The KHA Small, Rural and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Forum will meet on March 4 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) via webinar/conference call. All small, rural and CAH CEOs, CFOs and COOs are invited to attend.

Agenda Topics Include

1. Welcome and Roll Call
2. Kentucky General Assembly Update – KHA Lobbying Team Member
3. Federal Policy Update and Report on Washington DC Trip – Elizabeth Cobb
4. Staffing Issues – KHA Solutions Group Partner Qualivis
5. KHA Swing Bed Update and CAH Survey Results – Elizabeth Cobb
6. EDie – ED Information Exchange Update and Post Acute Issues – CMT Technologies
7. Upcoming Education Events

If you have information you would like to present or share, or you need to obtain participation information, please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com).

You are invited to a webinar on February 13 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) to learn how to "Avoid the Common Pitfalls of Equipment Maintenance Management," an expense which is a top 10 hospital spend!

KHA has partnered with Remi to provide your facility with an effective solution for managing your equipment maintenance contracts, saving you time and money.

Remi decreases the cost of equipment service by as much as 15-22% across your entire service budget. Remi extends the life of equipment that your OEM may have deemed obsolete. In many cases, Remi extends the useful life of an item by 5-10 years. Remi is an excellent resource for understanding equipment failure rates (pre-purchase) enabling your organization to make smarter equipment purchase decisions. Remi can support in-house service teams, if applicable. Remi can also work directly with many well-known “National ISO Service Companies.”...

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...

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.

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 KHA Small Rural and CAH Forum will meet via webinar on October 25 at 3:00 p.m. (ET). The session's guest speaker/presenter is Brock Slabach, vice president of the National Rural Health Association. Slabach will provide a federal policy update. Additionally, Chris Neville with Collective Medical will discuss the special emergency department (ED) program being expanded in Kentucky.

If you have additional topics you would like covered, or need participation information, please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com).

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...

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...

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...

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

...

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...

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.

KHA is pleased to announce that the Hospital Longitudinal Analysis Reports are available for Fourth Quarter 2016 and First Quarter 2017. Participating hospitals received a secure email yesterday with two reports – the Kentucky State Report and a hospital-specific Readmissions Report.

KHA will host a webinar to discuss how to interpret the reports: 

DataGen Readmissions Demo for the Kentucky Hospital Association Thursday, August 31 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. (ET)

Webinar link: https://datagen.webex.com/datagen/j.php?MTID=mf832dc9a5a1c36fa48df83d7ccdd7e2a Meeting...

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).

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 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 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).

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...

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).

The AHA's Hospitals Against Violence initiative and American Society for Healthcare Engineering will co-host a January 17 webinar on workplace violence prevention strategies and emergency response plans. The webinar will feature safety experts from the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety Foundation, who will explore the unique risks in health care facilities, emergency rooms, mental health services, and other treatment facilities and address preparedness through operations and design. The session will cover ways that the external and internal environment can be used to mitigate risk, tools available to help, and standards and guidelines aimed at preventing violence. To register for the 3:00 p.m. (ET) webinar, visit http://hret.adobeconnect.com/aha0117/event/registration.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NewsNow.  ...

Administrators of Kentucky's small, rural and critical access hospitals are invited to join KHA staff on Wednesday, January 25 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) for the first Forum meeting of 2017. Topics of discussion will focus on legislative activities at both the federal and state levels.

This meeting will be held via webinar. Please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com) to register and receive login information.

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...

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 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 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).

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.

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 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)...

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...

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...

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. 

...

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...

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.

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...

The Kentucky Regional Extension Center's (REC) January 7 Transitions of Care (ToC) webinar will kick off the new year with an in-depth review of the Modified Stage 2 objective, Health Information Exchange and look ahead at what to expect in 2016. Direct Messaging will be discussed in further detail along with the benefits of being a member of the Community of Practice.The webinar will be the first of a series on what Direct Messaging is and how to implement it.

You may register for all of the ToC webinars or individual webinars by visiting the Transitions of Care Community of Practice Program...

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...

The KHA Small Rural and Critical Access Hospital Forum will meet via webinar tomorrow, November 11, at 2:00 p.m. (ET).  Administrators who have not received the call in information should contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com).

Agenda topics will include a Certificate of Need (CON)/State Health Plan update, hospital requirements for sexual assault response, preserving emergency care in rural areas and more.

