Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

Please see the attached flyer from the PA Department of Labor's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation on an event promoting the PA Business to Business Mentor Network, which focuses on inclusive hiring practices.

Thank you,

Joshua Hoover | Human Services Program Representative 1
Bureau of Human Services Licensing
Department of Human Services | Office of Long Term Living
11 Stanwix Street Suite 230 | Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412.660.8646 | Fax: 717.783.5662
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>
Notice: This confidential message/attachment contains information intended solely for a specific individual(s) and purpose. Inappropriate use, distribution, or copying is strictly prohibited. If received 

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Good Morning:
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attached communication, ODPANN 24-043: Medication Administration Course Upcoming Changes, Updated Practicum Observer Materials, and In-Person New Trainer Class Scheduled. This announcement’s purpose is:

I. To announce changes in the Medication Administration Training course and possible impacts of those changes: 

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To view this email as a web page, go here.<https://view.connect.hhs.gov/?qs=00395cd5b402bda01978e481a27f6a070061cf0b1f89b1831787107bb46e776f20cfb87aae8d808f94c070e23f380b45750e7667174356b719de631c571af17391ce9d6d19632518e57ea608289f85dc>
[Blue banner with white text: ACL Announcement]<https://click.connect.hhs.gov/?qs=ac9d70ee90b5c945d16bf0db23ecd41d4648d10d32336f4964443e9406a282d17e4db1baa1ee9e068a44cc8280b46193013cebf2e0fd3fe3>
National Falls Prevention Resource Center Announces Two New Grant Opportunities
The ACL-funded National Falls Prevention Resource Center<https://click.connect.hhs.gov/?qs=ac9d70ee90b5c94561b2e068247f61896b795e19bd4e4e3b7803b67136da4cde5a8477700f35e99e1180e35bccfba1d25c09e035bd0a0ac1>, housed at the National Council on Aging (NCOA), is announcing two funding opportunities related to falls prevention.
Innovations in Falls Prevention
This funding opportunity will provide grants for a 12-month period (June 1, 2024 - May 31, 2025) to selected organizations for the development of innovative approaches to older adult falls prevention focused on one of the following areas: 

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Good morning,

As follow-up to the Pennsylvania Guardianship Justice Summit (Summit) in September 2023, Regional Collaboration Groups (RCG) are charged with facilitating regional listening sessions to gather information from the community to continue the work of the Summit in ensuring access to due process, improving guardianship monitoring, and providing education on less restrictive alternatives to guardianship. 

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Dear Providers,

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) invites you to a session with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Philadelphia Division to discuss pharmacy best practices when ordering and dispensing controlled substances, with a focus on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) such as buprenorphine. This session is being hosted in response to the information learned during PA DOH's listening sessions on patient access to controlled substances held in Fall 2023. More background information is attached. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication contains important information about upcoming changes to Personal Care Home Administrator (PCHA) Orientation and Assisted Living Residence Administrator (ALRA) Orientation. Please review the entire communication in detail.

PCHA Orientation-administered by the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) in accordance with § 2600.64(a)(1)-and ALRA Orientation--administered by BHSL in accordance with § 2800.64(a)(1)-are one-day virtual training sessions that are administered through BHSL and are required to be completed prior to initial employment as an administrator. 

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Good morning BHSL Providers,

Over the past two years, Licensing Administration has embraced changes to streamline the renewal process for the existing Certificates of Compliance/licenses. In working through the challenges, we found there were some questions that were asked frequently. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the 10 most frequently asked questions (FAQ's) concerning the renewal process for an existing Certificate of Compliance/license. The attached FAQ's for the renewal licensing process are intended only for providers who have the following designations of Regulations on their current Certificate of Compliance/license: 

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Dear Providers,

Please review the attached 2024- PAHAN -738 - 03-05 - ADV, which contains guidance for Long-Term Care Facilities from the Pennsylvania Department of Health related to Infection Prevention and Control for Podiatric Care.

