worldwide conference in Washington, D.C.

This year marks the conference’s 10th anniversary with several firsts: an in-person and online conference focusing on “the growing burden of cardiovascular diseases in Ethiopia.”...

The 2018 A Day for Infection Preventionists will be held November 13 in Louisville. This educational event is aimed at supporting Kentucky infection prevention professionals in their daily work to reduce health care associated infections and provide quality patient care. The one-day conference builds on foundational skills provided in previous educational offerings and explores topics with emerging importance. The target audience includes infection preventionists, chief nursing officers, risk managers, quality improvement and patient safety personnel in the hospital.

CEUs are available for attendees.

For agenda details, view the brochure. To reserve your place, use the convenient online registration.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

The KIPSQ Fall Forum, October 16 in Louisville, will gather both Patient Safety Organization (PSO) members and non-PSO members to discuss the Opioid Crisis. Presentations will encompass an intensive study conducted by ECRI Institute regarding Opioid use in acute care, a diversion prevention assessment tool and the legalities surrounding this issue.

Health care attorneys, risk management professionals, patient safety officers, quality leaders, nurse leaders, clinical leaders, CEOs, senior executives and administrative leaders are all encouraged to attend. CEUs will be available.

View the Forum Brochure for agenda details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, please contact...

Gateway Rehabilitation Hospital in Florence will host an Active Shooter Preparedness Seminar on October 24.

The program will be presented by Gregory A. Howard, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Protective Security Advisor - Kentucky District since 2009. As a Protective Security Advisor, Howard supports Kentucky’s homeland security efforts by facilitating, coordinating and performing vulnerability assessments for critical infrastructures and assets, and by acting as a physical and technical security advisor to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Prior to serving in this role, Howard retired from the U.S. Coast Guard as a Commander with over 22 years of maritime law enforcement, safety and security experience.

To attend, please RSVP to Chad Beasley at Gateway Rehabilitation Hospital (859-426-2373).

KHA, in association with The Ridge Behavioral Health System and the Advocacy Action Network, will host a conference on suicide prevention systems on Friday, December 7 at The Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington. Mark your calendars now!

The focus this year is Suicide: Among All Ages and Stages.

Suicide takes life without regard to age, income, education, social standing, race or gender. Overall, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for all Americans, the second leading cause of death for adults ages 25-34 and the third leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24. In Kentucky, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death. On average, one person dies by suicide every 12 hours in Kentucky.

The conference has an experienced lineup of presenters, including Kristen Quinlan, PhD, Evaluator for SAMHSA’s CAPT Northeast Resource Team and Epidemiologist for SAMHSA’s Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Dr. Quinlan is a senior research associate at Education Development Center,...

The KHA Trustee Conference will be held September 21 at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Join your colleagues from across the state for this timely event designed specifically for hospital trustees. Conference speaker Karma Bass, MPH, FACHE explains details about the agenda in the video below.

The KHA Trustee Conference will be held September 21 at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Join your colleagues from across the state for this timely event designed specifically for hospital trustees. This conference is built on networking, education and idea exchange. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to talk with your peers about similar challenges and discover new skills to overcome them.

View the brochure for Conference details. Online registration...

If a CMS surveyor showed up at your hospital tomorrow, would you know what to do? Two upcoming KHA seminars will cover the 2018 changes in the CMS Hospital Conditions of Participation (CoPs). Hospitals have seen a significant increase in survey activity by CMS, so this is a great way to educate everyone in your hospital on all the sections in the CMS hospital manual especially ones that apply to their department.

• CMS Hospital Conditions of Participation Made Easy 2018
  September 10-11
  Brochure
  Online Registration
   
• Revised CMS CAH Conditions of Participation 2018: Ensuring Compliance
  September 11-12
  Brochure
  Online Registration

The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Office of Pharmacy Affairs will host a webinar on August 8 to assist covered entities with the recertification process for the 340B drug savings program.

Hospitals can join the webinar, which takes place from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (ET), by visiting https://hrsaseminar.adobeconnect.com/dpp_340b_pepi/.

The conference number is 800-967-7154 and participant passcode is 847321.

All 340B hospitals are required to recertify with HRSA to ensure they continue to meet the 340B hospital eligibility requirements. The hospital recertification process runs from August 15 to September 12. HRSA recently stated it may request additional information from covered entities during the registration process. These additional program integrity requests are specific to hospital eligibility documentation and contract pharmacy agreements of all covered entities...

Are you looking to improve your emergency department ( ED) processes? If so, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to attend this highly interactive session to gather ideas from your peers that you can immediately try in your hospital. KHA will host a two-day conference on August 9-10, at Jeptha Creed in Shelbyville, which is designed for hospital CEOs and emergency department leaders to support CAH emergency care growth and quality. The conference addresses operations efficiency, opioid abuse challenges, culture and quality. Learn how to improve your data collection and analysis and ways to provide even better and more efficient care to enhance your patient experience.

View the brochure for program details. Register online...

KHA hosted a well-attended webinar today to update the membership on key information surrounding the implementation of the Kentucky HEALTH Medicaid 1115 waiver. A recording is available on the Waiver Resources page of KHA's website. The page can be found under the Advocacy tab at www.kyha.com. You must log in to access these resources. Your user id is usually your email address.

If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Galvagni at KHA (ngalvagni@kyha.com).

With the Medicaid 1115 waiver on hold, hospitals now have more time to prepare for the waiver's implementation. KHA will provide a one-hour webinar on Tuesday, July 10 at 10:00 a.m. (ET) to update the membership on key information surrounding the implementation of the Kentucky HEALTH Medicaid 1115 waiver.

A workgroup of hospital representatives has been meeting with the state and KHA wants to assure that the full membership has the most up-to-date information. The webinar will cover how premiums will work and payments by third parties, including considerations for your hospital.

Please invite your business office or other staff to participate.

In addition, there is a wealth of information on waiver implementation on the KHA website (www.kyha.com) under the Advocacy tab. Simply log in with your email address to access the resources.

If you have any questions or would like login...

Now more than ever, it is important for health care organizations to simulate a real-life cybersecurity attack and test their cybersecurity incident response plans in a confidential way.

KHA and KHA Solutions Group are pleased to announce this unique opportunity program with a top-rated cybersecurity firm, Sensato Cybersecurity Solutions, that solves the problem of being offsite to conduct incidence response plans with three (3) cybersecurity tactical simulation webinars.

These webinars give authentic landscape simulations so providers can test and tweak their cybersecurity incident response plans without ever leaving their physical location.

Hospitals that participate in these webinars will receive a Cybersecurity Tactical Simulation Certificate of participation. All materials used will be available to participating organizations.

Webinar Dates:

August 1 – Tactical Simulation Preparation Webinar

August 22 – Cybersecurity Tactical Simulation...

KHA's patient safety organization (PSO), the Kentucky Institute for Patient Safety and Quality (KIPSQ) will host a free Summer Forum for all Kentucky hospitals on July 24 in Lexington.

The KIPSQ Summer Forum will gather both PSO members and non-PSO members to discuss and understand the advantages of membership, data collection, common format reporting and mapping from a risk management system to the PSO. Presentations will encompass regulations, state peer review and case law followed by a panel discussion featuring hospitals who are actively reporting to the PSO.

CEOs, health care attorneys, risk management professionals, patient safety officers, quality leaders, nurse leaders, clinical leaders, senior executives and administrative leaders are all encouraged to attend.

View the brochure for more details. Online registration...

Hospitals and systems that work with KHA's partner, careLearning, can create their own subscription of ten (10) of the Compliance/HR courses listed below. These courses are written by experienced attorneys with a proven track record in interactive computer-based training. Each course incorporates technology to inhibit users from clicking through the material too quickly and without focusing sufficiently on the training content.

Americans with Disability Act Appropriate Internet Use Avoiding Retaliation Business Etiquette Careful Communication Code of Conduct (FAR) Conducting Effective Investigations Cost Accounting for Federal Grants Dealing with Difficult Situations Drug-Free Workplace Fair Labor Standards Act Family and Medical Leave Act Immigration Basics Questionable...

KHA will host a 340B Compliance Workshop on June 21 in Louisville. The program offers 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face credits.

Safety net hospitals struggle to stretch scarce resources to provide crucial services to their pa tients. The 340B program is essential in ensuring that hospitals in Kentucky and nationwide are able to continue to provide pharmacy care to its most vulnerable patients.

The subject matter experts at this interactive workshop will present valuable insights on how safety net hospitals can effectively navigate the 340B program so they can improve patient outcomes and help low-income and rural patients access essential pharmacy services.

View the brochure for program details. Online registration...

The CAH Swing Bed Management Training with Supplemental Review of the UMRHRC PI/QI Measures from the Pilot Project will be held June 6-7 at KHA Headquarters in Louisville.The program is intended to assist small rural CAH hospitals with training for their staff to improve the quality of their swing bed program.

It will optimize the patient outcome, increase utilization and revenue while preventing denials for their swing bed services. Given the longer training program, more time than in the past will be spent on discussing day-to-day operations.

For details, visit the event page. You can register online to secure your place in this training event.

...

The University of Kentucky School of Law will host the 2018 Kentucky Health Law Institute September 13 and 14 in Lexington.

Tentative Topics Include:

Lessons Learned From Leasing: A Blueprint for Aligning Physician Practices with Health Systems Anatomy of a False Claim- Version 2.0 30 Years in the Trenches: A False Claims Act Litigator's Unique Perspectives Executive Compensation in Healthcare: Tips and Traps Moral Dilemmas and Legal Ethics for the Healthcare Attorney A Rock and a Hard Place: Payer Reimbursement for ED Visits Kentucky's Independent Licensure Boards: Antitrust, KRS 13B and Due Process Pings that Go Bump in the Night: A Discussion of Health Care Cybersecurity Threats, Prevention Tips, and Mitigation Tactics Aligning Patient and Provider: Can Kentucky Be an Innovator in Liability Reform? Medicaid...

KHA is excited to bring two new tracks to this year's Convention, May 10-11 in Lexington. In addition to the Nurse Leaders, Health Care Attorneys and Physician Tracks, this year's event will feature Tracks for Hospital Trustees and Foundation Directors.

Trustees can participate in a two-part session on Governing in Today's Health Care World.

Foundation Directors will learn Lessons for Charities from the 2017 Tax Reform, explore how to Create, Enhance and Elevate a Culture of Philanthropy in Health Care.

KHA's Convention registration is available on KHA's brand new website, www.kyha.com. If you have not visited and set up your account, now is the perfect opportunity to do so. If you've registered on the old site in the past, you should already have an account in the new system. Your user name will be your email address, and you just need to reset...

Registration is now open for KHA's 89th Annual Convention, May 10-11 in Lexington. Join your colleagues from across the state for two days of engaging presentations, continuing education credits, ACHE face-to-face credits and excellent opportunities for networking.

Online registration is available on KHA's brand new website, www.kyha.com. If you have not visited and set up your account, now is the perfect opportunity to do so. If you've registered on the old site in the past, you should already have an account in the new system. Your user name will be your email address, and you just need to reset your account with a new password.

View the Convention program for agenda and location details.

If you have any questions,...

The long-awaited revised home health conditions of participation were effective January 13. The importance of knowing the content and expectations for accreditation surveys is imperative whether your agency has deemed status through an accreditation organization or a survey by your state agency. On March 1, KHA will host a 90-minute webinar to provide a review of key aspects of the final version of the interpretive guidelines for the home health conditions of participation (HH CoP), the first changes in HH COP since 1996.

View the brochure for agenda details. Online registration is open for you convenience.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at...

On March 6, KHA will host a webinar s devoted to reviewing the current status of Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) activities along with due consideration to the new contracts, scope of works, and various RAC approved issues.

Included in this program will be recent events surrounding the RACs and the backlog of appeals at the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and Medicare Appeals Council (MAC) level. OMHA has proposed several different ways to address their enormous backlog of appeals including statistical extrapolation, settlement conferences, and administrative agreements. One of the main issues is that of medical necessity for inpatient admissions. The inpatient issues have sparked the development of the ‘Over 2-Midnights’ rule. CMS has also proposed changes to the appeals process in order to expedite the resolution of the backlog of appeals. The expansion of the RACs to the Medicare Advantage Programs is still in the works with the Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) with a concentration on both comprehensive...

Registration is now open for the Annual KHA Quality Conference, March 14-16 in Louisville.

Hospitals, physicians and other health providers are experiencing the need to improve the services and skills they previously offered to meet the growing needs of tomorrow’s communities. This is a time when all of health care needs to crowd together to seek innovations and maximize the quality service provided to patients at all levels of care. 

At the core of every functional and efficient team is a stable leader who operates with integrity and determination. Keynote speakers Pat Day, Joe Pusateri and Christian Lillis have demonstrated this through the impressive achievements acquired over the course of their careers. The Kentucky Hospital Association’s Annual Quality Conference will begin with an afternoon on Leadership, followed by a day dedicated to Falls and Infections, and...

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) is sponsoring and funding two free training sessions on the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Course. The course is designed to help practitioners who work with opioid use disorder patients to obtain a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine in office-based treatment of OUDs. 

The first training will be on February 24 in Lexington, and the second training will be on March 10 in Hazard. Visit the corresponding links for session details and registration information. 

This one-day program will provide valuable information for those individuals who are responsible for creating the best possible Environment of Care and Life Safety programs and must understand the Joint Commission survey methodology and recent changes to the standards. Attendees will be able to implement a practical, continuously compliant program for health care facilities to achieve maximum performance while effectively preparing for unscheduled Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) surveys. Participants will also receive specific guidance in how to understand and interpret the most serious deficiencies that are common in surveys. Sufficient time will also be provided for questions and discussion.

The event will be held February 27 at the Hilton Garden Inn Northeast in Louisville.

View the brochure...

Stay one step ahead by registering for a free, one-hour webinar to educate hospitals on how the recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) payment policy changes (finalized November 1, 2017) impact hospital 340B Pharmacy Programs.

The American Hospital Association’s Aimee Kuhlman and Molly Collins will speak for 10-15 minutes on what the AHA is doing to represent hospitals’ 340B interests at the federal level. The rest of the webinar will be on the impact of the CMS changes in 340B Pharmacy and the actions a hospital can take.

Brought to you by the Kentucky Hospital Association in conjunction with SunRx, a compliance-focused 340B Drug Discount Program Administrator



Title: Trends and Drivers in 340B

Who should attend: Directors of Pharmacy, Pharmacy managers, CFOs or others responsible for profit/loss of hospital 340B programs

Registration: https://sunrx.webex.com/sunrx/onstage/g.php?MTID=e897bea4765d949bcd93825c0c1a2bd87

...

Register now for the first Kentucky Chapter ACHE program of 2018. A panel of your peers will speak to the importance of medical staff relations. The program will be held on February 22 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. (ET) — the afternoon of the Kentucky Hospital Day at the Legislature (separate registration).

View the brochure for agenda and registration details.

If you have any questions, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (pkirchem@kyha.com).

Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program attestation for Medicare eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) is transitioning to a new platform. Beginning January 2, 2018, eligible hospitals and CAHs attesting to CMS for the EHR Incentive Program will submit their CY 2017 attestations through the QualityNet Secure Portal (QNet).

Eligible hospitals and CAHs attesting to CMS must have an active and updated QNet account before submitting EHR Incentive Program attestations.

CMS is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, December 5 about the transition to QNet for Medicare EHR Incentive Program attestation...

The Kentucky Society for Healthcare Engineers is hosting a special event on December 7 featuring John Maurer with The Joint Commission and Sharon S. Gilyeat with Koffel Associates where participants will take a deep dive into the current code updates and standards that impact hospital facility managers and engineers in Kentucky.

Major changes  from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have resulted in new and expanded accreditation requirements, and the Joint Commission has just released a number of new standards for 2018. This event will provide insight into how to address these changes.

This will be one of John D. Maurer's first Joint Commission update presentations since becoming director of the accrediting organization. Sharon Gilyeat will provide valuable Life Safety code and compliance updates to help ensure your organization's success.

For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities, visit https://kshe.site-ym.com/page/lets_talk_code....

On December 12 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (ET), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a webinar for critical access hospitals (CAHs) covering the New Medicare Card Project, implementation of new Medicare numbers, the format of the new number, timeline & milestones, the transition period, outreach & education and what you need to know to get ready for the new number. To register, visit https://events-cms.webex.com/events-cms/onstage/g.php?MTID=ebf0437f7bcf95893626354a3ab14c717.

AHA will host a members-only Town Hall Webcast, November 28 at 3:00 p.m. (ET) on cybersecurity. Registration is available at http://windrosemedia.com/windstream/ahawebcast/login.php.

AHA President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Pollack will be joined by John Riggi, a former FBI cyber division senior executive, to explore the current cyber threat landscape. They will discuss how and why a hospital may be targeted, the impact a breach may have and the policy considerations for supporting hospitals in managing these risks. 

The webcast will kick off a six-part educational series providing hospital and health system leaders an in-depth look at how they can best manage the risks posed by the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape. 

For more information and upcoming dates for future webinars, login it to the AHA website....

As more hospitals incorporate Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) into their facilities to help care for their deaf and hard of hearing and limited English proficient patients, organizations are left wondering — do we still need to work with onsite interpreters? The answer is YES.

Join LanguageLine Solutions for a free webinar on November 16 to learn from experts about the symbiotic relationship between onsite and video interpreting, when it’s essential to work with an onsite interpreter, and best practices in incorporating both modalities of interpretation into your language access program.

To register, visit https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/198808581113614593.

Throughout 2017, many changes have and are expected to occur in The Joint Commission Accreditation process and the effects it will have on accredited organizations. With the implementation of the Project REFRESH SAFER Matrix for scoring and the changes related to Pain Management, there will be some interesting challenges for all health care organizations. The Joint Commission Update 2018 on December 12 in Louisville will provide information needed to understand and manage these accreditation process changes. 

Topics to be discussed are:

The Project REFRESH and the SAFER Scoring Matrix Survey Preparation/Tracer Prep, Antimicrobial Stewardship Suicide Risk and Psychiatric Unit tracer information frequently cited and challenging standards 2018 Requirements for Education and Identification of important Electronic Medical Record Navigation Points. View the brochure...

The West Virginia Hospital Association (WVHA) invites careLearning clients in both Kentucky and Ohio to their Live User Group Meeting on October 13 at the WVHA Office in Charleston, West Virginia. The meeting is free to all careLearning clients and lunch is included.

View the the agenda for program details.

To register, visit http://www.wvha.org/Events/Registrations/careLearning-Fall-2107-User-Group.aspx.

Please complete one registration for each person that plans to attend, limit two (2) people per organization, by October 10.



If you have any questions please feel free to contact Peggy Engelkemier at careLearning (peggyeng@carelearning.com) or Jim Kranz at WVHA (orjkranz@wvha.org).

Immediately after KHA"s Health Care Leadership Conference on November 3, the Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives will provide a program where members can earn 1.5 Face-to-Face Education credits.

The session will focus on "green" hospitals and health care and how health leaders can change the culture in their organizations as they cut long-term operating costs while becoming more visible within the community "as an exemplar for environmental sustainibility."

A brochure is available with session details, and online registration is now open.

If you have any questions, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (pkirchem@kyha.com).

KHA realizes that keeping employees trained appropriately and ensuring their skills and competencies remain up-to-date are constant challenges for hospitals and health care providers. For that reason, KHA, along with 40 other state hospital associations and the American Hospital Association, partnered to create careLearning, an internet-based education management solution.

careLearning is an online education company designed to help health care organizations by providing reliable, trusted and easily accessible talent management solutions. careLearning’s competency, eLearning and performance products are developed to ensure that your employees are provided with the appropriate training and education based on an assessment of the skills, knowledge and abilities required and an...

What happens when a computer or the internet or your phone system are not working? Does each department know what its critical functions are and how to continue working? Is your EMR really the first system that must be restored?

To answer these questions, KHA will host a webinar to discuss Business Impact Analysis and Contingency Planning on Wednesday, October 4. For details, view the brochure.

Online registration is now open. If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

This week, KHA and the K-HIIN team are conducting a two-day TeamSTEPPS program at Clark Regional Medical Center in Winchester. Twenty-seven hospital employees from Clark Regional Medical Center and Bourbon Community Hospital are attending the program. TeamSTEPPS is a program of teamwork tools aimed at optimizing patient outcomes by improving communication and teamwork skills among health care professionals. 

If you are interested in learning more about TeamSTEPPS or if you are interested in hosting a program in your facility, please contact Donna Meador at KHA (dmeador@kyha.com).

Did you, or someone you know, make it a professional goal to sit for the ACHE Board of Governors (BOG) Exam? The Kentucky Chapter of ACHE is sponsoring a day-long BOG Prep Course to help you become board certified. Many health care leaders and ACHE fellows have agreed to teach on the material you will be tested on in the ten knowledge areas. 

Date: Friday, August 25 Time: 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (ET) (lunch provided) Location: Harshaw Trane 12700 Plantside Drive Louisville, KY 40299 Cost: Free to all members and anyone interested in joining ACHE

 
Fill in the registration form to reserve your seat.

As hospitals and their staffs work to assure that Medicaid patients get the care they need, those efforts often involve challenging managed care organization (MCO) medical necessity denials. New federal behavioral health parity rules are taking effect this fall to help assure that patients are not shortchanged in obtaining psychiatric and substance use disorder treatment. Under the new rules, MCOs are required to provide coverage for behavioral health services as generously as for physical health. For example, MCOs cannot impose treatment limitations on access to behavioral health services which do not apply to physical health. 

KHA is sponsoring a conference on August 18 in Lexington on Behavioral Health Parity, to explain the new rules and help hospitals and their staffs be able to identify potential parity violations. 

The Kentucky MCOs and the Department for Medicaid Services will be attending this conference – therefore, hospitals should be in attendance to have the same understanding of the new rules. The conference will feature national and state experts....

The National Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (NH-ISAC) will present a complimentary workshop on August 14 in Erlanger hosted by St. Elizabeth Healthcare. Participants can network with other health care professionals and discuss basic best practices in cybersecurity.

NH-ISAC is providing free educational programs through grants from Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC,) the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

View the flier for agenda details and register online to reserve your seat.

Please send additional inquiries to contact@nhisac.org.

KHA is once again hosting a Kentucky Infection Prevention Boot Camp on September 26-29 in Louisville. The 2017 Boot Camp was developed through a statewide collaborative aimed at supporting Kentucky infection prevention professionals in their daily work to reduce health care associated infections and provide quality patient care. The three and a half day conference builds on foundational skills provided in previous educational offerings, and explores topics with emerging importance. The target audience includes infection preventionists, chief nursing officers, risk managers, quality improvement and patient safety personnel from all types of health care systems including hospitals, health departments, long-term care, ambulatory surgery and others.

For details, view the brochure. Online registration...

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid is inviting all network providers, coders, billers and practice managers to participate in coding education webinars throughout the month of August. The webinars provide an opportunity to:

Explore risk adjustment and how it impacts all patient types, payers and risk-sharing contracts Discover the connection between documentation, coding, risk adjustment and quality care Discuss guidelines for documentation and common electronic health record issues Earn 1.5 CEU and 1.5 CME units Sessions will be held on Thursdays:

August 10 August 17 August 24 August 31 Online registration is available now. Providers are also welcome to complete this form...

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) has been law since 2008. MHPAEA provided that health plans could not limit mental health or substance use disorder benefits in any way that was more restrictive than how medical/surgical benefits were limited. This sounds simple enough…but why do so many people still have limited access to behavioral health care? The Conference on Behavioral Health Parity: What Is It and How Can We Make It Work? will explore this question, and give attendees the opportunity to hear from experts on how to work within the parity law, to better understand it and to benefit from it.

Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) will be aviailable for Social Work, LPCC, Psychology, CADC, LMFT and Nursing.

For program details, view the brochure. Registration is open online...

The 2017 Healthcare Coalition Conference is September 26-28 at the Hyatt Regency Lexington and the Lexington Conference Center. The Conference is designed to meet the educational needs of health care engineers, professionals involved in managing safety & security in health care facilities, as well as professionals in health care supply chain and materials management. 

The Healthcare Coalition Conference will include top-notch educational content, hours of continuing education credits, as well as ongoing opportunities to discuss emerging issues and best practices with colleagues, vendors and consultants. 

Registration is available online at http://kshe.org/event/2017HCCRegistration.

The Mid-South Critical Access Hospital Conference, representing rural health care in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, will be held August 16-18 in Nashville. 

Held annually, this August marks the 15th year for the Mid-South CAH Conference. Nearly 150 critical access hospital (CAH) C-suite executives and management teams, along with community leaders and agencies focused on rural issues, will convene at this premier event to discuss health care for rural populations. There will be multiple peer networking opportunities and numerous face-to-face educational credits through the American College of Healthcare Executives, as well as continuing education for nursing, nursing home administrators...

Mark your calendars now for the 2017 Kentucky Immunization Conference, Educate, Immunize, Protect – Kentucky’s Immunization Trifecta, December 5-6 at the Embassy Suites in Lexington. This Conference is sponsored by the Kentucky Rural Health Association and the Kentucky Immunization Coalition in collaboration with the Kentucky Immunization Program.

There is an exciting line up of nationally recognized speakers and continuing education credits will be offered.

Make your hotel reservations at http:// embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/groups/personalized/L/LEXESES-KYI-20171201/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG by November 15 for the $100 conference rate. After this date, the cost will be $150.

More information, including registration, can be found at www.kyrha.org. 

The recent WannaCry ransomware attack that was reported to have infected more than 230,000 computers across the globe in a single day has left many businesses, especially those in health care, wondering if their data is at risk.

Join KHA Affinity Partner LBMC Information Security for a free webinar to learn more about how a robust risk assessment process can help your organization mitigate risks and keep your data secure. You will also get an exclusive, sneak peek at BALLAST – LBMC’s new, cloud-based risk assessment platform that completely automates the risk assessment process.