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 September 24, HRET (the American Hospital Association’s Health Research and Education Trust) executed a contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) 2.0 Project.

Two kickoff webinars will be held this week to get the project started. Both events will cover the same topic (details on how to join the AHA/HRET HEN 2.0 initiative):

AHA/HRET HEN 2.0 Hospital Kick Off Webinar September 29 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (CT) Register at https://hret.adobeconnect.com/hospitalkickoff/event/registration.html.

October 1 (Repeat Webinar) 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (CT) Register at https://hret.adobeconnect.com/hospitalkickoff/event/registration.html.

The Kentucky face-to-face...

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!...

On Wednesday, September 9, the Kentucky Public Health Preparedness Branch's quarterly Health and Medical Preparedness Advisory Committee (HMPAC), and the HPP Leadership Meeting will feature a webinar presentation on Human Trafficking in Health Care by Dr. Wendy Macias-Konstantopoulos, MD, MPH, from the Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Global Health & Human Rights, at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School.

This presentation has been coordinated by Joe Magana, Baptist Health's System Director for Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness. Magana first encountered this problem while in a similar role at Baptist Health Louisville, and has come to find that human trafficking is a major problem in Kentucky, especially around the Kentucky Derby and other special events.

KentuckyOne Health shared in a recent article the human trafficking...

Reminder for all rural hospitals participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program: The recertification period began August 5 and ends September 9. Participating hospitals have until September 9 to ensure program compliance and recertify in the 340B database maintained by the Office of Pharmacy Affairs. Each participating hospital or covered entity should have already received an email with the username and password necessary to complete recertification. An informational webinar and user guide on recertification are available for more information.

If questions arise, please direct them to Apexus, the 340B Prime Vendor Program (888-340-2787 or via email at ApexusAnswers@340bpvp.com)....

On August 12, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET), KHA will host a webinar for the Small Rural and Critical Access Hospital Forum. Attendees will hear a state and federal policy update along with a special presentation by Pete Lawson, of Raymond James, on rural hospital financing in the post-ACA world.

Administrators should have received an e-mail with webinar access information on Friday. If you did not, or you have additional questions, please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com).

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...

DataGen will host a 1-hour webinar on Medicare Quality Based Programs on Monday, June 15 at 3:00 p.m. (ET). This webinar was suggested at the DataGen Annual meeting as a means to ensure hospitals understand these evolving programs. Registration is required and available at https://datagen.webex.com/datagen/j.php?RGID=r3d6bf7e541221b27a726eb35ff707839. After your request has been approved, you will receive instructions for joining the meeting.

KHA co-hosted a webinar on March 19 with the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) to address proposed changes to the regulations requiring tuberculosis (TB) testing for health care workers and in long-term care facilities. During the webinar, the DPH reviewed the proposed changes in policies requiring annual testing for employees of health care facilities and of physicians working in those facilities.

KHA recorded the webinar and has archived the recording along with the proposed TB regulation changes, the webinar PowerPoint slides and other information. You can review this at http://www.kyha.com/efforts-to-update-health-care-worker-tb-testing-requirements/.

DPH hopes to publish the proposed rule in April. A formal comment period will follow providing an opportunity to submit additional comments regarding the changes/additions to the regulation. The regulation could be in effect as early as October 2015.

...

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...

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...

Below are several important pieces of information regarding AHA's data collection of hospitals’ experience with Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs).

Standalone RAC administrative burden survey Hospital chief executive officers have been sent a link to an AHA survey that attempts to gain greater insight into the resources – both financial and staff time – that hospitals are utilizing to comply with RAC audits. These hidden expenses, beyond the value of recoupments, are important to measure in order to illustrate the total cost of RAC audits to hospitals. This survey is separate from the RACTrac survey. The deadline for the survey to be completed is September 19.  

RACTrac update to be launched in October reporting period AHA has undertaken a substantial revision of the RACTrac survey in order to gain important information on key advocacy areas, including rebilling and appeals. In support of this effort, the AHA’s claim level tracking tool has been updated for hospitals to...

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.

  

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...

On July 23, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) conducted a webinar to explain changes in the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) program, as KHA briefly outlined (see article). Many hospitals were unable to join the webinar, so the slides are available at http://www.new-kyha.com/Portals/5/NewsDocs/ProviderCallSlides%2007232014.pdf for your information.

CMS plans to conduct additional webinars/conference calls to repeat the information. KHA will notify you when they are scheduled.

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 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 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 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: