2024 Accomplishments
Expanding the world of possibilities for aging through advocacy, education, and collaboration
Advocacy & Expanding Awareness
- Educated the public and decision makers through medica involvement, including stories and op eds in outlets like McKnight’s, KFF, Skilled Nursing News, The Omaha World Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, and Nebraska Examiner.
- Provided testimony on more than 20 legislative bills during the 108th legislative session on bills impacting aging services providers and the lives of older Nebraskans and their families.
- Advocated and supported the passage and implementation of the Intergenerational Care Facility Incentive Grant Program to create child care services in aging services communities across Nebraska.
- Successful increase to the nursing home bed tax rate from $3.50 to $9 to support nursing homes with higher Medicaid rates by drawing down additional federal funds
- Successful implementation of the dietitian compact making it easier to hire dietary professionals from other states for service in aging services communities
- Coordinated and provided testimony for the Senate Special Committee on Aging Field Hearing in Omaha, Nebraska with Senator Pete Ricketts on the challenges with understanding Medicare benefits and the harm of Medicare Advantage programs
- Opposed the implementation of the Electronic Visit Verification system for HCBS providers due to considerable implementation challenges and successfully revised the requirements for delayed implementation
- Held national lobby day with 5 members to meet with elected officials in Washington, D.C. to express the need for changes in aging services
- Workgroup participation with MLTC delivery challenges and amplified the voices of aging services providers to create change in the Medicaid eligibility and service delivery process
- Presentations at multiple college courses on aging services, including UNO, UNL, Doane College, Creighton University, Southeast Community College, and more
- Submitted statement and attended town halls with the Department of Justice on the findings of the investigation of civil rights violations for institutionalization of people with serious mental illness to provide awareness of the concerns in mental health and aging services
- Successful lobby day informational session attended by more than a dozen members and hosted breakfast for state and national legislative officials
- One of 20 LeadingAge state partners and 21 state Attorneys General to file a lawsuit against CMS over the nursing home final rule for minimum staffing, which includes a preliminary injunction
- Conducted over 30 visits and meetings with legislative candidates during the election to ensure they were aware of issues impacting aging services providers across Nebraska
Member Benefits and Resources
- Added an Association Health Plan to support members with health insurance needs for teams of all sizes
- Drove insightful research studies on dementia practices from the direct care workers perspective, providing cash benefit to direct care staff for participation
- Co-hosted monthly member meetings with NE DHHS survey leadership for nursing homes and assisted living, along with joint training for providers and surveyors
- Nearly 40 individual member visits and meetings, including our Western Nebraska Road Trip, to provide education, discuss concerns, priorities and benefits that can support their services
- Five Star Ratings Reports provided to all nursing home members and assisted LeadingAge to ease access to these reports on demand, as well as the expansion for hospice and home health members
- Continued to provide discounts on products members use most through our relationship with HCIS as our group purchasing organization, resulting in thousands of dollars in savings for members utilizing this service
Presence & Statewide Involvement
- Participation on the Complex Patient Advisory Council along with other associations, acute and long term care providers across the state to resolve long term care placement concerns with complex patients
- Represent Nebraska on the Managed Care Solutions Network with LeadingAge to continue to impact concerns with Medicare Advantage, pre-authorizations, denials, and payments for providers
- Attend regular meetings with the Omaha Health Care Coalition Non-Hospital Healthcare Workgroup meetings on a regular basis
- State representative on the Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia Advisory Council to develop the state plan for dementia and to improve dementia services throughout the state
- Organizational Member of the Coalition for Older Adult Health Promotion in Lincoln
- Leadership team member for the Nebraska Culture Change Coalition developing education and resources to transform their culture of care to be person centered
- Participation on the Transitions of Care Council with the Nebraska Hospital Association representing the voice of long-term care providers in the transition process
- Board Member with the Seniors Foundation to support for Aging Partners and ensure seniors in Lincoln and Lancaster County has quality lives and supports
- Regularly attend case management calls with acute care partners across the state to be the voice of long-term care providers across the state to ensure quality transitions
- Hold weekly meetings with DHHS survey department to ensure awareness of current survey trends and updates for members
- Appointed member of the Nebraska Olmstead Advisory Committee
Workforce Development & Advancement
- Graduated 12 nurse leaders from the first statewide Nurse Leadership Academy preparing nurses with leadership skills to increase the confidence and longevity in their position in long term care
- Developed and implemented a statewide nurse aide testing program as an approved testing organization with DHHS for members to assist each other to easily expand their workforce by testing in their community
- Collaboration sponsored by Fusion Medical Solutions provides LeadingAge Nebraska members with free resources through BetterCulture to support them to improve their own workplace culture where employees want to work
- Provided multiple networking opportunities, including socials and our annual Star Spangled Scramble Golf Tournament for members to engage and connect from around the state
Knowledge Empowerment & Education
- LeadingLINK with all your aging services news from across the state and the county wrapped up in one place. In late 2024, we kicked off our new Blog Posts to provide quick access for members to industry news that is specific to their services and areas of focus
- Monthly Member Connections meetings to provide information to members on important issues happening in aging services in Nebraska. Member Connections meetings feature detailed information on specific topics, membership benefits to improve your services and resources available from LeadingAge to benefit your business
- Completed a member contracted leadership training for 25 aging services professionals on how to be the best aging services professionals, how to manage their teams and improve their services at ever level of their organization
- Facilitated over 200 hours of educational options for our members in Nebraska to attend both in and out of state, available in person and online
- Held our largest, post-COVID conference in Kearney, Nebraska with nearly 200 attendees in total
LeadingAge Nebraska also partners closely with LeadingAge National, working together to benefit aging services providers across Nebraska and the United States. Click the link below to view a few of the LeadingAge National accomplishments from 2024.
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