Automating the Risk Assessment Process

Thursday, June 29 2:00 p.m. (CT) CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW





For more than a decade, LBMC Information Security has partnered with some of the leading companies in health care to perform thousands of risk assessments...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) invites you to join a webinar on Wednesday, June 7 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long- Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) Proposed Rule, and Request for Information.

On April 28, CMS published the FY 2018 IPPS and LTCH Proposed Rule. This webinar will provide an overview of the proposed changes to the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs.

To register, visit http://engage.vevent.com/index.jsp?eid=2133&seid=269.

The audio portion of this webinar...

SUNRx is hosting a free webinar on 340B Audit Best Practices on Thursday, July 20 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). These webinars address specific topics of interest in 340B, and are part of the SUNRx Webinar Series available exclusively through KHA Solutions Group and other SUNRx partners.

Speaker Aaron Lott has extensive 340B audit experience and will be sharing current trends and drivers with regard to 340B audits that will help you position your hospital for optimal results. He is executive director of pharmacy services for Health Enterprises (HE). Lott specializes in services including pharmacy benefit management (PBM) and specialty pharmacy, 340B program implementation, auditing and education as well as implementation of provider-owned retail pharmacies and centralizing pharmacy services. 

This informative webinar event will discuss current trends and drivers in the world of 340B audits.

To register, visit https://sunrx.webex.com/sunrx/onstage/g.php?MTID=e34f739889625b5f8eaf4e07a3f2df0e6....

The Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence (KCADV) is hosting a webinar to increase the knowledge, skills and awareness of professionals about changes in the domestic violence mandatory reporting statute. This session will also cover mandatory reporting statutes for child abuse and vulnerable adult abuse.

HB 309 amends KRS 209A and requires professionals — including law enforcement, licensed mental health professionals, and health care workers — to provide a suspected victim of domestic violence and abuse or dating violence and abuse with educational materials related to domestic violence and abuse or dating violence and abuse. The law goes into effect across Kentucky on June 29.

Webinars will be offered each Friday in June and July.

The Webinar will:

Present an overview of new mandatory reporting requirements affected by HB 309; Review existing requirements regarding child abuse and vulnerable adult abuse; Expand understanding of domestic violence services and...

The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet's Division of Compliance Assistance (DCA) is providing an introduction-level workshop that will help participants understand how to properly manage and dispose of different kinds of waste. It will also cover waste reduction techniques and how to develop a recycling program.

Speakers from the Division of Waste Management and DCA will explain how to identify and manage different types of waste, upcoming regulations and methods to reduce waste generation, including ways to develop and implement a recycling program. Attendees that will benefit from attendance include environmental or facility managers.

Special guest Leggett & Platt, Inc., a mattress manufacturer in Winchester, will discuss their successful recycling and community outreach programs. At the workshop’s end, attendees may visit the Leggett & Platt plant to observe the facility and program in action.

The ...

The KHA 88th Annual Convention in Lexington is less than a week away. The event includes a track especially designed for nurse leaders. Some outstanding Kentucky Nursing Research will be highlighted and the Kentucky Organization of Nurse Leaders (KONL) will hold a business meeting.

Review the nursing track agenda for presentation details, and visit the KHA Convention website to register today.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

...

The Kentucky Society for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing (KSHPRM) will host its annual spring conference on June 7 in Owensboro. KSHPRM's main purpose is to provide quality education and networking for marketing, public relations and physician liaison members, and since it has been providing this service for decades, the organization has built up its education fund. To reward its members, KSHPRM is inviting everyone to attend the spring conference at NO COST to thank you and the hospital/organization you represent for your support!

Please register in advance to secure your seat.

When: Wednesday, June 7 Starts: 9:00 a.m. (CT) Ends: 2:15 p.m. (CT) Where: Owensboro Convention Center Who: YOU and your entire marketing team and physician liaisons Why: Learning, staff development, networking with your peers and referring hospitals Sponsor Tables will also be free to introduce new vendors to KSHPRM as well as to thank past...

The KHA 88th Annual Convention is May 18-19 in Lexington. There is a track especially designed for hospital attorneys. Topics will include credentialing, social media & ethics, cyber threats, Section 603 and a legislative update. The Kentucky Academy of Hospital Attorneys (KAHA) will also hold a business meeting during the Convention.

Review the legal track agenda for presentation details, and visit the KHA Convention website to register today.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

The KHA 88th Annual Convention is May 18-19 in Lexington. There is a track especially designed for hospital financial officers, which includes ACHE face-to-face credits.

Review the financial track agenda for presentation details, and visit the KHA Convention website to register today.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

Few would dispute that health care systems across the globe are not performing up to their potential. The problems are highly complex and no one entity can solve them by acting alone. The greatest opportunity to deliver on the promise may lie in involving “unusual suspects” in communities, guided by a new definition of health, new ways to tell the truth about providers’ performance and a recognition that the patient/consumer is already in control of their health. When these principles guide design, hospitals can create a health care system worthy of the trust of those who depend on it literally for their lives.

During the KHA Convention, May 18-19 in Lexington,  Laura Adams will present “Connecting...

The Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) will host its 2017 Spring Webinar in May. One of the topics this session will be the federally mandated Ordering Referring and Prescribing (ORP) changes.

You must register at http://www.kymmis.com/ in order to participate in this webinar. There a several scheduled workshops to accommodate all providers, and each workshop is exactly the same.

Choose a time: 

• 10:00 a.m. (ET)
• 3: 00 p.m. (ET)

Choose a date:

• Monday, May 15
• Wednesday, May 17 
• Tuesday, May 23 
• Tuesday, May 30 

If you have any questions regarding the webinars, contact DMS Provider Inquiry (800-807-1232).

A book signing to raise awareness and funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation will immediately follow Keni Thomas's keynote presentation. His book, Get It On! What It Means to Lead the Way, will be available for purchase at the event for $20.

As a former United States Army Ranger who served in the now famed “Blackhawk Down” mission, Keni Thomas will share his story of courage and leadership from the battlefield and beyond at the KHA Annual Convention, May 18-19 in Lexington. Nineteen Americans gave their lives and 78 were wounded in the worst urban combat seen by U.S. troops since World War II. His firsthand account of how extraordinary soldiers fought to bring each other home...

On May 31, KHA will host a webinar on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Hospital Improvement Act Proposed Changes presented by Sue Dill Calloway.

CMS has proposed some significant changes to the hospital conditions of participation (CoPs) that every hospital should know including critical access hospitals. This includes changes to nursing, medical records, infection control, QAPI, patient rights and restraint and seclusion. It will also require all hospitals to have an antibiotic stewardship program and what the program should include. It will include a prohibition on discrimination which must be given to patients in writing.

View the flyer for details and register online...

Quorum Health Resources is hosting a Bootcamp for Quality Directors (and others who may need an update) in May in Brentwood, Tennessee.  With the hospital’s financial performance and viability increasingly tied to quality, patient safety and patient satisfaction, the role of the Quality Director has become critical to the hospital’s success.

This hands-on basic training session focuses on teaching the core skills that every Quality Director must have to be successful in today’s turbulent health care times. 

For details and registration information, visit https://quorum.eventsmart.com/.

The KHA 88th Annual Convention is May 18-19 in Lexington. There is a track especially designed for chief medical officers and physicians, which will provide the opportunity for continuing medical education (CME) credits.

Review the physician track agenda for presentation and CME details, and visit the KHA Convention website to register today.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

The cutoff date for reservations at the group rate for the KHA Annual Convention is one week from today — April 26.

A block of rooms is reserved at the Hyatt Regency Lexington. Reservations requests after the cutoff date will be confirmed on an availability basis. When making your reservations by phone (800-233-1234), remember to mention the Kentucky Hospital Association Annual Meeting. To make a reservation online, please use the custom link: https://aws.passkey.com/go/KHA2017.

There will be three ACHE sessions at this year's KHA Annual Convention in Lexington on May 18-19. Thursday will feature two sessions with Jake Poore, president and chief experience officer of Integrated Loyalty Systems in Orlando. Each of these sessions are eligible for 3.0 ACHE Face-to-Face education credits.

On Friday, May 19, there will be a panel presentation and discussion about accountability and transformation with hospital leaders from around the state. This session is eligible for 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face education credits.

For more information about these and other sessions available at this year's Convention, visit http://www.kyha.com/CM/Events/KHA_Convention/KHA_Convention.aspx.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

As a former United States Army Ranger who served in the now famed “Blackhawk Down” mission, Keni Thomas will share his story of courage and leadership from the battlefield and beyond at the KHA Annual Convention, May 18-19 in Lexington. Nineteen Americans gave their lives and 78 were wounded in the worst urban combat seen by U.S. troops since World War II. His firsthand account of how extraordinary soldiers fought to bring each other home illustrates the power of leading by example at all levels, regardless of rank or station.

The Kentucky Institute for Patient Safety and Quality (KIPSQ) will hold two Safe Table meetings in April on Disinfection and Cleaning Reusable Items. Gail Horvath of the ECRI Institute will present, and 2.4 hours of nursing CEUs are available.  

April 12  Registration deadline: April 10  1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (ET) Hardin Memorial Hospital  Elizabethtown

April 19  Registration deadline: April 17  10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (ET)  Saint Joseph East-Women’s Hospital Lexington

KHA is pleased to offer the 2017 Swing Bed Conference series for both critical access hospitals (CAHs) and prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals. Mary Guyot, a nurse consultant with Stroudwater Associates and the leading expert in Swing Bed management will present. The PPS conference will take place on June 6-7 and the CAH conference will take place June 8-9.

Program and registration details are available below:

PPS Hospital Program June 6-7 Brochure Online Registration   CAH Program June 8-9 Brochure...

On Tuesday, April 11, KHA Solutions Group Affinity Partner SunRX will host a free webinar on 340B Trends and Drivers. SUNRx is excited to provide eligible entities with access to this 340B Industry Update. This exclusive webinar will provide the latest updates in 340B including the impact of the Trump Administration.

Speaker details and login information are available at http://www.new-kyha.com/Portals/5/EventBrochures/SunRxWebinar.pdf.

If you have any questions about the webinar or about how SunRx can help with your 340B program, please contact Darrell Trent at KHA Solutions Group (dtrent@kyha.com).

Don’t miss out on the March 14 KIPSQ Safe Table on Health IT Safe Practices at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport. This event will be held in conjunction with the KHA Quality Symposium, March 14-15.

The safe table will begin at 9:00 a.m. (ET) with speakers from ECRI Institute and end with lunch speaker Wes Butler. Please plan to attend this exciting event and learn more about the risk of copy and paste. This is a free event for KIPSQ members, and CEU hours are provided.

Event Links Quality Symposium Brochure Symposium Registration Safe Table Agenda...

The Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy (KCSP) will host its 2017 Spring Conference, Smoke-free Partnerships: Past. Present. Future at DoubleTree Suites in Lexington on Tuesday, April 18.

This year's conference will feature the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) Dr. Brian King, who was a contributing author to the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health; the lead author of the CDC’s 2014 update to the evidence-based state guide, “Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs;" and one of the editors of the Surgeon General's 2016 report, E-cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults.There will also be continuing education (CE) credits again this year through CHES, CME and KBN. To register, visit https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0MLhq5GQbAAIR2l. The conference is free to attend, and registration will be open until...

KHREF will host a Credentialing Boot Camp on April 11 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Louisville. This program provides a practical, in-depth review of aspects of credentialing, re-credentialing and privileging including primary source verification, applying criteria for appointment, reviewing the application for completeness, identifying "red flags," roles in the review and approval process, meeting management, credentialing telemedicine and allied health professionals, coordinating the peer review process and understanding negligence in credentialing.

Details are available in the brochure. You can register online to secure your seat today.

If you...

In response to the growing cyber threats in health care, the American Hospital Association (AHA) will offer a series of regional, in-person trainings for hospital and health system CEOs in April. Registration will be limited to hospital or health system CEOs, accompanied by their lead cyber security staff person.

If you have any questions about the upcoming event, please contact Chantal Worzala at AHA (202-626-2313 or vial email at cowrzala@aha.org).

On March 16, KHA will host a one-day program, which will provide valuable information for those individuals who are responsible for creating the best possible Environment of Care, Emergency Management and Life Safety programs and must understand the Joint Commission survey methodology and recent changes to the standards.  Information will be provided so attendees will be able to implement a practical, continuously compliant program for health care facilities to achieve maximum performance while effectively preparing for unscheduled Joint Commission and CMS surveys. 

View the brochure for program details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions,...

If a CMS surveyor showed up at your hospital tomorrow, would you know what to do? Two upcoming KHA seminars will cover a record breaking year of changes in the CMS Hospital Conditions of Participation (CoPs) This is a must-attend program for anyone with direct patient care in the hospital. This program will cover the entire CMS hospital manual to ensure you are in compliance.

Seminar on CMS Conditions of Participation for PPS Hospitals March 1-2 Brochure



Seminar on CMS Conditions of Participation for CAHs March 2-3 Brochure



The seminars will be conducted by Sue Dill Calloway, a well-known speaker on CoP.



