Inclusion & Diversity: Key Components to Improving Health Outcomes & Staff Retention — Free Webinar on May 24
Promising Practices Series: Key Updates on the HCBS Settings Rule Webinar on May 25
Pennsylvania Primary Results
Jake Corman to Temporarily Take Over as Acting Lieutenant Governor
RCPA Capitol Day Information
RCPA will be hosting our 2022 Capitol Day on Tuesday, May 24. We will have a press conference/rally on the steps of the Capitol outside the Main Rotunda between 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. RCPA requests members schedule appointments with their Senate and House legislators to discuss the state budget, legislation, and regulations, and we have created a one-pager with talking points for members to utilize in their meetings.
Parking and maps can be found on the Pennsylvania Capitol website. If you have questions regarding our 2022 Capitol Day, please contact Jack Phillips.
Data, Data Everywhere: It’s Time to Stop and Think — Free Member Training on June 10
This training is made available to RCPA members through the NEON Project, with the goal of assisting Employment Service Providers so they can offer effective services to the individuals they serve.
Improving operations and outcomes is the goal, but how do we decide what data to capture? This presentation will discuss important data metrics that improved the NEON Project’s bottom line and helped the organization improve its operations. They will also tell their story of why employment is so important.
This training will be held Friday, June 10, 2022, from 10:00 am – 11:00 am. You can register for the session here. The presenter will be Jeannine Pavlak, Chief Executive Officer at New England Business Associates.
If you have any questions, contact Carol Ferenz.
ANCOR Continues to Go #AllinForHCBS
MLTSS Subcommittee Meeting Scheduled for June 1
The next Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for June 1, 2022, from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. The meeting will be held via webinar. Individuals that wish to participate should register prior to the meeting date.
For those participating via telephone, the dial-in number is 415-655-0052, with access code 498030891#.
May 10 MLTSS Subcommittee Meeting Documents & Transcript
The meeting documents from the Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting held on May 10, 2022, are now available and include presentations from the Office of Long-Term Living and the Community HealthChoices Managed Care Organizations (CHC MCOs). The meeting transcript is also available.
OLTL Announces HCBS Quality Improvement Funding Opportunity
The Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has announced a funding opportunity under an approved Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) spending plan that will provide American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to HCBS providers. The purpose of the funding is for the implementation of quality improvement (QI) projects to improve the services available to HCBS participants through the Community HealthChoices (CHC) and OBRA 1915(c) waivers. This opportunity focuses on supplementing activities in a manner that improves and strengthens the quality of HCBS services. The use of the ARPA funding, however, is limited to those activities that supplement rather than supplant the existing services.
DHS will provide funding of up to $40,000 per approved request submission and approve funding on a one-time basis to each qualified provider. DHS will review and approve submissions in the order in which they are received until the total funding allocated has been exhausted. Members are encouraged to submit their requests as soon as possible.
Funding will only be provided for the following improvement projects:
- Supplemental activities to address the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). For example, SDOH activities may include:
- Activities to address affordable and accessible housing (rent, room, and board are not allowable expenditures under this funding opportunity);
- Activities to improve access to competitive integrated employment for participants. This may include access to benefits counseling or remote technology to support employment;
- Activities to improve or enhance transportation for CHC and OBRA participants; and
- Activities to alleviate food insecurities for participants.
- Purchase of remote support technology by providers. This can include provider technology initiatives that improve service transparency and quality assurance, such as providing direct care workers with access to tablets and software that support in-home documentation of participant conditions and other related care needs.
- Payment for the development and implementation of enhanced training for direct care workers, Medical Assistance (MA) providers, or both. This may include enhanced training on infection control practices, such as the development of videos and online modules to address best practices in infection control. This may also include training for professional development. For example, this funding may be used to promote training or coursework related to the professional advancement or development for direct care workers.
- Purchase and implementation of new software and technology for electronic health records or quality/risk management functions. This includes funding for providers to contract with a Health Information Organization. Having access to electronic health care records enables HCBS providers to connect with local hospitals and physicians and ensure real-time communication between the HCBS provider and the participant’s medical providers.
Additional information, including the HCBS Quality Incentive Funding Request Form, is available on the DHS Long-Term Care Providers web page. Questions should be sent via email to OLTL.
