September 23 – 26, 2019
Hampton Roads Convention Center

Amy Dee | Motivational Speaker

Amy Dee turns advanced behavioral science into practical “retain your brain” techniques for keeping negative thoughts from creating crazy-toxic emotions and situations at home and at work. From interacting with difficult patients and coworkers, to coping with the epidemic overload of paperwork, processes, and long hours, she has a talent for using humor to reveal our profound power to stay sane by making small, personal choices each day that wind up changing … everything!

Mitch Hagins | Senior Director | Studer Group

Mitch Hagins wants to help you be better positioned to address the workforce opportunities of recruitment, retention, and engagement of talent. Focusing on these areas can help reduce turnover, improve quality, and improve the resident/patient experience. Using his extensive business and coaching background, he will share advice on behavioral interviews, peer interviewing, and rounding for outcomes to engage staff.

Mark Parkinson | President and CEO | American Health Care Association

Why is this such a tough time for providers? From changing payment models, to declining length of stay, to unique demographic factors, the long term care sector is struggling. Opting to take the long view, AHCA/NCAL’s Mark Parkinson will share his insights on why skilled nursing centers and assisted living communities should be hopeful.

Craig Zablocki

People have different ideas about what fun is. Yet all organizations know that feeling part of a team is fun. A state of openness and connection is fun whether you are an introvert or extrovert, the medical director, or a certified nursing assistant. Everyone loves the “Aha” moments when solutions to problems come into view. Harnessing the “Intelligence of Fun,” Craig Zablocki will unlock the keys to seeing solutions to problems as fun: being solution-minded and not problem-focused.

Gerald C. Canaan, II | Director | Hancock Daniel

Dale St. Clair, PharmD | Vice President, East Region | Remedi SeniorCare Pharmacy

As state-approved cannabis oil producers bring their operations online later this year, long term care providers must find the balance between compliance with the federal and state laws governing medical cannabis oils. Sharing their expertise in law and long term care pharmacy, Jerry Canaan and Dale St. Clair, will discuss the downstream impacts of new medical cannabis legislation on long term care providers in Virginia.

Andy Page | Partner | Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP

Andy Page will unpack the various components of value-based and alternative payments specific to skilled nursing facility (SNF) providers. As the regulatory payment landscape continues to evolve to a value-based platform, SNF providers will be challenged to evolve their operations at a significant pace. Many opportunities exist for providers to take advantage of these initiatives to increase occupancy, margin, and market share. Andy Page will address specific areas for you to focus on, as well as present case studies relative to current providers operating successfully within an alternative payment world.

Heather McKay | Dementia Care Specialist | Partnerships for Health

Caregivers are supporting people living with dementia for a decade or longer. Award-winning occupational therapist and dementia care specialist Heather McKay will focus on the timeline of this disease and why people do what they do in every stage. Participants will learn specific ways of adapting their help to match a person’s changing needs and foster more positive interactions throughout the progression of dementia. She will emphasize the value of communication and teamwork to improve collaboration among interdisciplinary teams, clients, and family caregivers.

Mary Chiles | President | Chiles Healthcare Consulting, LLC
Allison Spangler | Improvement Consultant | HQI

Dementia is the most prevalent condition in our nursing home residents and has been the focus of CMS improvement efforts through the Partnership to Improve Dementia Care. Most facilities have seen reduction in medication use for their residents but continue to struggle with success. Recently CMS has focused on those nursing homes who have continued with high or increasing medication use. Mary Chiles and Allison Spangler will discuss lessons learned from those facilities that can be used in all facilities to improve dementia care and sustain success. They will encourage participants to share effective interventions around leadership, staffing, education and training, and prescriber patterns.

Kari Brizendine | Clinical Manager | Select Rehabilitation, Inc.

Falls are inevitable. How we approach prediction is an area where falls can be reduced and prevented. Kari Brizendine will review current prediction tools with the highest validity and present practical and simple approaches to prevent falls in the geriatric population. Brizendine will make you think about reasons for falls. This session will also offer real examples of reasons for falls that may not have occurred to you before.

