Of Special Note
The mask mandate will be lifted April 3rd. In all settings, and in all levels of care – Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is rescinding provisions in Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 333-019-1011 that require workers in health care settings. I do expect OHA will issue guidance around masking during respiratory virus outbreaks but this the news we’ve been waiting for. Read more here.

Thankfully the last day to submit bills has passed...because 2,849 bills are more than enough for one session. Long timers in Salem are saying this one of the busiest sessions they’ve experienced.  

A public hearing has been scheduled on March 15, 2023 at 3:00pm for House Bill (HB) 2665 - directing Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to adopt rules to establish rates that temporary staffing agency may charge to or receive from entity that engages temporary staffing agency. This has been a hot topic for many of our members. LeadingAge Oregon supports this bill and will testify at the hearing. I’d encourage members to consider submitting written testimony and testify (virtually or in-person) to share your organization’s experiences with temporary staffing agency costs. Please reach out to me for any questions. LeadingAge Oregon was recently featured in Mcknight's Senior Living and the Lund Report  and addressing this issue. 

Opening Doors to the Aging Services Workforce: Next Steps FREE Webinar
Join us for a conversation with LeadingAge national on March 9th at 1pm to discuss Opening Doors to the Aging Services Workforce: Next Steps. Learn more here.

Reminder: Nurse Crisis Team (NCT) Staffing Support Available 
Many of our members have used this staffing support and recently shared how quick and easy it was. If your community continues to struggle with staffing challenges, we encourage you to follow the instructions here and ask for support – even if you think your community doesn’t meet the focus criteria. The state has contracts to make this staffing available, and they need to use them. Ask! 

Conference
Next week we’ll unveil our conference details and open for registration. We sincerely hope you and many of your team members will join us in Redmond. We’ve curated meaningful sessions with a little bit of something for everyone to develop and grow regardless of your career tenure.  Did we mention that in addition to all of the great educational offerings, we’ll also have a lot of fun? Not stuffy, corporate fun – taco truck Tuesday and Casino night fun. We can’t wait to see you and connect with you.

Leadership Academy Update
So many initiatives and program were squashed by COVID-19. It is so easy to push leadership and growth to the side. We wanted to take a minute to share the tremendous development of our Leadership Academy participants as they reach the halfway point of our program. Here’s a recent testimonial from Matt Hartley, a program mentor:

DHS Provider Alerts You May Have Missed: 
*Please note the State frequently modifies the alerts and it breaks the links provided below. If you have any issues, this link should always take you to all of the alerts. 

 ODHS-23-014-CBC – Quality Metrics Qualtrics Format

   o   The online quality metrics portal normally used to collect data will not be used to report 2022  data.  

March 31 PRF Reporting Deadline and Updates 

Providers who received Provider Relief Funds (PRF) and/or American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural funds between July 1–December 31, 2021, are required to report on how they used those funds in Reporting Period 4 (RP4) by March 31. New reporting requirements released in October govern RP4 and all future reporting periods. Learn more.

 PHE Will End Waivers but Not Rules

We’re continuing to learn how the May 11 end the PHE will impact various provider settings. On February 22, CMS provided clarification on how the end of the PHE impacts the regulatory waivers and interim final rules implemented during the COVID PHE. Any waivers still in effect will terminate on May 11. HHS will not have the authority to extend waivers or approve new waivers, even on an individual basis, related to COVID-19. Interim final rules are effective for 3 years from the date of publication unless otherwise noted. While the COVID-19 testing rule will end with the PHE, CMS cautions providers that they will be required under infection prevention and control requirements to follow CDC’s nationally accepted standards, which currently include testing and other mitigation strategies related to COVID-19. Read more here.

New LeadingAge Workforce Snap Poll
LeadingAge is seeking to better understand workforce challenges in provider member organizations across the continuum. Using information from your organization's workforce right now, please take a few minutes to complete this brief quarterly survey.

Recruitment Pipeline Building
Each month LeadingAge national focuses on a new workforce topic, providing tools and resources to help communities put the resources into action. This month LeadingAge national focused on the Recruitment Pipeline Building and the importance of bringing together the HR and Marketing team. Find the information here.

• Amid extreme weather, congressional investigation sounds alarm on nursing homes' emergency preparedness
• Health care vaccine mandate remains as some push for an end
• States, other countries offer insights into making long-term care more affordable: report

2023 Annual Conference & Expo
Eagle Crest Resort
May 9-12, 2023

Registration begins next week! Look for an email with a registration link.

Business Partners: Are you interested in participating in the Trade Show? A few booths are available, but will go fast. Contact Rob West [email protected]

Upcoming Educational Opportunities

Care Area Assessment Review (CAA)
March 9, 2023
Time: 9-1pm
Register Here

Nursing Practice in Community Based Care (CBC)
3 Day Webinar  |  March 14-16, 2023
Time: 9-2pm
Register Here

Navigating MDS 3.0 RAI Training for Nursing Facility Staff (MDS)
3 Day Webinar  |  May 24-26, 2023
Time: 9-1pm 
Register Here

Visit our Education Page to discover more classes and webinars