If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at...

On Wednesday, November 9, AHA will host a webinar on Strategies for Addressing Violence in Post-Acute Care Environments. This webinar is free for AHA members.

Health care providers in various settings, including post-acute care, are taking a more active role with community partners to combat violence and to address the impact of violence on their patients and staff. In addition to needing care for physical recovery, patients in post-acute care as a result of violently acquired injuries need appropriate care to instill trust and address socioeconomic challenges. Other patients in post-acute care may become combative due to being confused as a result of dementia, other cognitive impairments and/or psychosocial factors. The American Hospital Association (AHA) Section for Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation invites you to join two of your colleagues on a webinar highlighting their successful approaches to addressing violence in post-acute care environments.

Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital is an inner...

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the University of Louisville School of Medicine invites you to attend its Heroin and Opioid Response Summit on Thursday, December 1 in Louisville. The Summit will bring together stakeholders and professionals working in treatment, recovery, health care, law enforcement, emergency response, prevention and education to discuss current efforts and strategies with a specific focus on Louisville, Kentucky. Attendees can explore ideas for more effective responses to this crisis.

Seating is limited so register today at https://usaokywtraining.org/HeroinOpioidSummit.

If you have any questions, please contact Wendy McCormick at the U.S. Attorney's Office (Wendy.McCormick@usdoj.gov).

...

The K-HIIN Kick-Off Meeting will provide insight into how the Kentucky Hospital Improvement Innovation Network (K-HIIN) will use the successes of the Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) to launch the next phase of this national initiative for quality and outcomes improvement in hospitals. Attendees will learn about the goals and requirements of the HIIN and how the innovations, virtual learning opportunities and hospital-level techniques of the program will take your improvement work to the next level.

View the brochure for agenda details, and register online today to reserve your seat for this important meeting.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

On Wednesday, September 21, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced Louisville as the fourth city in America to take part in a comprehensive law enforcement and prevention “360 Degree Strategy” to assist cities dealing with the heroin and prescription drug abuse epidemic. As part of this strategy and in conjunction the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks you are cordially invited to attend a DEA 360 Strategy Drug Prevention “Train-the-Trainer” briefing held at one of two locations on November 1 and 2.

The training, designed by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, is intended to:

Teach those in your organization and other stakeholders in the community how to conduct a drug prevention presentation Provide instruction on how to train others within your agency or organization to give a drug prevention presentation Provide a Powerpoint slide...

On November 1, KHA will host a webinar to assist hospital staff learn more about the regulations and laws that surround The Joint Commission (TJC) Standard 01.07.01, and help make sure they are in compliance. TJC Leadership Standard 01.07.01 requires the board, senior managers and leaders of the medical staff to have knowledge of various health care laws and regulations.

Because of the health care reform federal law changes, this program will cover the important laws that every hospital should be aware of. It will provide information on how to locate a copy of the laws and the importance of updating policies and procedures to be compliant with these federal laws. This session will also discuss some of the many changes in federal regulations and interpretive guidelines by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the hospital conditions of participation (CoPs) which must be followed by every hospital that accepts Medicare or Medicaid.

View the program brochure...

The Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services, in conjunction with Hewlett Packard Enterprise will host a 2016 Fall Webinar for Medicaid Providers on the following dates:

Monday, November 14 Wednesday, November 16 Friday, November 18 Monday, November 28 Each workshop is exactly the same and is for all provider types. There will be two sessions on each date - 10:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. (ET).

Attendees are encouraged to print or download the webinar materials for reference during the webinar. The materials will be available prior to the workshop at www.kymmis.com under the Provider Relations/Provider Workshop heading.

You MUST REGISTER in order to attend the workshop. Find the date and time you would like to attend at http://www.kymmis.com/workshop/default.aspx and follow the link to register....

 

On Friday, November 11, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. (ET), the Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) will host an opportunity for a 3.0 hour face-to-face ACHE educational program in Louisville. This program is only $75 for ACHE members and $25 for students.

The ACHE program immediately follows the Kentucky Hospital Association Health Care Leadership Conference* and luncheon. (*Open to KHA Members)

Registration will be open soon. For details, view the event brochure.

Please save November 11 and plan to attend.

On October 20, KHA will host a seminar to get hospitals up to date on the latest changes in Joint Commission accreditation. The event will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Louisville Northeast.

Many changes are occurring in the Joint Commission Accreditation process through January 2017, and the changes will have a great deal of impact on accredited organizations. With the implementation of the Project Refresh SAFER Matrix for scoring and the changes related to management of the Plan for Improvement associated with the Statement of Conditions, there will be some interesting challenges for all health care organizations. The Joint Commission Update 2017 seminar will provide information needed to understand and manage these accreditation process changes. Topics to be discussed include the Project Refresh and the SAFER Scoring Matrix, The Plan for Improvement portion of the Statement of Conditions post survey, frequently cited and challenging standards and High Reliability.

The event brochure...

On September 15, KHA, along with the Kentucky Office of Inspector General and the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs, will host a webinar on the SANE-Ready Hospital: What it Means and How to Achieve It.

The Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) Act passed in the 2016 General Assembly. This is a comprehensive measure which seeks to address a number of barriers to providing both health care services and justice for victims of sexual assault. Key to hospitals, the SAFE Act seeks to improve the quality of care sexual assault victims receive by the establishment of the SANE-ready designation for acute care hospitals. SANE stands for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. In order to qualify for the designations, hospitals must certify they have a SANE nurse on call 24/7.

For program details, view the brochure....

The Kentucky Hospital Association, in partnership with the American Heart Association, is providing a webinar series for small and rural hospitals with the goal to provide rural hospitals with a clinical update on improving recognition, treatment and sometimes transfer of stroke patients in a timely manner. Rural hospital emergency department staff and other nurses and physicians involved in the care of potential stroke patients are invited to attend.

View the brochure for program details and registration information.

On September 15, KHA will host a webinar on Legal and Risk Management Issues in the Emergency Department (ED).

With the emergency department (ED) being a high-risk area of liability for the hospital, the presentation will focus on legal and risk management issues that health care providers face while caring for patients in this high-risk environment.

During this session, Sue Dill Calloway will explain how to comply with selected Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS) hospital CoPs and Joint Commission standards that are problematic for emergency department staff and include how the visitation law affects the ED and the CMS anesthesia standards on the use of deep or moderate sedation in the ED. Calloway will further discuss the impact of the new CMS worksheets along with...

On September 13, KHA will host a a webinar on the Provider-Based Rules Update for 2016.

Hospitals are increasingly establishing provider-based clinics of all types. While hospitals can enjoy increased revenues from provider-based clinics, compliance with all the rules and regulations is challenging. The provider-based rule (PBR) is complex and there are definite ambiguities. Recent changes in the supervisory requirements for provider-based operations have created confusion and new compliance challenges.

During this workshop, Duane Abbey, PhD,CFP, will describe the overall purpose and function of the provider-based rule and address critical information concerning physician supervisory changes, as well as discuss the future of provider-based clinics.

Details can be found in the brochure, and registration is now open online.

...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will host two webinars in August that highlight how to participate successfully in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs in 2016 based on the criteria outlined in the October 2015 final rule. The first webinar will discuss criteria for eligible professionals (EPs) and the second will highlight requirements for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs). Please use the links below to register.

2016 EHR Incentive...

On August 29-30, the Kentucky Hospital Engagement Network (K-HEN) will conduct a Patient Safety TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer Workshop, hosted by KHA in Louisville. Patient Safety TeamSTEPPS training will provide participants with the skill sets needed to build a culture of safety within their organization. Participants will learn to organize the work of patient safety and empower clinicians with the use of tools to effectively manage conflict and implement change.

For details, view the brochure. Reserve your spot today by registering online.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

On September 13, KHREF will host a webinar to help health providers prepare to meet their obligations under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

On May 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued the implementing regulation for Section 1557 of the ACA. The regulation builds upon longstanding nondiscrimination regulations and provides important new protections, including prohibitions against sex discrimination in health programs and activities and nondiscrimination requirements for health insurance programs and activities. By eliminating barriers that are based on discrimination, Section 1557 is important to achieving the Affordable Care Act’s goals of expanding access to health care and coverage, eliminating barriers, and reducing health disparities.

View the brochure for details and register today...

The Kentucky Hospital Research and Education Foundation (KHREF) is partnering with Blue and Co. to provide a summer series of webinars and a face-to-face conference for critical access hospital (CAH) CEOs and CFOs along with other financial leaders in the CAH setting. These programs are provided to Kentucky CAHs through support by the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Grant) and the Kentucky Office of Rural Health.

Webinars will be held August 16 and 25, and an in-person workshop is planned for September 15 in Louisville.

View the brochure for program details and registration information.

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com).

Hospitals participating in K-HEN 2.0 are invited to attend the Kentucky Sepsis Summit: Facing the Sepsis Challenge on August 24 at the Paroquet Springs Conference Center in Shepherdsville.

This conference will present comprehensive information on the clinical problem of sepsis and collecting data on both process and outcome measures associated with sepsis and severe sepsis. In addition, helpful tips on care improvement will be provided by national subject matter experts and hospital practitioners with experience in this topic.

View the brochure for details and register online to reserve your seat today.

LanguageLine (Pacific Interpreters) is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, August 2 for health care providers to learn about essential consumers’ rights under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and guidance on how to meet your obligations to protect the civil rights of Limited English Proficient and Deaf and Hard of Hearing populations.

The 60-minute webinar includes:

• An overview of the new requirements
• „Helpful tips for organizations seeking to comply „„
• Northeast Georgia Health System’s experience developing and implementing a language access plan

To register, visit https://engage.vevent.com/rt/languagelineservicesinc~080216.

The Kentucky Hospital Association is hosting a oneday program addressing critical topics for quality leaders to strengthen your QI program and improve your CAUTI/ CLABSI measures. The event will be held at the Paroquet Springs Conference Centre in Shepherdsville on August 23.

For program details, view the brochure. Online registration is open so reserve your seat today.

KHA, through support from the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, will host a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Quality Leader Boot Camp on August 23,. This one-day program addresses critical topics for CAH quality leaders including strengthening your QI program with effective planning and benchmarking, preparing for changes in Conditions of Participation (CoP) and other important clinical topics.

View the brochure for program details and register today to reserve your seat.

KHA will host a members only seminar on July 28 at the Louisville Marriott East regarding the newly proposed Medicaid waiver program. This program will feature presentations from key architects of the proposed demonstration project, which is part of an overall initiative to transform the Kentucky Medicaid program. Speakers will address eligibility, benefits, costs, incentives and delivery system reforms.

In addition, the program will feature presenters familiar with the revamped Indiana Medicaid program, which has been underway since 2013 and has many features similar to those proposed in Kentucky HEALTH. Indiana hospital representatives will share insight on the effect the Indiana program has had on hospital and other health services from a practical standpoint of implementation and compliance.

View the brochure for details and register today...

On July 21, KHA will host a webinar on succeeding during the age of MACRA. David Schulke, president of Health Quality Strategies, will help participants understand upcoming major trends in the health care market, emergency Medicare policies and how partners within the health care community can align for mutually beneficial objectives.

View the event brochure for program details and visit the KHA Events page to register today.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

The 2016 KHA Small Rural and Critical Access Hospital Conference is Wednesday, June 8. The conference is designed to help small rural hospital leaders understand changes to the health care delivery system and think strategically about how to best position their hospital for top performance.

View the brochure for more details, and register online in the Events section of www.kyha.com.

If you have questions, contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com).

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is hosting listening sessions this week to share more information about the recently released Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).

Overview of the MACRA NPRM

Date: Tuesday, May 17 Time: 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. (ET) Details: The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA)...

The KHA 87th Annual Convention is tomorrow and Friday in Lexington! This year, KHA is going mobile by providing you with a mobile app for the event.

Download the KHA Mobile App, powered by Interapt, and enjoy the convenience of having Convention session details, speaker information, maps and sponsors all on your phone.

After the Convention, keep the app to stay connected with important hospital news! Soon, the new KHA app will be your one stop for the membership directory, events and much more. To create a true multi-media experience with the upcoming changes, hospital and system C-Suite executives are encouraged to visit the Interapt booth during the Convention for a quick photo, which will be included in the Directory.

Instructions and a download link are available at http://kha.interapt.com/download.

If you have not registered for the Convention, registration is available on site. Don't miss this opportunity to learn and network with your colleagues from across the state....

KHA's Annual Convention is less than a week away! If you have not already registered, take this opportunity to sign up. Visit the Convention website for all the information you need, including session details, schedules and visitor information.

In addition to the General Sessions, there are tracks this year for financial professionals, your legal team, nurse executives, medical officers/physicians and a day of programs just for your volunteers, directors of volunteers, gift shop managers.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

Don’t forget to register for the May 10 MLN Connects® National Provider Call, MACRA Listening Session: Quality Payment Program Proposed Rule. This call will be an opportunity for stakeholders, specifically Part B Fee-For-Service clinicians, and state and national associations that represent health care providers, to provide the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with early feedback on the proposed policy for the Quality Payment Program. To participate, visit the MLN Connects Event Registration page. Space may be limited, so please register early.

