Thursday, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Breakout Session

16) It's Always Too Early Until It's Too Late; How Advance Directives Promote Patient-Centered Care     1 CEU

Carla Sutter, MSW  |  Director, AZ Healthcare Directives Registry, Health Current/Contexture

Advance care planning is a critical element of wellness for all adults. Often, conversations are not had until there is a medical crisis. Communication about goals of care is one of the key elements in achieving clinical excellence. Advance care planning can be a powerful tool for having values-based conversations with those you care for.

Session Objectives:

• The benefits of advance care planning is why it is an integral part of delivering excellent healthcare.
• How to initiate difficult but essential conversations and what advance directive document(s) to use in order to meet different healthcare goals.
• Attendees will learn how their organization can participate in the AzHDR at no cost and help ensure that they and other healthcare professionals have access to these critical resources (advance directives) to guide medical preferences.

Target Audience – General:  CEO / Administrator; DON / Nurse Manager; Resident Services / Social Services; Wellness / Activities

Target Audience – Provider Types:  Life Plan Communities (CCRCs); Assisted Living / Residential Care; Nursing Home; Market Rate Independent Living; Affordable Housing; Adult Day Services; Home and Community Based Services, including Homecare; Behavioral Health

Thursday, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Breakout Session

17) Transformational Projects - Strategizing Today for Tomorrow's Communities     1 CEU

Jason Erdahl, AIA, NCARB  |  Director of Senior Communities, Ankrom Moisan Architects

Mark Miller, NCARB, LEED AP  |  Principal, Ankrom Moisan Architects

As communities continue to face challenges to occupancy, operational and development costs, and staff retention, they are also pivoting with forward thinking. This seminar looks at design strategies and case studies for your community to reposition for growth, adapt sustainably, create flexibility, and refurbish/reuse existing buildings.

Session Objectives:

• Explore transformational trends in master planning that communities are considering, and doing, to adapt to current challenges.
• Learn how existing buildings can be refurbished, through adaptive reuse, to accommodate new resident experiences.
• Understand options to reposition to a more sustainable community, designed to use less and get more from the environment.
• Learn design strategies to reflect changes in your workforce.

Target Audience – General: 

Target Audience – Provider Types: 

Thursday, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Breakout Session

18) Navigating Claim Appeals with Medicare Advantage     1 CEU

Elisa Bovee, MS OTR/L  |  VP of Clinical Strategies + Consulting, HealthPRO Heritage

The last thing a provider wants to experience is having to pay back monies for care provided by their hard-working professionals. As teams are communicating on diagnosis and care delivery for MDS coding, we need to consider if the medical record is fully supportive of the billed level of care. The speakers will address the dissection of the HIPPS codes for responding to contractor HELP letters and denials including nursing classifications, NTA services, as well as Functional Assessment reporting. Project management along with coding and clinical opportunities will be discussed.

Session Objectives:

• Learn contract considerations with MA plans to keep the clinical team apprised. 
• Have a greater understanding of how to proactively reduce managed care denials related to nursing and NTA skilled services and classifications through the internal checkpoint processes prior to billing claims. 
• Learn Steps for updating the ADR team at your site to most effectively manage the process of responding to PDPM ADRs and Medical Review. 
• Hear current examples of Medicare and Managed Care Contractor audits with an emphasis on establishing internal processes and protocols for reviewing denials and rejections to determine the appropriate follow-up actions and tracking.

Target Audience – General:  CEO / Administrator; CFO / Finance; Facilities; DON / Nurse Manager

Target Audience – Provider Types:  Life Plan Communities (CCRCs); Assisted Living / Residential Care; Nursing Home

Thursday, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Breakout Session

19) Top 10 Deficiencies in AL & Best Practices to Aid in Compliance     1 CEU

Courtney Hanna, AA  |  Regional Director of Business Development and Operations of Arizona, Advanced Health Institute

This presentation will review the top 10 deficiencies cited during DHS surveys for assisted living communities. We will discuss each deficiency as they relate to the regulations, as well as share best practices for maintaining compliance for each specific deficiency we cover. The presentation will also include tips on how to best prepare for an upcoming survey.

Session Objectives:

• Learn what the “hot buttons” are for DHS surveyors, what they are citing most commonly in recent surveys.
• Obtain best practice advice for maintaining compliance in your community.
• Feel more confident and better prepared during a survey.

Target Audience – General:  CEO / Administrator; DON / Nurse Manager; Resident Services / Social Services; Dining; Wellness / Activities

Target Audience – Provider Types:  Assisted Living / Residential Care

Thursday, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Breakout Session

20) Governance in a New Era: How to Transform and Inspire Board Leadership     1 CEU

Melanie Lockwood Herman, JD  |  Executive Director, Nonprofit Risk Management Center

Boards bring incredible energy and talent to the agencies they support. Yet the work of a board can sometimes be draining instead of uplifting. This workshop explores what boards must be and do in the post-pandemic era. Learn practical steps to transform a good-enough board into one that rises to meet the leadership and governance challenges facing your agency.

Session Objectives:

• Explore and discuss how boards have changed in a post-pandemic era.
• Develop action items to implement in your community to strengthen the board.
• Understand the difference and impact of good-enough and great board on an organization.

Target Audience – General:  CEO / Administrator; Residents; Trustees

Target Audience – Provider Types:  Life Plan Communities (CCRCs); Assisted Living / Residential Care; Market Rate Independent Living; Adult Day Services; Home and Community Based Services, including Homecare; Behavioral Health; Nursing Home; Affordable Housing

Thursday, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Breakout Session

21) Health Literacy: Effective Client Communication and Education     1 CEU

Kathleen D Weissberg, MS, OTD, OTR/L, CMDCP, CDP, CFPS  |  National Director of Education, Select Rehabilitation

In this course, an overview of health literacy is provided. The session will review techniques for clear and effective communication, verbal and written communication with those from other cultures, writing and selecting easy-to-read health materials, and assessment tools to use to ensure that clients understand the healthcare services provided and have the skills needed to access, understand, and use health information.

Session Objectives:

• Define health literacy and recognize health literacy concepts including relevant statistics.
• Identify appropriate assessment tools to evaluate health literacy levels.
• Recognize factors that influence health literacy.
• Describe techniques the practitioner can use to facilitate health literacy in his/her practice.

Target Audience – General:  DON / Nurse Manager; Resident Services / Social Services; Human Resources; CEO / Administrator; Sales & Marketing; Wellness / Activities; Residents

Target Audience – Provider Types:  Life Plan Communities (CCRCs); Assisted Living / Residential Care; Nursing Home