Spring Conference and Vendor Fair

Sessions

A1 Wounded Warriors: Their Last Battle
Deborah Grassman
Many military experiences impact peaceful dying for veterans – even though their death might occur decades later. The stoic military culture, combat training, and war itself can change a veteran in fundamental ways. Emotional, spiritual, social, and moral injuries they have sustained impact them throughout their lifetime, especially as they face death. This presentation will sensitize participants with the unique needs of veterans as they age and face the end of their lives. Join Deborah Grassman, author of Peace at Last: Stories of Hope and Healing for Veterans and Their Families, for a presentation you won’t want to miss.
Hospice, Home Health, LTC, ALF

A2 The Administrator’s Guide to the MDS
Demi Haffenreffer
This workshop will provide Administrators with the information they need to know about the assessment tool most critical to the performance of their facility. A basic overview, uses, procedural guidelines for completion, common problems and how to use reports for quality improvement purposes will be presented.
NH Administrator, LTC

A3 Home Health Circle
An open forum to discuss issues of importance to you. Meet other home health professionals from across the state to network and share ideas.

B1 Good Grief
Deborah Grassman
Did you know that veterans sometimes have different bereavement needs than civilians? Did you realize that veterans’ families might have unique grief support needs? Do you know the role that rituals play in developing programs and services for grieving loved ones? Join Deborah Grassman, author of Peace at Last: Stories of Hope and Healing for Veterans and Their Families, for a perspective that is sure to expand your knowledge and skill in dealing with the unique bereavement needs of veterans and their families.
Hospice, Home Health

B2 Rugs IV and Medicare Assessments: Optimizing Reimbursement
Demi Haffenreffer
With implementation of MDS 3.0 comes a revised and updated prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities, including version IV of the Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs). This class will zero in on the changes compared to the RUGs III system, examine the likely impact, and explore potential missed reimbursement opportunities under Medicare.
NH Administrators, LTC DON, MDS Coordinators

B3 Legislative Update
MHA Staff
Come to this session if you want to find out what is happening and what has happened in the 62nd Montana State Legislature.
All

B4 POLST Overview
Linda Bierbach
As use of the Montana Provider Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form grows across the state, so do questions and concerns about parts of the form and the process. A dedicated group of folks has been working with the Board of Medical Examiners to make the form more user-friendly, and help implement a more consistent way of discussing what POLST means for the people who use it. Come hear Linda Bierbach of St. Patrick Hospital present the latest update on what’s happening with the MT POLST, so you can get your questions answered and are ready to keep up with the times!
Hospice, Home Health, LTC, ALF

C1 VA 101
Clare Kearns
Ever tried to navigate the maze of VA benefits for your patients? Save yourself some headaches and learn how from Clare Kearns, SW, who lives it every day. Clare will provide an overview of the system, including basic military info (rank, terminology, war eras), how to enroll, financial benefits, hospice benefits, burial/survivor benefits, nursing home benefits, non-institutional care and contact info for social workers and Community-Based Outpatient Care (CBOC) coordinators.
CEO, NH Administrators, ALF, Home Health, Hospice

C2 Envision an Army of Activity Assistants - A Positive View of Culture Change
Michele Nolta
Culture Change, the growing national movement toward person-directed care, is having a growing impact on the recreation and activity professions. Topics and issues presented will include culture change coaching, cross-training, and person-directed activity care. Simple how-to’s for great things you can do will be presented.
Activities, Nursing Homes, ALF

C3 The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS)
Mitch Saruwatari
This workshop will help you gain a general understanding of the HICS. Also, you will be introduced to creating a Hazards and Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) and methods for mitigating using HICS tools.
Emergency Preparedness

C4 The Evolution of Culture Change - Service Transformation Pt. 1 of 3
Dan Look
In this session current national initiatives driving the implementation of culture change, resident directed living and the new CMS interpretive guidelines related to quality of life tags will be identified. Using dining as the entry point, learn how changing leadership models, service delivery and operational organization liberates the vibrant, yet often muted culture in our communities. After the completion of this session you will be able to recognize the central role of dining in enhancing Resident Directed Living (RDL). Attend all three of Dan Look’s sessions to get the most out of his content.
Dietary, Nursing Home, ALF

C5 MDS 3.0 – Navigating the New MDS Landscape Part 1
Demi Haffenreffer
This workshop will cover both new and old information related to MDS 3.0. Workshop attendees will participate in a number of group discussions and exercises to increase their understanding of the impacts of MDS 3.0. Demi will provide some newly updated information on MDS codes as well as a review of the newly proposed quality measures. Topics to be discussed include the MDS schedule, the impact of Section Q, issues with the MDS Interviews and supportive techniques to use during the interviews.
NH Administrators, LTC DON, MDS Coordinators

C6 Human Resource Public Policy Challenges & Solutions
Jim Nys
This session will review the recent changes to federal law and proposed changes from the 2011 Montana Legislature. Participants will learn about the new rules for GINA and how they affect requests for medical information and participation in wellness programs. Topics under consideration at the legislature include illegal aliens in employment, a proposed mandate to use E-Verify, changes to workers’ compensation benefits and the Medical Marijuana Act and more.
Human Resources

C7 - Moving Forward with Transitional and Integrated Services: The Role of Long-term Service Providers
Peter Notarstefano
In this session, Mr. Notarstefano will discuss Accountable Care Organizations and each demonstration in the Affordable Care Act that relates to home health, hospice, hospitals and nursing homes. Also covered is how improving transitional care and integrating service delivery involves collaboration with multiple providers in their communities. Attendees will leave this session with understanding of some of the models of chronic disease management and care coordination that will be the key to future programs within Medicare and Medicaid.
Home Health, Nursing Home Administrators, LTC, ALF, CEOs, Hospice

D1 Hero Within Us
Deborah Grassman
Join Deborah Grassman, author of Peace at Last: Stories of Hope and Healing for Veterans and Their Families, for an exciting learning opportunity that presents age-old concepts in a new and refreshing way. You will learn concepts about the process of abiding, reckoning, and beholding suffering so that suffering can be redeemed. The role of therapeutic letter-writing and forgiveness so that at-one-ment can occur will be explored. Techniques for penetrating stoicism so veterans can accomplish healing will also be addressed. This is an inspiring presentation you won’t want to miss.
Hospice, LTC, Home Health

D2 “I won’t be here long” Recreation Solutions for Short- Stay Residents
Michele Nolta
More and more of our Residents stay in our facilities for only short durations of time. This session will equip long term care professionals to better serve the needs, preferences and expectations of these residents. We’ll include new forms for expedient documentation, program ideas, and management systems that work.
Activities, LTC, ALF

D3 Incident Action Planning in the Hospital Command Center
Mitch Saruwatari
An in depth review of the key components for creating a health care Incident Action Plan which also includes an engaging practical exercise in developing an IAP.
Emergency Preparedness

D4 Accelerating Resident Directed Living Using Dining as the Catalyst for Transformation – Case Studies & Tools PT. 2 of 3
Dan Look
This session presents the story, experience and process/tools applied for this culture change and service evolution. Session participants will be presented with the chronology and evolution of the community culture and how leadership translated this into a unique opportunity for culture change initiatives. The collaborative definition development of the impact and roles for all engaged community departments and constituencies will be presented.