CMS also encourages you to register for:

The...

The roots of medical practice in the U.S. goes from colonial times to today’s medical profession with its 200 certified specialties. During KHA's Annual Convention, May 12-13 in Lexington, one session will examine the current and historical physician supply and demand trends, training, compensation patterns and practice types. It will also project how health care reform and related changes will reshape the way physicians practice and are paid, with a look at value-based compensation, the team-based approach to care, medical homes, “complexivists,” concierge practice and more.

Speaker Kurt Mosley serves as Vice President of Strategic Alliances for Merritt Hawkins, the nation’s leading physician search and consulting firm, and a company of AMN Healthcare, the largest health care staffing organization in the United States. With over 20 years of health care industry experience, Mosley is one of the nation’s leading authorities on the evolving health care system, particularly the way physician supply, demand...

Don't forget! The last day for Early Bird Registration for the KHA Annual Convention is tomorrow, April 29. The discounted rate is $200. After tomorrow, the regular rate of $225 will be in effect.

This year's meeting, May 12-13 in Lexington provides a great opportunity to learn from prominent speakers from around the country, network with your colleagues and earn ACHE face-to-face credits or CEUs.

Make your plans now to attend! Details and registration information are available on the Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com. You can also go directly to the registration page to register today.

If you have any Convention-related questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

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During the KHA Annual Convention, May 12-13 in Lexington, Lars Enstrom and James Callanan of Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) Healthcare Industry Group will discuss, “How Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) Influence Health Care Delivery Patient Flow, Cost and Quality.”

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has set a goal of tying 50 percent of fee-for-service Medicare payments to quality or value through APMs, such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) or bundled payment arrangements by the end of 2018. As payers investigate alternative ways to transfer financial risk and quality accountability to providers, providers need to develop approaches that break down the historic “silo” nature of treatment patterns and develop pathways that respond to the particular pressures of each type of APM while improving the outcomes for patients.  

At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:

Learn from early experiences about the necessary activities required to be successful...

KHA will host a webinar on May 3 to help you learn how the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) will impact reimbursement for your organization.

In April 2015, Congress passed MACRA, which made the news for eliminating the dysfunctional Sustainable Growth Rate formula. At the same time, it introduced significant changes in the Medicare Part B reimbursement model, involving the expansion of existing value-based incentives (PQRS, Meaningful Use and the Value-Based Modifier) as well as the introduction of entirely new incentive programs.

For webinar details and a registration form, view the brochure or register online today.

If you have any questions, contact Carol Walters...

During the KHA Annual Convention, May 12-13 in Lexington, the Studer Group's Craig Deao will help attendees close the "Knowing-Doing Gap in Health Care." In 2000, Jeffery Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton published a book called The Knowing-Doing Gap. It pinpoints a challenge faced by organizations in all industries, including health care. "We work really hard to figure out what we need to do, yet we fail to implement what we learn in the process."

At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:

• Describe the “Knowing-Doing Gap” in health care
•  Implement three evidence-based strategic objectives in your health care organization

Make your plans now to attend! Details and registration information are available on the Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com. You can also go directly to the registration page to register today.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently participated in the 2016 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas. CMS' education session presentations from this year’s conference are now available online.

Visit the Events page for the EHR Incentive program to view all five presentations from the Exhibition.

At this year's KHA Convention, May 12-13 in Lexington, there will be three ACHE sessions available for you to earn face-to-face credits. This is a great opportunity to earn credits while networking with your peers from around the state.

On Thursday, May 12, Michael E. Frisina, PhD will present  “Behavior Smarts: Increasing Health Care Leadership Performance” and “Leading for Success: Creating a Committed Workforce.” Thursday's events will also feature the annual ACHE Luncheon.

On Friday, May 13, there will be a panel discussion on “Making Sense of Performance Transformation Methodologies.”

Make your plans now to attend! Details and registration information are available on the Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com. You can also go directly to the registration page to register today.

If you have any Convention-related questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

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KHA will sponsor a free webinar, "Ransomware for Health Care Providers; How it Works & How to Defend Against It," on Monday, April 11, 2016 from 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM (ET). Ransomware attacks have been on the rise for the past 18 months and lately they have become a major security and operational issue for health care providers. Webinar participants will learn more about how these attacks work and what health care organizations can do to protect themselves.

Jason Riddle, partner in Managed Security Services for LBMC Information Security, will present the program. Riddle has 15 years’ experience in the information technology and security field with particular emphasis on enterprise security and compliance. He currently serves as a Partner in the Managed Security Services division of LBMC Information Security, a leading provider of network and enterprise security monitoring, incident response and computer forensics services. 

To register, please visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5067297622450933762. 

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KHA is hosting a two-part educational webinar program on CMS Quality Based Payment Reform Programs for acute hospitals with content provided by KHA data analytics partner, DataGen. In order to participate in the webinars, you must register in advance using the links below.

Tuesday April 12 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (ET) DataGen Review of Medicare’s Value-Based Purchasing Program for Kentucky Hospitals https://datagen.webex.com/datagen/onstage/g.php?MTID=ec1dae3260357942e49e688b7b7ed22cb Tuesday April 26 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (ET) DataGen Review of Medicare’s Readmission Reduction & HAC Programs for Kentucky Hospitals https://datagen.webex.com/datagen/onstage/g.php?MTID=ea3de65d771dfe6dce2ae3e4329f020f0...

Scott Burrows, this year's keynote speaker, will discuss Taking Responsibility: Using Vision, Mindset and Grit to Achieve Success at the KHA 87th Annual Convention, May 12-13 in Lexington.

Burrows is living proof your life can change in an instant. By the age of 19, he was playing college football at Florida State University as a wide receiver and a top-ranked kick-boxing champion, with his last fight broadcast by ESPN.

On November 3, 1984, Scott’s life took a dramatic and irreversible turn. He was involved in a serious automobile accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down and diagnosed a quadriplegic.

Despite his grim diagnosis, Scott refused to be sidelined. He made the decision to take action, to focus on the positives of the experience as opposed to dwelling on the obvious and overwhelming negatives.

With the tremendous clarity provided by his singular focus, Scott resolved to thrive in his life by using three principles:

Vision helped him see complete success in his mind’s eye first.

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Programs for KHA's 87th Annual Convention, May 12-13 in Lexington, were mailed to members this week. The convention website, http://convention.kyha.com, provides online registration, program details, a hotel reservation link and a link to the printable program.

Online registration is also available directly at http://www.kyha.com/Shared_Content/Events/Event_Dashboard.aspx?EventKey=16ANNCONV&WebsiteKey=1ca3c419-a7df-41b7-937a-f6c6437b12fe&Event_Dashboard=1#Event_Dashboard.

For further information, contact Carol Walters at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via e-mail at cwalters@kyha.com).

The Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence (DEDI) and the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (KPPC) are co-sponsoring a workshop for facility managers, engineers and anyone who is concerned with the efficient use of energy at their location. The Kentucky Energy Workshops are part of a series of events that will provide strategies and resources for sound energy management that can help Kentucky companies realize significant cost savings while improving their environmental performance.

This workshop will be presented at two different locations in Kentucky:

March 31 Toyota Motor Manufacturing Visitors Center-Camry Hall Georgetown

April 6 Western Kentucky University Downing Student Union-President's Hall Bowling Green

Session topics include:

Fundamental concepts of energy efficiency along with tools and techniques Current lighting technologies Monitoring energy consumption, controls, building automation systems Tour at host facility...

KHREF will host a webinar on Telemedicine Coding, Billing and Compliance on March 8 at 1:30 p.m. (ET). Telemedicine services continue to grow both in volume and breadth of coverage, and much of the guidance for telemedicine or telehealth services comes from the Medicare program. However, program changes occur almost every year, so it can be a challenge to make sure your staff is faithfully following the latest Medicare guidelines and regulations. This webinar will help your team decipher the rules and regulations to ensure your hospital stays in compliance.

View the brochure for program details and registration information.

KHA will host two Swing Bed Seminars for Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) at KHA Headquarters in Louisville as follows:

PPS Hospitals

- April 11-12

CAHs

- April 13-14

Follow the corresponding links above for program details and registration information.

Mary Guyot with Stroudwater Associates will instruct both courses. The seminar is supported by the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program in an effort to keep costs as low as possible for rural hospitals.

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at ecobb@kyha.com).

KHA will host a seminar on the Joint Commission Environment of Care (EOC) Standards on March 29 at the Hilton Garden Inn Northeast in Louisville.

This one-day program will offer valuable information on how to use the Environment of Care Committee to improve facility environment of care safety and compliance with the Joint Commission. A well-developed Environment of Care Committee can make a measurable improvement to the safety of hospitals and in outcomes from surveys.

For details, view the brochure. Registration for all KHA events is available by clicking "Events" on the KHA home page, www.kyha.com.

If you need additional information, contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

Kentucky Hospital Association is pleased to partner with other infection prevention stakeholders in offering the fourth Statewide Infection Prevention Boot Camp on March 8 and 9 in Lexington. The sessions are designed for both experienced IPs and those new to the field. All hospital IP professionals should plan to attend as topics will include emerging pathogens, outbreaks and compliance with newly implemented regulations.

On March 9 and 10, KHA is hosting its Annual Quality and Hospital Engagement Network Conference. All hospital chief nursing officers and quality leaders are encouraged to attend. Education will center on patient safety culture, physician accountability, information technology and building successful improvement systems. There is no cost for the Quality Conference as HEN funds are supporting the event.

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The 2016 Infection Prevention Boot Camp, developed through a statewide collaborative aimed at supporting Kentucky infection prevention professionals in their daily work to reduce health care associated infections and provide quality patient care, will be held March 8-9 in Lexington. The two-day conference builds on foundational skills provided in previous educational offerings and explores topics with emerging importance.

A brochure is available at http://www.kyha.com/docs/EventBrochures/IPBootCamp2016.pdf.

To register for this or any other upcoming KHA events, click on "Events" at www.kyha.com and choose the event you plan to attend.

Answers to many of the questions submitted by participants during the Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Provider Training offered in Baltimore, Maryland, in November have been posted and are available on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/LTCH-Quality-Reporting/LTCH-Quality-Reporting-Training.html, under ‘Downloads’.

Additionally, CMS will host a follow-up webinar on February 3. The primary focus will be on Sections GG (Functional Abilities and Goals) and M (Skin Conditions) of the LTCH Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation (CARE) Data Set V 3.0. Information about Section O (Special Treatments, Procedures and Programs) and where to find additional assistance...

On January 6, KHREF will host a the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model webinar. Details and registration are available on the KHA website, www.kyha.com, under Events.

Rapidly following on the heels of its oncology bundles announcement earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced on July 9 a new proposed mandate for a 90-day retrospective bundled payment model. The proposed rule became final on November 16, 2015, and incorporated several program changes as a result of national feedback. This model impacts Medicare beneficiaries receiving lower extremity joint replacement or reattachment of lower extremity procedures in acute care hospitals located in 67 mandated geographic areas across the country. Modeled after the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement program and evidenced by the Acute Care Episode demonstration project, the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model aims to improve cost efficiencies, patient outcomes and collaboration among various types...

To maximize your time in traveling to the KHA Health Care Leadership Conference on November 13 in Louisville, the Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Health Care Executives (KY ACHE) will be offering a three hour, face to face (formerly known as Category 1) educational program directly following the KHA Health Care Leadership Conference Luncheon.

The KY ACHE educational program, "Strategic Planning From Formulation to Action," starts at 2:00 p.m. (ET) and adjourns at 5:00 p.m. (ET).  Alan Zuckerman, leading health care strategist, will teach new approaches for developing an effective strategic plan.  This seminar will teach attendees how to apply tools to assess competitiveness and critical issues organizations face.  

Please click on the above link to view a copy of the KY ACHE promotional postcard and learn more about the program's key objectives.

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KHREF is offering a webinar-based training series to support hospital improvement in the patient satisfaction survey, HCAHPS. The sebinar series includes 12 training sessions which focus on each of the domains of care covered in the HCAHPS survey. The fee for participation in the webinar series along with access to webinar replays and other tools is only $200 for KHA members. KHA member critical access hospitals (CAHs) are eligible for a registration scholarship through the Flex Grant.

Please see the brochure for additional details.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

On Monday, October 26, the Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the Kentucky Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) will host Living on Medicare Rates: a Senior Leader Margin Improvement Planning Program at the University of Louisville Shelby Campus.

Chip Caldwell, Jr., chairman of Caldwell Butler and Associations LLC, will discuss how to implement plans to successfully manage reimbursement declines. Attendees will earn six ACHE face-to-fact credits.

View the flyer for additional information. To register, visit https://hfmaky.starchapter.com/meet-reg1.php?id=107.

KHREF will host a workshop to ensure hospitals meet all the requirements for the IRS 501(r) regulations. The event will be held twice on November 11 — in the morning at the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky in Louisville and in the afternoon at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington.