If you have questions about this guidance, please contact PA Department of Health at 1-877- PAHEALTH (1-877-724-3258) or your local health department. 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Providers:

Attached, you will find an announcement detailing the upcoming free training programs offered by Northampton Community College for Spring 2024, all of which will be provided online and at no cost to you.

There are a variety of training topics being offered, including Verbal De-Escalation and Redirection Techniques, Managing Resident Interactions, Root Cause Analysis and Plan of Correction Development, and Severe Weather and Other Emergency Preparedness. 

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Good Morning:
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attached communication, ODPANN 24-024: Medication Administration New Trainer Attestation Grade, Grading Observations, and Q2 2024 Face-to-Face Schedule. This announcement is to provide instruction to Trainers on grading a new Trainer Attestation grade in the Online Student courses that will go in effect on March 1, 2024. To provide instruction to Trainers on grading Observation Checks in the Online Student courses. To advertise the Train-the-Trainer Q2 2024 Face-to-Face Schedule. Please review the announcement for additional information and detail.
Questions about this communication should be directed to the Medication 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Providers:

Effective immediately, the room number for the Northwest Regional Office and Southwest Regional Office has changed. The room number is now 330, instead of the previous room number 230, for both offices which are still located at 11 Stanwix Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Navigating Opioid Use Disorder in Long-Term Care Facilities: Treatment, Screening, and Education." The webinar will be held Thursday, March 7, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

Aging Our Way, PA is a 10-year roadmap to meet the needs of the Commonwealth’s older adults and improve services for this rapidly growing population. The plan includes priorities, strategies, and tactics to promote health, well-being and quality of life for all Pennsylvanians as we age. Aging Our Way, PA also prepares the Commonwealth for a larger, longer-living older adult population and is designed to respond to changing needs, shifting priorities and available resources. The Department of Aging led the charge to develop the plan following an Executive Order signed by Governor Josh Shapiro in May 

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The Bureau of Human Services Licensing is sharing this important announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning individuals of the risks related to using smartwatches or smart rings that claim to measure blood glucose levels (blood sugar) without piercing the skin. These devices are different than smartwatch applications that display data from FDA-authorized blood glucose measuring devices that pierce the skin, like continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGMs).
The FDA has not authorized, cleared, or approved any smartwatch or smart ring that is intended to measure or estimate blood glucose values on its own. If your medical care 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Administrators,

This communication is being sent to provide you with no-cost training options that are approved to meet Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Administrator annual training requirements.

Attached you will find announcements detailing the Spring 2024 training programs for PCH and ALR Administrators provided by Temple University Harrisburg. These training programs may be counted toward your annual administrator training requirement. 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders:

Because we hit capacity in tomorrow morning's briefing, we are adding a second session at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow, February 9. If you are already registered for the morning session, do not register for the afternoon session so we can keep enough space for all who are interested. Both sessions will be recorded and posted publicly to YouTube, but content will be roughly similar - we'll share Q&A sessions from both, and a follow-up q&a document will be shared next week. 

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Dear Providers,

The PA Department of Health Bureau of Epidemiology has released an updated COVID-19 LTC Toolkit<https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Documents/Programs/HAIP-AS/COVID-19%20LTC%20Toolkit.pdf> (Version 1.1 February 2024). This toolkit is also attached to this message.

The updated toolkit includes minor edits and no major changes to the Infection Prevention and Control guidance. Below is a summary of the changes (outlined on p. 2 of the toolkit): 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

Secretary Val Arkoosh and leadership from the Department of Human Services (DHS) will host a webinar to discuss the proposed 2024-25 budget for the department. The briefing will take place at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 9. If you are unable to attend, the briefing will be recorded and available for viewing afterwards. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Delirium in the Hospital to Home: What Comes Next After Discharge." The webinar will be held Thursday, February 15, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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This communication is to update and replace the ListServ email sent on January 11, 2024, regarding the subject: “Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) Transportation Summit 2 – February 7, 2024.” The message has been updated to show that the summit will be held through Microsoft Teams. Please disregard the previous communication. 