A case study will be presented where the dining services department, its coordination with other service disciplines and the role of residents had to be fully reengineered. Participants will be presented with the tools, protocols and resources allocated for this collaborative development. Finally this session will present how all of these factors and planning were executed.
Dietary, LTC, ALF

D5 MDS 3.0 – Navigating the New MDS Landscape Part 2
Demi Haffenreffer
This workshop will cover both new and old information related to MDS 3.0. Workshop attendees will participate in a number of group discussions and exercises to increase their understanding of the impacts of MDS 3.0. Demi will provide some newly updated information on MDS codes as well as a review of the newly proposed quality measures. Topics to be discussed include the MDS schedule, the impact of Section Q, issues with the MDS Interviews and supportive techniques to use during the interviews.
NH Administrators, LTC DON, MDS Coordinators

D6 Winning a Union Vote: A Case Study
Gabrielle Shores
Join us for a unique opportunity to learn the team approach utilized by Livingston HealthCare to decisively win their 2010 union vote. The panel assembled for this session provides a rich diversity of candid viewpoints. Learn from the perspectives and teamwork of the Livingston HealthCare CEO, HR leader, Communications Director, CFO, as well as their labor relations strategist to analyze a “case study” of how they created and executed an internal and external strategy to decisively defeat the AFSMCE union. Take advantage of the “lessons learned” from Livingston HealthCare to refine your union awareness plans for 2011!
HR, CEO

D7 Best Practices of Home & Community- Based Services
Peter Notarstefano
Attendees will hear the future and proposed changes in long-term services and support payment systems and regulations, and what best practices may better prepare LTSS providers in Montana to succeed despite changes in regulatory and payment systems. Find answers to the following questions: What types of programs could be considered a best practice? How will the innovations implemented by certain providers prepare them for future changes in the home health and hospice payment system, such as value based purchasing, increased regulations related to physician accountability, and increased presence of managed care? Learn about not for profit long-term service and support providers that have implemented innovative programs to enhance quality of care, as well as improve the financial viability of their operations. Examples will be given of different LeadingAge members (from all HCBS provider types including rural P.A.C.E., home health, nonmedical home care, adult day services, case management services and hospice care) from around the country in urban and rural areas that have been leaders in care delivery in their communities and hospital-based LTSS providers that have broken down silos to improve care delivery, and made them the preferred provider in their communities.
Home Health, Hospice, CEO, LTC

E1 Peace at Last
Deborah Grassman
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear author, Deborah Grassman, speak about the triple-entendre title of her book, Peace at Last. In this presentation she will depict the overt story of combat veterans seeking peace after returning home from war, however, she will also highlight the more subtle themes of her book: peace at the end of life and cultivating peace in our relationships. In her usual thought-provoking style, Deborah will inspire participants to not only seek healing in their lives, but also provide some tools for how to do so.
Hospice, Home Health, LTC

E2 Making Sense, Enriching the Sensory Environment
Michele Nolta
Come learn how recreation and activity professionals can take the lead to enrich the LTC environment. The approaches make use of a fresh philosophy, seasonal themes, teachable techniques, and inexpensive equipment. Benefits extend from our most frail residents to our most capable residents and our efforts can even enhance staff teamwork and job satisfaction.
Activities, LTC, ALF

E3 Continuity of Operations Plan Development
Onalee Grady-Erickson
This session will teach you what a COOP is really all about. It will include talking about the different components of a plan, the various methods for the development and defining Essential Services.
Emergency Preparedness

E4 Executing the Vision & Measuring Performance Pt. 3 of 3
Dan Look
Participants will gain exposure to current operational experience, ongoing access to best practices and be provided the tools, KPIs and collaboration resources necessary to lead organizations on this initiative. Participants will learn how to identify how the standards of operations, measurements of performance, benefits, outcomes and resources were developed, coordinated and effectively utilized in achieving this service evolution. A full suite of tools will be available for participants.
Dietary, LTC, ALF

E5 Effective Leadership in Changing Times
Cy Wakeman
Participants will clearly understand the three stages of change and typical individual responses to change events. Leaders will learn to avoid the most common things leaders do to create X4 Lunch with Special Guest Florence Nightingale Thursday 11:15 am - 12:45 pm Lunch is provided for all registered conference participants. Relax with your colleagues and recharge yourself for the afternoon sessions & activities! You don’t want to miss this! barriers to their own change efforts and gain tools to successfully navigate their teams through change. Leaders will also learn simple yet powerful strategies to help participants move from a mentality of learned helplessness to personal accountability while learning to expect resistance to change and utilize the energy of resistance to pull off successful change initiatives.
CEOs, Nursing Home Administrators, DONs