All hospitals have charity care policies. What some may have missed is that these are now called “financial assistance policies.” What some may also have missed is that these policies are now regulated by mandatory and highly prescriptive IRS rules that go to the very heart of a charitable hospital’s exempt status. Having a compliant financial assistance policy is only a part of the challenge. Adhering to the new Section 501(r) rules requires a true team effort involving key hospital personnel, including finance, compliance,registration, billing, marketing, collection and other departments, as well as the hospital’s board of directors. Under the new law (which already is in effect), a hospital’s website must...

KHA will host a Joint Commission Update seminar on October 19 at the Hilton Garden Inn Louisville Northeast. The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) focus on some specific standards that continue to be problematic. These standards make it necessary and timely to present a program of this nature.This program will provide a comprehensive review of key standards focusing on such problematic topics as National Patient Safety Goals, elements of a Highly Reliable Organization, Condition Level Deficiencies, Immediate Threat to Life and others. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how the Joint Commission and CMS are interrelated, where the problematic areas are and how to have a flawless survey through proper front-end preparation.

For more details, review the program brochure. Please note, that as the KHA website transitions...

Important changes will go into effect on October 1, 2015, regarding the Two-Midnight Rule. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is changing its approach with regard to educating providers and enforcing Two-Midnight Short-Stay reviews. Specifically, CMS has decided to use Beneficiary and Family-Centered Care Quality Improvement Organizations (BFCC-QIOs), rather than Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) or Recovery Auditors, to conduct the first line medical reviews of providers who submit claims for inpatient admissions.

Kentucky’s BFCC-QIO is KEPRO, which has more information on the changes and action hospitals should take on its website. KEPRO is hosting an informational webinar for hospitals on Wednesday, September 30 at 3:00 p.m. (ET). Each hospital should identify at least one person to participate. There are a limited number of lines available so please register TODAY!...

You are invited to learn about KHA’s endorsed Internet-based education management solution on Thursday, October 1 at KHA Headquarters in Louisville.

careLearning is an Internet-based education management solution. Its sole purpose is to develop and deliver a range of just-in-time training and education for health care providers and to provide the ability to manage and track employee, physician and non-employee records. careLearning is a nonprofit organization operated by more than 40 state hospital associations and the American Hospital Association.

Whether your hospital needs mandatory education, which includes a set of Health & Safety Compliance courses with complete recordkeeping and reporting functions; continuing education toward licensure; or various types of certification including self-paced, interactive and cost-effective continuing education anytime, on any computer with Internet access, careLearning offers something for every Kentucky hospital and their employees.

On Thursday,...

KEPRO is the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO) for more than 30 states, including Kentucky. On July 28 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. (ET), KEPRO will host a webinar for Kentucky hospitals to discuss their role and answer any questions.

KEPRO will also briefly discuss the recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Outpatient Proposed Rule which would expand their role on the Two-Midnight Rule policy. Specifically, CMS has decided to use QIOs, rather than Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) or Recovery Auditors, to conduct the first-line medical reviews of providers who submit claims for inpatient admissions.

For instructions on how to register, visit http://www.new-kyha.com/Portals/5/NewsDocs/KEPROMeetingRegistration.pdf.

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com)....

On July 22 at 2:30 p.m. (ET), KHA will host a webinar on the new Fair Labor Standards Act rules. Nearly every employer in the nation will be affected by the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed revisions of the FLSA overtime exemptions. Their impact will touch not only how employers classify their exempt and non-exempt employees, but also organizations’ bottom line profits. Employee claims for unpaid overtime continue to be the most significant employment liability risk for employers. The revised overtime regulations coming out of Washington will mean even more liability and confusion for employers across the country. With these being some of the most significant changes to the workforce in nearly 50 years, this education will be of vital importance to hospitals.

This webinar will be led by Tammy McCutchen, former DOL Wage and Hour Administrator. She is now an attorney at the Littler Workplace Policy Institute® in Washington, DC, but previously was the principal at DOL who drafted the FLSA while...

What percentage of your newborn screening specimens get to the state lab within 96 hours? On July 29 at 9:30 a.m. (ET), KHA, in partnership with the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Division of Laboratory Services, will host a webinar on best practices to improve turnaround times for newborn screening specimens. The goal, as a state, is for all birthing hospitals to have 95 percent of their specimens to the state lab within 96 hours, by July 1, 2016.

This informational webinar will feature background and best practices information from state lab representatives, along with speakers from Taylor Regional Hospital and Baptist Health Lexington who will share their secrets for success.

The webinar will be repeated on August 18 at 2:00 p.m. (ET). To register for either session, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KS9XD5R.

For more information, contact Donna Meador...

KEPRO is the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO) for more than 30 states, including Kentucky. On July 28 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. (ET), KEPRO will host a webinar for Kentucky hospitals to discuss their role and answer any questions.

KEPRO will also briefly discuss the recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Outpatient Proposed Rule which would expand their role on the Two-Midnight Rule policy. Specifically, CMS has decided to use QIOs, rather than Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) or Recovery Auditors, to conduct the first-line medical reviews of providers who submit claims for inpatient admissions.

KHA will share dial-in information as soon as it becomes available. Please save the date.

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com).

On Tuesday, July 14, KHA will host a two-hour Members Only Webinar from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET) to present the results of a year-long project involving analysis of Medicaid claims data across all sites of service. As part of the Association's Medicaid Reform Strategy, KHA engaged the national consulting firms of Dobson/DaVanzo and Milliman to obtain Kentucky’s Medicaid claims data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and perform this analysis to assist the membership as they consider new risk-based approaches to Medicaid payment. The analysis and an accompanying chartbook, which will later be made available to the membership, can be used as hospitals work to improve efficiencies in care delivery and negotiate with the MCOs.

Al Dobson of Dobson/DaVanzo and Rebecca Johnson of Milliman will conduct the webinar. Below is an overview of the presentation. Please make note of the presentation of data on episodic payments, which is something being considered by the Cabinet for...

The 13th Annual Mid-South CAH Conference will be held in Nashville on August 19-21. Details on the agenda, registration information, host hotel and more are available at https://www.signup4.net/public/ap.aspx?EID=20153355E&OID=50.

KHA, through support from the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, will host a Rural Hospital Quality Leader Boot Camp for small rural and critical access hospital patient safety and quality leaders August 5 and 6. The 1 ½ day program includes training on TeamSTEPPS skills followed by a general quality leadership education workshop. The program will help quality leaders hone their communication and leadership skills as well as improve focus on best practices, data collection and benchmarking and engaging team members and leaders.

The event will be held at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg. For details, view the event brochure. Online registration is available at https://secure.kyha.com/imispublic/....

Harshaw Trane will host a free review course for the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Board of Governors Exam on August 14 and 21 in Louisville. Different material will be covered both days.

Participating in the Kentucky Chapter of ACHE’s Board of Governors Examination in Healthcare Management Review Course is a great way to gain the confidence and knowledge needed to pass the exam. ACHE Fellows from local hospitals will serve as faculty experts and provide in-depth information on the ten tested key knowledge areas.

A postcard with details was recently sent to ACHE members. To register or for more information, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (pkirchem@kyha.com).

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued major revisions to the Conditions of Participation (CoP) manual for both prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) this month. For CAHs, more than one-third of the manual has been revised. To help hospitals understand how the latest changes will affect them, KHREF will host two seminars in July:

Seminar on CMS Conditions of Participation for PPS Hospitals
July 8-9
Brochure

Seminar on CMS Conditions of Participation for CAHs
July 9-10
Brochure

The May 2015 edition of the careLearning Newsletter is now available. This edition of careNews highlights the common orientation program for clinical students and a new classroom template that is available to users.

If you would like more information on how careLearning can help your facility, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at pkirchem@kyha.com).

The Kentucky Society for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing (KSHPRM) will hold its annual Spring Conference on Thursday, May 21 at The Zoo in Louisville.

Learn from great presenters like Kirsten Lecky from WriterGirl who will discuss how to engage consumers with effective physician bios and other tools; and Jeremi Griggs from BOHAN Advertising who will share a hospital campaign that will leave you speechless! Plus, hear from many of your KSHPRM peers about some of the activities going on at facilities across the state.

An $85 fee (payable by check at the event) includes KSHPRM 2015 membership along with Zoo admission, parking, lunch and activities. Print the registration form and reserve your spot today.

If you have any questions, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or...

The KHA Annual Convention will be held tomorrow, May 7, and Friday, May 8, in Lexington!

Visit the KHA Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com for program details and more. Registration is available on site on Thursday and Friday.

The KHA Annual Convention, May 7-8 in Lexington, is offering two ACHE sessions for members. You can earn up to six face-to-face credit hours next week!

Kevin E. O'Conner, CSP will present both sessions — Confidence: Leading Your Team through Difficult Times and Understanding and Portraying an Executive Presence.

Visit the KHA Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com for program details, registration information and more. Make your plans to attend and register today! You can also visit the registration site directly at https://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp.

This KHA Annual Convention, May 7-8 in Lexington, offers hospital executives a great opportunity to network with their peers and have access to a wide variety of educational sessions.

This year's General Sessions will address such topics as Section 501(r) requirements for charitable hospitals, operational assessments for community hospitals and the resurgence of narrow networks.

Visit the KHA Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com for program details, registration information and more. Make your plans to attend and register today! You can also visit the registration site directly at https://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp.

Today, April 24, is the last day to register for the KHA Annual Convention at the discounted early bird rate. The registration fee includes ALL Education Sessions, the Opening Session/Breakfast and Awards Luncheon, reception and refreshment breaks for the May 7-8 event. Visit http://convention.kyha.com/HowtoRegister.aspx for registration details or visit the online registration page directly at https://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp.

The KHA Annual Convention, May 7-8 in Lexington, will provide an array of programs to appeal to all members of hospitals' senior staffs. In addition to the informative General Sessions, there will be tracks for finance, medical officers, nursing leaders and hospital attorneys.

In addition to the Kentucky Association of Hospital Attorneys Annual Meeting, the Legal Track will feature a number of presentations specifically for hospital and health care system legal professionals. Speakers will discuss lawyers' professional responsibility when representing corporate health care clients, Section 501(r) requirements for charitable organizations, a legislative update and a case law update.

Visit the KHA Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com for program details, registration information and more. Visit the "Affiliate Tracks" page for different program opportunities....

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued major revisions to the Conditions of Participation (CoP) manual for both prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) this month. For CAHs, more than one-third of the manual has been revised. To help hospitals understand how the latest changes will affect them, KHREF will host two seminars in July:

Seminar on CMS Conditions of Participation for PPS Hospitals
July 8-9

Seminar on CMS Conditions of Participation for CAHs
July 9-10

The seminars will be conducted by Sue Dill Calloway, a well-known speaker on CoP. Program brochures will be available in May.

The KHA Annual Convention, May 7-8 in Lexington, will provide an array of programs to appeal to all members of hospitals' senior staffs. In addition to the informative General Sessions, there will be tracks for finance, medical officers, nursing leaders and hospital attorneys.

This year's Nursing Track will feature a presentation from Catholic Charities Human Trafficking Program Manager Marissa Castellanos on Kentucky's Children's Justice Act in addition to a discussion on outstanding Kentucky nursing research.

Visit the KHA Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com for program details, registration information and more. Visit the "Affiliate Tracks" page for different program opportunities. Make your plans to attend and register today! You can also visit the registration site directly at https://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp.

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The KHA Annual Convention, May 7-8 in Lexington, will provide an array of programs to appeal to all members of hospitals' senior staffs. In addition to the informative General Sessions, there will be tracks for finance, medical officers, nursing leaders and hospital attorneys.

This year's Finacial Track will feature a discussion on next generation risk management strategies for physician compensation compliance. The session will be presented by Randy A. Biernat, CPA, ABV, the director of BKD LLP in Indianapolis.

Visit the KHA Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com for program details, registration information and more. Visit the "Affiliate Tracks" page for different program opportunities. Make your plans to attend and register today! You can also visit the registration site directly at https://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp.

If you have additional questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at cwalters@kyha.com).

careLearning is now offering an educational online training course on organ donation: Saving and Healing Lives Through Organ and Tissue Donation – Continuing our Health Care Mission. Organizations and health care professionals that are working to improve the donor management and family care process across their donation service areas are encouraged to take the opportunity to view, learn from and share this educational training course.

CME and CEPTC credit is available. The cost is $7 per person.

For more information on this course, view the infosheet. If you need additional information about using careLearning in your facility, contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at pkirchem@kyha.com).

The cut-off date for hotel reservations for the KHA Annual Convention is tomorrow, April 16. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hyatt Regency Lexington. Please make your reservations by tomorrow to assure that you will receive the convention rate.

Reservations requests after the cutoff date will be confirmed on an availability basis. Attendees are responsible for making their own reservations. When making your reservations, remember to mention the Kentucky Hospital Association Annual Meeting. You may also make reservations online at https://resweb.passkey.com/go/kyhospital. Hyatt Regency Lexington 401 West High Street Lexington, Kentucky 40507

Phone: (859) 253-1234 Fax: (859) 254-7430 Reservations: (800) 233-1234

Rates: $151 single/double

Visit the KHA Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com...