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The Department of Human Services has posted the following Solicitation RFA 31-22 for The Department is seeking to procure the services of Managed Care Organizations to operate the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Program in the five CHC zones which cover all 67 counties of the Commonwealth. on eMarketplace.

You may view the bid online at eMarketplace or by clicking here.Public bid openings consist of a Commonwealth procurement representative electronically accessing or opening timely received bids. The representative announces the suppliers whose bids were timely received and the total bid amount to those present at the bid opening except where it is 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

Secretary Val Arkoosh and leadership from the Department of Human Services will host a webinar to discuss the proposed 2024-25 budget for the department. The virtual briefing will take place at 10AM on Friday, February 9. Connection information will be sent out early next week. We hope you are able to join and look forward to the conversation! 

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The Bureau of Human Services Licensing is sharing this important announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the recall of one lot of Zenzedi by Azurity Pharmaceuticals. The product is Zenzedi(r) (dextroamphetamine sulfate tablets, USP) 30 mg.
Please see the specific Lot Number below that is involved in the recall. If you have this product with the matching Lot Number, contact your health care provider or pharmacist immediately for further instruction.
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Zenzedi(r) (dextroamphetamine sulfate tablets, USP) 30 mg Due to a Mislabeled Package During Manufacturing
Summary
Company Announcement Date: 

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Dear Providers,
Please see the below message and attached ODPANN 24-011: Medication Administration Updated Trainer Manual and Presentation Slides Now Available, Grading Observations, and New Trainer Sessions Added to the Q1 2024 Face-to-Face Schedule., from the Office of Developmental Programs.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attached communication, ODPANN 24-011: Medication Administration Updated Trainer Manual and Presentation Slides Now Available, Grading Observations, and New Trainer Sessions Added to the Q1 2024 Face-to-Face Schedule. This announcement is to notify that an updated Trainer Manual and Presentation Slides are now available in the Trainer Resources section of 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Providers:

This communication contains an important update to the attached message, sent via ListServ on 1/19/2024.

The transition of vital statistic reporting from DAVE/EDRS to eVitals is in no way related to the regulatory requirements regarding reporting resident death to the Department of Human Services (55.PA Code Chapter 2600.16(a)(1) and 55.PA Code Chapter 2800.16(a)(1)). 

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The Bureau of Human Services Licensing is sharing this important announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about a recall of two cough medicine products by Robitussin. The products are Robitussin Honey CF Max Day Adult and Robitussin Honey CF Max Nighttime Adult. Please see the specific Lot Numbers below that are involved in the recall. If you have one of these products with the matching Lot Number, stop use immediately and contact your health care provider.

Dear Providers,

Over the last several months, many of you have received communication from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries (BHSR) regarding the migration of vital statistics reporting to the new eVitals system that is targeted to launch in April 2024. This communication contains clarification on the role of Personal Care Homes (PCH) and Assisted Living Residences (ALR) in the reporting of vital statistics, such as resident death. 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

This communication contains important information on a Joint Statement of Policy released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the State Board of Nursing, and the Department of Human Services, regarding application of Pennsylvania's partial implementation of the Nurse Licensure Compact Act<https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/LI/uconsCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&yr=2021&sessInd=0&smthLwInd=0&act=68>.

The partial implantation of the Nurse Licensure Compact Act (2021 Act 68) allows Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) who hold current multistate licenses from other compact states to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania without obtaining a license from the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, so long as the licensee's principal place 

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Dear Providers,

Please see the attached follow up to PAHAN-730<https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Documents/HAN/2023-730-12-11-UPD-ApplesauceLead2.pdf>, which contains information about chromium found in recalled applesauce pouches.

Questions about this update can be directed to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.

