VHCA-VCAL Vice Chairman Derrick Kendall, Secretary of Health and Human Resources Daniel Care, DMAS Director Karen Kimsey, DSS Commissioner Duke Storen and VHCA-VCAL Chairman Novel Martin.

VHCA-VCAL members met with their delegates and senators urging them to support Medicaid funding for nursing care services and talked to them about their workforce challenges as part of the annual Legislative Conference. The conference also included presentations from numerous state agency leaders on the Northam Administration’s priorities, workforce issues, and the survey and inspection processes. 

Secretary of Health and Human Resources Daniel Carey, MD thanked members for their commitment to keeping our seniors safe and healthy. He reviewed Gov. Ralph Northam’s priorities to increase health insurance coverage in Virginia and address behavioral health needs. He noted that the quality and availability of health care is critical to the strength of Virginia’s economy. 

DSS Commissioner Duke Storen emphasized that the work DSS and VHCA-VCAL members do is about people and serving them well. He offered his profound gratitude to members for the work they do keeping people safe and allowing them lives of dignity.

Chief Workforce Development Officer for the Governor Megan Healy explained that healthcare is Virginia’s fastest growing industry. She also described Virginia’s tight labor market and ways the Northam administration is working to connect potential employees with employers. She emphasized the governor’s key workforce priority is passage of the “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back” initiative, (called G3) to provide financial support to cover tuition, fees, and books for eligible students at the Commonwealth’s two-year public institutions. G3 would target key industries, including health care.

Healy also encouraged VHCA-VCAL member to explain why careers in long term care are important and how they make a difference. She added that employees are looking for career options that offer them flexibility and a career pathway. Lastly, she noted the importance of beginning to raise awareness of the opportunities in long term care to high schoolers and young students.

DMAS Director Karen Kimsey outlined her agency’s ongoing work related to Medicaid expansion, the agency’s budget priorities, and CCC Plus.

She noted the past and ongoing collaboration with VHCA‐VCAL on the CCC Plus program. She also mentioned at the outset of her remarks that the agency supported the bills to update the LTSS Screening process because the process was outdated. 

Members gained valuable insight from the conference session on Surveys, Complaints, and the Ombudsman. Panelists included:

• VDH Long Term Care Supervisor Nicole Keeney
• State Long Term Care Ombudsman Joanie Latimer
• Director of Adult Protective Services (APS) Paige McCleary
• DSS Director of the Division of Licensing Programs Tara Ragland
  

Each discussed the roles of their agencies and how they intersect to protect the rights and safety of residents and improve quality care. Keeney discussed when Facility Reported Incident (FRI) reports are needed, what to do with “unusual occurrences” and the process OLC uses to conduct complaint surveys. McCleary described how reports can be made to APS for cases of suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of adults, and offered that her staff can travel to facilities to conduct training on reporting requirements. Latimer focused her remarks on the ombudsman’s role in looking into complaints. Ragland described the forthcoming new licensing system that should improve the experience for assisted living facilities during the inspection process. 

Additional speakers included:

• VHCA-VCAL’s lobbying team detailed the efforts to-date to respond to legislation affecting members from the Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Screening process, to staffing ratios, minimum wage increase, repeal of Right-to-Work, and Medicaid funding. Attendees then met with their General Assembly members discuss these issues with them.
• Political commentator Dr. Bob Holsworth shared his insights on the new Democratic control of the General Assembly. He described a different political environment in Virginia in which Democrats were moving quickly and progressively on a number of issues. He offered attendees additional background on two key issues: the minimum wage increase and right-to-work.
• April Payne briefed assisted living members on assisted living-specific legislation, the status of the survey readiness binder, and new capabilities in LTC TrendTracker.
• Ali Mislowsky of the Virginia Public Access Project described the role political giving in Virginia politics and how spending has grown in recent election cycles.