On May 18, KHREF will host Getting Survey Ready in 2015 for the Physical Environment at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport. This one-day program will provide valuable information for those individuals who are responsible for creating the best possible environment of care, emergency management and life safety programs and must understand the 2015 Joint Commission survey methodology.

View the program for detailed information, including the agenda and registration.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at cwalters@kyha.com).

The KHA Annual Convention, May 7-8 in Lexington, will provide an array of programs to appeal to all members of hospitals' senior staffs. In addition to the informative General Sessions, there will be tracks for finance, medical officers, nursing leaders and hospital attorneys.

This year's Medical Track will feature discussions and presentations on employed physician networks and choosing the right hospitalist model to meet your performance objectives.

Visit the KHA Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com for program details, registration information and more. Visit the "Affiliate Tracks" page for different program opportunities. Make your plans to attend and register today! You can also visit the registration site directly at https://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp.

If you have additional questions,...

Health care’s transition to a new business model will occur fast and furiously as disruptors emerge during the next decade. At the KHA Annual Convention, May 7-8 in Lexington, Kenneth Kaufman will address the key forces behind the current transformation, the reorganization of health and health care services under a population-health management construct and the new competitors that are emerging as health care transitions from an inpatient-centric model to an ambulatory/ virtual model. The session will explore implications for hospitals and health systems and the critical questions executives should be discussing.

Visit the KHA Convention website at http://convention.kyha.com for program details, registration information and more. Make your plans to attend and register today! You can also visit the registration site directly at https://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp....

Programs for KHA's 86th Annual Convention, May 7-8 in Lexington, were mailed to members last week. The convention website, http://convention.kyha.com, provides online registration, program details, a hotel reservation link,  a personalized scheduler and a link to the printable program.

Online registration is also available directly at https://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp.

For further information, contact Carol Walters at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via e-mail at cwalters@kyha.com).

careLearning has added HCAHPS® Surveys to its product line. The solutions provided are both straightforward and affordable. Key benefits include:

Utilize required HCAHPS® survey questions and make additions to tailor to your specific needs Compare Specialties within your facility Compare with hospitals across the nation and get a percentile ranking for each question. Drill down reporting to specific locations within a multi-campus network Compile Patient Comments CG-CAHPS, Home Health CAHPS and Pediatric CAHPS are also available careLearning is providing this service as an approved provider listed as CAMC Institute.

In the latest edition of careNews, there are contact details on the hew HCAHPS program, information on other careLearning offerings and helpful tips about making online courses interesting for your staff.

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The 86th Annual KHA Convention will be held at the Lexington Center/Hyatt Regency, May 7-8.  

The event will include education opportunities for hospital senior staff and specialty educational tracks for chief medical officers and physicians, chief nursing officers and nurse managers, chief financial officers and finance managers, health care attorneys and volunteer services.  

These programs combine to offer an excellent day and a half of education and networking.  KHA convention programs will be available in the next several weeks, but please reserve May 7 and 8 on your calendar.

The Kentucky Institute for Patient Safety and Quality (KIPSQ) Annual Membership Meeting will be held March 19 at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport (one day following the KHA Quality Conference). The KIPSQ conference updates participants on national patient safety trends.  The meeting will focus on Safe Tables, Root Cause Analysis and current legal cases.  You MUST be a member of the KIPSQ Patient Safety Organization (PSO) in order to attend. Please view the brochure for the KIPSQ Annual Membership Meeting conference details and registration information.  You can also refer to the KIPSQ website for more information. If you have...

The KHA Annual Quality Conference will be held March 18 at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport. The Conference updates both clinical and administrative participants on national patient safety and quality improvement trends. The 2015 program will focus more specifically on a number of improvement efforts including readmissions, HSOPS, culture, meds to bed and incentives.

Please view the brochure for Conference details and registration information. Please use this hotel reservation link or contact the hotel directly at 1-888-233-9527 and reference "Quality Conference."

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at sperkins@kyha.com).

Do you know three new things about the federal EMTALA law that every hospital must follow especially the emergency department? What would you do if a CMS surveyor just walked into your hospital to investigate an EMTALA complaint? Don’t be caught off guard. KHREF will host an educational event, "EMTALA Update 2015: The Most Cited Deficiencies by CMS for Hospitals," on March 30 at the Hilton Garden Inn Northeast in Louisville.

View the brochure for details and registration information. If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at cwalters@kyha.com).

On January 22, 2015, there will be a webinar offered on Management of Human Resources Update: Complying with CMS and The Joint Commission Standards. Details on the program's topics, objectives, registration fees and intended target audience are available at the following link. http://www.kyha.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/HumanResStandards.pdf.

On January 27, 2015 there will be a webinar offered on Updating Your Chargemaster for 2015. Details on the program's topics, objectives, registration fees and intended target audience are available at the following link.  http://www.kyha.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ChargemasterUpdate.pdf.

On February 5, 2015 there will be a webinar offered on Medical Staff Bylaws Update.  Details on the program's topics, objectives, registration fees and intended target audience are available at the following...

KHA's Kentucky Hospital Research & Education Foundation (KHREF) recently purchased the publication and distribution rights to "Critical Questions Every Board Needs to be Able to Answer."  This comprehensive publication was developed by The Walker Company and is a useful tool for governance orientation sessions, and ideal for recruiting and orienting new trustees.  It is also a valuable educational resource for more experienced hospital trustees.  As a KHA member service, all KHA members are invited to review and make use of this governance document.  You may access it through the members only section of the KHA Website.  

If you have any questions, or need your KHA members only login, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at pkirchem@kyha.com).

In an effort to spread the word and to make sure that health care providers (and school personnel) are familiar with the Caregiver Authorization Law, KHA is alerting hospitals that when caregivers come in and present an affidavit stating they are the primary caregiver of the child, that health care treatment is then authorized.

The law was passed last year (SB 176) and it allows a relative caregiver to sign an affidavit to access key services for the children in their care without the need for legal custody or guardianship.  Caregivers can complete an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, stating that they are the primary caregiver of the child, and then by presenting the form, they can authorize health care treatment, educational services, and school enrollment.

The Kentucky Youth Advocates worked with an attorney from Legal Aid to create a model affidavit which is essentially a form that caregivers can complete to create their own affidavit, based on what is now statute.  The form can then be presented...

The Kentucky Society for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing (KSHPRM) will meet next Thursday, November 13, in Lexington for their annual fall conference and Thoroughbred Awards Luncheon.  The agenda includes topics related to risk communication and working with the media on Ebola and other public health issues; top of mind branding: fundamentals of a winning brand strategy; and the new rules of brand engagement.  

Please encourage members of your hospital public relations, marketing and communications team to attend the fall educational offering and to be on hand when the Thoroughbred Award Entries are presented for achievements in hospital marketing and public relations campaigns.  

If you have any questions, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (502-426-6220 or 00-945-4542 or via pkirchem@kyha.com).

This training, on Wednesday, November 5, will cover general awareness, safety, security and function specific regulations for shipping infectious substances (Category A and B) and dry ice in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation (49CFR).

Personnel from the Kentucky Division of Laboratory Services will provide the training.  The suggested audience is primarily for hospital personnel who have a role in the packaging and shipping of Category A and B infectious substances and who do not have a current certification.  

If you have any questions, please contact Dick Bartlett at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at rbartlett@kyha.com). 

The Kentucky Institute for Patient Safety and Quality (KIPSQ) is hosting an "Improving Patient Safety for Mom & Baby" conference on Tuesday, December 9 in Louisville at The Galt House.  

The conference is open to representatives from every Kentucky birthing hospital. KIPSQ encourages nurse leaders, quality directors, infection preventionists and other front line staff and directors involved in patient safety for moms and babies to attend.

Please see the agenda and the registration details outlined on the brochure. 

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at sperkins@kyha.com).

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KHA/KHREF will offer two seminars on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation:

December 1-2 for CMS Conditions of Participation for Prospective Payment System (PPS) Hospitals December 2-3 for CMS Conditions of Participation for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)

Each 1 1/2 day program will be lead by Sue Dill Calloway, MSN, JD, RN, CPHRM, CCMSCP, a nurse attorney and consultant who has conducted numerous seminars and webinars for KHA and other states.  

The program and registration details are provided in the the links above.  If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at cwalters@kyha.com).

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In recent months, KHA staff has had many requests to host meetings of hospital quality data users, using common Health Information Technology (HIT) systems.  KHA will host a pilot meeting on October 23 for quality data users from Kentucky hospitals using McKesson as their HIT/EHR vendor.  

The meeting will allow quality leaders, quality data extractors and reporters, and other staff working in IT the opportunity to discuss challenges and solutions and share both standard and customized reports with the goal to:

Promote streamlining data access; Improve compliance with reporting requirements for quality improvement programs; and  Provide better data for hospital leaders to take informed steps on performance improvement.   Please share the Health IT Quality Data User Meeting sign-up sheet with appropriate people in your office....

To maximize your time in traveling to the KHA Health Care Leadership Conference on November 14 in Louisville, the Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (KY ACHE) will be offering a three hour, face-to-face (formerly known as Category 1) educational program directly following the KHA Health Care Leadership Conference Luncheon.   

The KY ACHE educational program, "Improving the Patient Experience to Build Customer Loyalty," starts at 2:00 p.m. (ET) and adjourns at 5:00 p.m. (ET).   Jake Poore, president and chief executive officer of Integrated Loyalty Systems, will speak on the latest methods to positively impact patient outcomes from the executive level.  This seminar will teach attendees how to explore...

The stakes are increasing for hospitals under the growing Medicare quality reporting and incentive programs. Hospitals that only felt a “pinch” in payment cuts may now feel a true “bite.” This webinar series will take hospital leaders through the “nuts and bolts” of the federal incentive programs and provide guidance on understanding impact modeling reports distributed by KHA on each of the programs.

Information will also be provided on how to use performance knowledge and hospital resources to improve results in the CMS incentive programs. During the webinar, you will hear case studies from hospitals on initiatives and activities used to reverse poor performance trends.

Webinar 1: Value Based Purchasing: Understanding Your Performance and How the Program is Evolving - October 8 at 11:00 a.m. (ET)/10:00 (CT) Webinar 2: Hospital Readmission Penalty Program: Impact to Your Hospital and Avoiding Common Mistakes in Achieving Improvement - October 15 at 11:30 a.m. (ET)/10:30 (CT) Webinar...

The Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are now focusing on some specific standards that continue to be problematic. These standards make it necessary and timely to present a program on the essentials of Joint Commission readiness. This two-day program, offered by the Kentucky Hospital Research and Education Foundation (KHREF) on November 13-14, will provide a comprehensive review of the accreditation manual for hospitals focusing on such specific problematic topics as National Patient Safety Goals, infection control and leadership/human resources. Attendees will gain a better understanding of how The Joint Commission and CMS are interrelated; where the problematic areas are; and how to have a flawless survey through proper front-end preparation.

For a complete overview of the conference, and to learn how to register, please see the brochure.

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The Kentucky Hospital Research and Education Foundation (KHREF) is hosting a workshop on October 21 to focus on the new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) two-midnight rule. While full implementation of this new rule has been delayed by Congress, some form of this rule will be implemented. The main objective of this new rule is to address the challenge of proper inpatient admissions versus placing the patient into outpatient observation.

The target audience for the webinar includes chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief operating officers, chief medical officers, chief nursing officers, Chargemaster coordinators, coding staff, billing and claims personnel.

For a complete overview of the workshop and a registration form, please view the brochure.

  

On September 17, KHA is kicking off a collaborative improvement project focusing on improving care and outcomes (including reducing readmissions) for pneumonia patients. This is a particularly tough challenge for small and rural hospitals as pneumonia patients often have comorbidities and other barriers to follow up care. The September 17 conference will be presented by Mary Guyot with Stroudwater Associates. Guyot is a long-time faculty for KHA Swing Bed programs and other quality education. She has 40 years of experience in nursing care and hospital leadership.The brochure, available at http://www.kyha.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/PneumoniaCollaborative.pdf, includes program details and registration information. The conference is open to all small and rural hospitals.

On September 18, KHA will host a conference for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). The program will assist...

The Kentucky Hospital Research and Education Foundation (KHREF) will host three webinars in September regarding topics related to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Conditions of Participation (CoP):

CMS’s New Hospital CoP MedicationAdministration and Safe Opioid Use - September 3 CMS Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Hospital CoP Standards and CMS QAPI Worksheet - September 17 CMS Hospital CoPs: The Final 2014 Regulations for Hospitals - September 24 Visit the corresponding links above from program details and registration information.

If you have any further questions, contact Carol Walters at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email...

The Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) will host an educational event on September 11 at the Newport Aquarium. The program, "Possibilities, Probabilities and Creative Solutions" will be presented by Kevin O'Conner and will include breakout discussions with ACHE sponsors from Ohio and Kentucky on hot topics in health care. Attendance will earn 3 hours of face-to-face continuing education credits for ACHE members who participate.