E6 Employee (& Trustee) Engagement Strategies
Wendy Samson
“Engagement is the willingness and ability to contribute to company success. It is the extent to which employees put discretionary effort into their work, in the form of meaningful time, brainpower, and energy.”™ In this session you will learn the true meaning of and the importance of trustee and employee engagement.
Trustees

E7 Hospice/Nursing Home Partnership
Peter Notarstefano
Learn what aspects of care the federal government is focusing on concerning hospice in nursing homes! This session will review the proposed rule on requirements for long-term care facilities and hospice services and discuss the Office of the Investigator General 2009 report on hospice in nursing homes and the plan for future investigations. Also, learn more about MedPACs concern over nursing home referrals to hospice. Peter will provide Montana Nursing Home and Hospice providers a checklist and policies and procedures of what you need to do in order to assure that you have in place a strong efficient Nursing Home / Hospice Partnership.
Nursing Home Administrators, Hospice

F1 PTSD
Desiree Fehr
Have you ever wondered about the cause of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Desiree Fehr will discuss the history, cause, recognizing and diagnostic criteria for PTSD. She will address PTSD in the family and its effects on the spouse. PTSD evidence based treatment options and prognosis for co-occurring substance use and PTSD will be presented al
All

F2 If Walt Disney Ran Your Recreation Department
Michele Nolta
This uplifting session is based on concepts from Fred Lee’s book If Disney Ran Your Hospital, 9 ½ Things You Would Do Differently. You will go away with 9 ½ ways to improve your recreation department! Inspirational and practical ideas will be presented and playful teaching modalities will be used.
Activities, LTC, ALF

F3 Believing in the Power of Professional Nursing
Cynthia Gustafson, PhD, RN
This interactive session will identify factors in the nursing workplace which enhance professional nursing practice. Using the newly required CE rules as an example, we will explore the following components of power in professional nursing: workplace structure, believing in self, power in relationships and caring of nurses.
DONs, all nurses

F4 Components of Creating an HSEEP AAR
Onalee Grady-Erickson
Dive into the various components of the HSEEP After Action Report including timeline, planning process and other necessary components. In addition, this session will go into depth about how the HSEEP AAR is used and what requirements are necessary.
Emergency Preparedness

F5 Great Coaching for Great Performance
Cy Wakeman
In this session, participants will learn the key elements of development and coaching along with many strategies for fast-tracking the development of future leaders in their health care organizations. Participants will come to see their talent in a whole new light and receive a new metric for assessing talent in relationship not just to performance but to the value the employee adds to the organization as a whole.
CEOs, Nursing Home Administrators, DON

F6 Employee Engagement Panel Discussion
Carlos Arce, Tom Gregg, Terry Olinger
During this session, HR and OD leaders will share highlights and lessons learned from their work to improve and increase employee engagement. Presenters will discuss the varying tools and methods being used by their respective Montana based health care organizations. Attendees will also be provided the opportunity to ask questions and share their own experiences. Participants will learn of survey tools and processes used to measure employee engagement. Participants will understand how to assess and apply data collected from employee engagement tools. Participants will learn methods and techniques to improve employee engagement.
HR, CEOs

F7 Personal Accountability
Wendy Samson
It is estimated that a lack of personal accountability costs the health care industry tens of millions of dollars a year in terms of accidents/injury, inefficiency, workplace conflicts and misunderstandings. No organization, in this turbulent economic era, can afford to leave personal accountability in question.
Trustees, CEOs, NH Administrators

F8 Hospice Circle
An open forum to discuss issues of importance to you. Meet other hospice professionals from across Montana to network and share ideas.