Kyle Rene | Associate | Hancock Daniel

Nursing facility providers are subject to substantial self-reporting obligations for matters affecting resident health and safety. Kyle Rene will remind you of common situations giving rise to self-reporting obligations and how to self-report in a timely and accurate manner without creating unnecessary risk. Among other areas, he will discuss self-reporting as it relates to resident-to-resident altercations, allegations of resident abuse/neglect, misappropriation of resident property, resident elopement, and transfers and discharges. Rene will review steps that should be taken before, during, and after a self-report is submitted, and strategies to manage self-reporting obligations operationally.

Rosie Lyles | Director of Clinical Affairs | Medline Industries, Inc.
Sponsored by Medline Industries, Inc.

Multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) such as MRSA, VRE, CRE, C. diff, and C. auris are increasing in prevalence worldwide, resulting in infections that are extremely difficult and expensive to treat. Patients across the continuum of care may be faced with colonization with several MDROs. To avoid outbreaks across a region, which can occur in the absence of a coordinated approach, facilities must look for effective solutions to reduce transmission via direct and indirect contact and prevent infections.

Bill Vaughan | Vice President, Education and Clinical Affairs | Remedi SeniorCare

2019 marks the full implementation of the “mega rule,” including new requirements related to quality assurance and performance improvement. With a regulatory mandate to focus on high-risk, high-volume, or problem-prone areas, many facilities will prioritize medication management when developing performance improvement activities. Bill Vaughan will highlight how facilities can use the unique resources and expertise of their pharmacy to complying with QAPI regulations. He will discuss in detail the use of pharmacy generated data to identify, analyze, and track medication trends along with evidence-based practices to optimize geriatric medication management.

Barbara Speedling | Quality of Life Specialist | Innovations for Quality Living

As the long term care industry faces major challenges in regulation, finance, and staffing, the shift in demographics to a more complex population has added another layer of stress. Resources to develop the type of care and service needed to address issues of mental disorders, substance use, addictions, and other behavioral health needs are in short supply. Barbara Speedling will offer a variety of ideas for anticipating and developing common sense approaches to these contemporary challenges. Improving staff education and training in behavioral health and developing strategies to address common symptoms and reactions in mental health are a focus of this conversation.

Barbara Speedling | Quality of Life Specialist | Innovations for Quality Living

Phase 3 of the revised federal regulations for Trauma-Informed Care and Behavioral Health Services challenge long term care facilities to ensure they are fully prepared to care for residents with complex psychosocial needs. Beyond differentiating between dementia and psychiatric illness or addictions, you must have a working knowledge of the interventions and services necessary to achieve quality care for a rapidly changing population. Barbara Speedling will provide an overview of the regulatory expectations and insight into staff education and training, assessment and care planning, service development, and therapeutic activity interventions to address a broad range of behavioral health needs.

Matt Cobb | Partner | Williams Mullen

Matt Cobb will explore the licensure inspection process, defenses to citations issued by the Department of Social Services (DSS), and the appeal process when DSS issues a denial of renewal of license or other sanction. Cobb will help you better understand the informal conference process, the impact and implementation of consent decrees, compliance plans, and monitoring inspections on the operation of your assisted living facility.

Jennifer Leatherbarrow | Manager of Clinical Consulting | Richter Healthcare Consultants

If you are like most of us, your head is still reeling from the rollercoaster ride brought on by Phases 1 and 2 of the Requirements of Participation (ROP). As November 28 looms for Phase 3, Jennifer Leatherbarrow will discuss the individual requirements of each item, as well as the strategies you need for successful implementation of this last phase of the ROP. She will share tools to assist you through your execution of Phase 3 and the tangible solutions needed to ensure your implementation progresses with ease.

April Payne | Vice President of Quality Improvement and Director of VCAL | VHCA-VCAL

April Payne will review the recent activities of the VCAL Committee and provide an overview of trends affecting Virginia’s assisted living facilities. She will provide an update on the development of the survey readiness binder and discuss the potential for legislation affecting assisted living operations in 2019.