Registration is available at  http://bit.ly/1kB9BL7.

KHA will host two Swing Bed Seminars for Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) at the Hilton Garden Inn Northeast in Louisville as follows:

PPS Hospitals - October 7-8

CAHs - October 9-10

Follow the corresponding links above for program details and registration information.

Mary Guyot with Stroudwater Associates will instruct both courses. The seminar is supported by the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program in an effort to keep costs as low as possible for rural hospitals.

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at ecobb@kyha.com).

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The Greater Ohio Healthcare Leaders’ Forum (GOHLF) Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) will host an educational session on Tuesday, August 26. The program, "Successfully Leading Competition and Strategy Change in Healthcare Organization" has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face Education Credits. The program will include a panel discussion with Q&A.

The event will be held at Seasons 52, 3819 Edwards Road, in Cincinnati from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (ET). A cocktail hour with ample opportunity for networking will follow from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Cost per person is $35.00.

To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/successfully-leading-competition-and-strategy-change-in-healthcare-organization-tickets-12206557141.

There are several events scheduled to assist small and rural hospitals in the coming months.

On August 19, a kickoff meeting will be held for a new collaborative. KHA and the American Heart Association (AHA) have partnered to create a rural hospital-focused collaborative improvement project with the goal to improve heart failure care delivery and outcomes for rural Kentuckians. KHA and AHA recognize that rural hospitals care for populations with unique challenges related to overall health status, health care access, poverty and transportation. National data indicates that heart failure outcomes for rural hospitals lag behind outcomes when compared to those in urban areas. This collaborative improvement project will tailor resources to meet the unique challenges rural providers face and work to ensure rual Kentuckians receive evidence-based health care. The event will be held at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg. Details and information are available at http://www.kyha.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/HeartFailureCollaborative.pdf.

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KHA will host its Grant Writing 101 Workshop on July 22 at the UK Center for Rural Health in Hazard.

There are many opportunities to tap grant funding to help support or fund projects in hospitals. Grant applications can be extremely competitive and there is certainly an art to writing successful grants. The Kentucky Grant Writing 101 Workshop will help novices research, plan and write successful grants.

KHA is partnering with the Kentucky Office of Rural Health and Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) to provide the right grant training for your needs.

The flier, available at http://www.kyha.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/KHAGrantWriting101Workshop0714.pdf, provides an agenda, details and registration information.

For further information, contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email...

KHA will host a live careLearning User Group meeting on Thursday, June 5, at KHA Headquarters in Louisville. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. (ET) and the meeting will conclude at 3:30 p.m.

This meeting is designed for Kentucky health care organizations who are using careLearning in their facilities, or who would like more information about the program. The objective of the meeting is to provide a forum for local users to exchange information about careLearning and share experiences. In addition to sharing resources among health care organizations, careLearning developers will be on site to provide information and gain user feedback.

There is no registration fee for attending this meeting, but if you plan to attend, please contact Peggy Engelkemier at careLearning (304-353-9711 or 866-617-3904 or via email at peggyeng@carelearning.com).

Attendees will receive printed materials, refreshment breaks and lunch. View the...

KHA’s Washington-based Medicare consultant, Larry Goldberg, will present a webinar on the 2015 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Proposed Rule released on Wednesday, April 30. The webinar is scheduled for THURSDAY, MAY 29, starting at 2:00 p.m. (ET).

Goldberg has over 40 years of health care experience and is a well-known and respected expert in Medicare and health care financial legislation and regulations. He will focus on the payment update factors as well as the impact of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS’) proposal on hospital-acquired conditions, hospital readmissions and value-based purchasing. His presentation will last 90 minutes including time for questions and answers. Dial-in information is below.

If you have any questions, contact Steve Miller at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at smiller@kyha.com).

Web link: http://www.infiniteconferencing.com/join...

On Thursday, May 29, KHA will host a webinar for members on the 2015 Proposed Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Rule. The program will be presented by KHA's Washington Liaison Larry Goldberg, and will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (ET).

Dial-in information will be distributed later.

If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Bonn at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via e-mail at dbonn@kyha.com).

Kosair Children's Hospital, the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and UK HealthCare Kentucky Children's Hospital will host a free webinar on May 20 at 2:00 p.m. on Medication Safety for Children in the Acute Care Setting.

The 50-minute program will address medication safety issues for children in the hospital setting. Information from this webinar will help each hospital evaluate its ability to deliver medication in a safe manner to children from the entry point in the acute care setting.

The flier contains details on the program, CME, CPE and CNE information and links to participate.

KHA Solutions Group, the Safety Net Hospitals for Pharmaceutical Access (SNHPA) and the Kentucky Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) invite you to a complimentary forum covering critical issues relating to the federal 340B drug discount program. The program will be held on Friday, May 16, from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. (ET) at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington.

This event, which is exclusively for Kentucky 340B hospitals and health systems, will provide a closer look at the ongoing debate in Congress about hospitals’ use of the 340B program. As you know, the program faces growing criticism from powerful interest groups and influential lawmakers.

The forum will address these issues as well as cover operational and compliance aspects of 340B. In addition to an in-depth 340B briefing, attendees will hear about the latest developments in Washington that affect the Kentucky hospital community.

SPECIAL GUEST: Kentucky's Sixth District...

KHA will host three educational webinars in early April:

Pharmacy Drug Coding: Getting it Right - April 3, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (ET)

Meeting the Physician Supervision Challenge for Provider-Based Clinics - April 8, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (ET)

Value-Based Reimbursement: The Movement from Volume to Value - How Do We Get There? - April 8, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (ET)

 Online registration for these webinars is available at https://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp....

The Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) will host an educational event on Wednesday, April 2 at the Marriott Louisville East. The program will focus on Reducing the Financial Impact of Hospital Readmissions and will offer 3.0 ACHE face-to face credits.

Registration information and additional details are available on EventBrite.

Kentucky Hospital Association is partnering with the Kentucky Office of Rural Health, Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) to provide a Grant Writing Workshop Series.

There are many opportunities to tap grant funding to help support or fund projects in hospitals. Grant applications can be extremely competitive and there is certainly an art to writing successful grants. The Kentucky Hospital Association Grant Writing Workshop Series will help novices research, plan and write successful grants.

For details on this educational event, please view the brochure.

April 8 - Grant Writing 101: Designed for the Beginner or Intermediate Grant Writer April 29 - Grant Writing 201: Putting Your Knowledge to Work! For further information, contact Carol Walters at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via...

On April 15, KHREF will host Implementing the Best Practices and Programs: Getting "Survey Ready" at the Hilton Garden Inn Louisville.

This one-day program will provide valuable information for those individuals who are responsible for creating the best possible Environment of Care, Emergency Management and Life Safety programs and must understand the 2014 Joint Commission survey methodology and changes to the standards. Information will be provided so attendees will be able to implement a practical, continuously compliant program for health care facilities to achieve maximum performance while effectively preparing for unscheduled Joint Commission and CMS surveys.

View the program brochure for program details. Online registration is available at https://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp.

For further information, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via e-mail at cwalters@kyha.com).

The annual KHA Quality Conference and K-HEN Showcase will be held March 18-19 at the Crowne Plaza in Louisville.

Day one will be the Quality Conference and will feature husband and wife patient advocate team from the Chicago area, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Malizzo, who lost their adult daughter to a medical error and now serve on that hospital's quality review committee.  In addition there will be presentations on High Reliability, Value-Based Purchasing, Analyzing your Data, Reporting Quality to your Board, IP Basics, Improving HCAHPS scores, Root Cause Analysis and more.

Day two will be a K-HEN Showcase, which will include presentations by the K-HEN Seed Grant Awardees and hospitals involved in the Lean and Readmissions Discharge Phone Call projects;  Reporting Harm Across the Board; presentations from K-HEN hospitals on Patient and Family Engagement and more.

View...

The Kentucky Hospital Research and Education Foundation (KHREF) presents the 2014 ICD-10 Webinar Training Series. This webinar training series will offer three webinars designed to get coders prepared for the mandatory ICD-10 conversion on October 1.

Overall Objectives of the Webinar Series:

Understand how ICD-9-CM compares to ICD-10-CM Understand the structure and format of ICD-10-CM Review and Coding of Diagnosis Codes in Chapter 1 – 21 of the coding book  Online registration for the following sessions is available at: http://secure.kyha.com/meetingregistration.asp:

Part 1 Thursday, April 10 2:00 p.m. - 4:00p.m. (ET)   Part 2 Thursday, April 24 2:00 p.m. - 4:00p.m. (ET)   Part 3 Thursday, May 1 2:00 p.m. - 4:00p.m. (ET) Please view the brochure...

National notifications regarding breaches in HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) seem to be occurring at an alarming rate despite the revamped federal HIPAA Omnibus Rule that holds covered entities and business associates more accountable for protecting patient data.

On January 30,  Health Enterprises Network will host a panel of experts who will discuss the impact of the regulatory changes that began in September 2013, what to expect from an audit, how to improve privacy and security at your organization, privacy and security issues related to mobile medical technologies and other real life risks that many organizations are struggling to address.

Date and Time Thursday, January 30 7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. (ET) — Registration, Networking & Light Breakfast 8:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. — Program

Location The Nucleus, part of the Nucleus Innovation Park First Floor Conference Room 300 East Market Street Louisville

Registration $50

$10 for full-time students...

The Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) has announced expanded services that are covered under Presumptive Eligibility (PE) as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Qualified hospitals will be allowed to determine eligibility for temporary coverage for those who do not have insurance coverage.

HP Enterprises will conduct webinars, in conjunction with DMS, for hospitals to become qualified in determining temporary eligibility under the PE program. The webinar is designed to offer instruction and assistance to providers in determining who is eligible for temporary coverage and how to submit a PE request. Your registration and completion of this training constitutes your election to make PE determinations.

Hospital chief executive officers are encouraged to forward this information to the appropriate staff members in their facility who will be screening for Medicaid eligibility. Please read the final regulation for additional details on PE.

Choose one of the three sessions below...

The Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky (BIAK) will host the 25th Annual Brain Injury Summit on Friday, March 7 at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital in Lexington.

The Summit is designed to provide attendees with an understanding of the interdisciplinary advancements and strategies in the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury from the initial response, transportation to the trauma center, acute hospitalization, rehabilitation and return to the community. A well-qualified faculty of specialists will address ways the research evidence is integrated with their expertise and its practical value in clinical decision making.

For details and to register, view BIAK's brochure.

The Kentucky Hospital Research and Education Foundation (KHREF) will host two webinars in February for KHA members.

Inpatient versus Outpatient and Part B Inpatient Billing will be held February 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (ET). This program will help participants sort out the confusion surrounding when a patient is an inpatient vs. being an outpatient specific to billing and coding.

Physician Compensation in a Value-Based World will be held February 27 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (ET). As health care reimbursement transitions from volume to value based, it becomes essential for physician compensation plans to evolve in order to ensure success under changing financial incentives. The objectives of this program are to:

AHA will host an ACA Enrollment Virtual Town Hall Meeting for Health Care Providers on Thursday, January 16.

There are four different calls to provide opportunities for more people to participate. Click on the time that best suits your schedule to register:

9:00-10:00 a.m. EST 12:00-1:00 p.m. EST  4:00-5:00 p.m. EST  9:00-10:00 p.m. EST  Hear about how individual providers, clinics and hospitals can play a central role in getting America covered. 

Featured...

If a federally declared disaster occurs in Kentucky, non-profit and government health care facilities may be eligible for some reimbursement from FEMA via the Kentucky Emergency Management Recovery Branch (KyEM). To prepare for such events, it is important for your facility to have a financial or emergency preparedness staff member trained in advance in order to understand the process and be ready to act.

Note that for-profit facilities may be able to receive reimbursement for some expenditures if they work with their local government.

Jessica Mitchell, recovery branch manager of the The Kentucky Emergency Management Recovery Branch, will teach an Applicant Agent Certification Program on January 31 in Louisville. This certification will enable designated Applicant Agents to maximize federal disaster-related funding associated with the FEMA Public Assistance Program. Certification will be awarded to those who successfully complete the Applicant Agent training. Certified Applicant Agents will be...

The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Kentucky Chapter Winter Education Institute will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Louisville on January 23-24. Attendees can earn 12.6 CPE credits and will learn from a panel of six Kentucky hospital chief executive officers about Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals (LTACHs) and how utilizing the LTACH level of care can improve patient outcomes and a community hospital’s bottom line. Attendees will learn how LTACHs are quality, cost-effective alternatives to long stays in a community hospital ICU, and the importance of managing average length of stay (ALOS) for patients who will move to post-acute care (PAC) providers. 

There are eight LTACHs in Kentucky. They are acute care hospitals, treating critically ill patients who are stable, but still very sick with complex medical conditions. LTACHs offer slower and more supervised care for the sickest of patients; about 2 percent of all Medicare patients are discharged to an LTACH where a team of doctors and nurses can continue to take care of the patient's complex needs. LTACHs are not nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). 

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