Thank you,

Joshua Hoover | Human Services Program Representative 1
Bureau of Human Services Licensing
Department of Human Services | Office of Long Term Living
11 Stanwix Street Suite 230 | Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412.660.8646 | Fax: 717.783.5662
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>
Notice: This confidential message/attachment contains information intended solely for a specific individual(s) and purpose. Inappropriate use, distribution, or copying is strictly prohibited. If received in error, please notify the sender and 

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Good afternoon,

Please see the attached letter from the Bureau of Human Services Licensing Director, Theresa Hartman.

NOTICE: This confidential message/attachment contains information intended for a specific individual(s) and purpose. Any inappropriate use, distribution or copying is strictly prohibited. If received in error, notify the sender and immediately delete the message.

Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) Transportation Summit 2

OLTL will be hosting a Transportation Summit webinar on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, from 1:00 pm. to 3:00 pm. The Transportation Summit 2 is an open forum for anyone interested in discussing transportation in the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Program. There will be staff from various programs on the call, including the managed care organizations (MCO) and transportation brokers, Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP), Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), etc. They will be on the call to listen to your feedback and answer questions as they can. See below for webinar information and 

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Please see the below message as a reminder about feedback opportunities for the Pennsylvania DHS 2024-2029 Housing Strategy, including upcoming virtual forums and a survey link.

We value your time and attention!

Best wishes,
The DHS Housing Strategy Team

[cid:image001.png@01DA42F3.DC2DB4C0]

Department of Human Services 2024-2029 Housing Strategy

Virtual Feedback Forums

[cid:image002.jpg@01DA42F3.DC2DB4C0]

Hello!

You are receiving this message because you have expressed interest or are involved in housing and human services efforts in Pennsylvania. 

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Dear Providers,
Please see the below message and attached ODP Announcement 23-106, regarding Medication Administration Trainer-the Trainer scheduling for the first quarter of 2024, from the Office of Developmental Programs.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attached communication, ODPANN 23-106: Medication Administration Train-the-Trainer Quarter 1 (Q1) 2024 Course Schedule. The purpose of this announcement is to publish the 2024 Quarter 1 (Q1) Train-the-Trainer Face-to-Face course schedule.
Questions should be directed to the Medication Administration Helpdesk.
Thank you. 

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Dear Providers,
Please see the message below and attached ODP announcement 23-105, from the Office of Developmental Programs, regarding updates to the Medication Administration Training Program.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attached communication, ODPANN 23-105: Medication Administration Paper Course Discontinuation Reminder, Online System Trainer Refresher Course, Grading Observations, and accessing the User Report (Initial Summary & Qualification Form). This announcement reminds Medication Administration trainers that the 2004 paper course and the 2004 and 2013 manuals will be discontinued and no longer valid for use in training students after December 31, 2023. The paper exam 

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OLTL is sharing the following information about the availability of a summary of public comments on, and the Department of Human Services response to, the Managed Care Quality Strategy (MCQS) Report.
Managed Care Quality Strategy
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), per regulation 42 CFR § 438.340(a) and 42 CFR 457.1240(e), requires states to have a quality strategy for their managed care programs. The intent of the regulation is to ensure members enrolled in Medicaid managed care programs have access to high quality health care services provided by the state’s managed care organizations (MCOs) or entities.
The MCQS 

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Please read the important press release below from the Department of Human Services regarding the Shapiro Administration Getting Stuff Done by reducing Medicaid red tape and keeping Pennsylvanians covered during the first year in office. The Office of Long-Term Living is sharing this message here for your information.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
December 19, 2023  

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On behalf of the PA Department of Labor & Industry, the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) is sharing the following message. Please refer to the information below about the PA Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Combined State Plan.

Please share with your staffs, consumers, and other interested parties.

Pennsylvania's 2024-2028 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Combined State Plan Draft<https://www.dli.pa.gov/Businesses/Workforce-Development/Pages/WIOA.aspx> is now out for public comment. 

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The Office of Long-Term Living is sharing the following message from the Center for Medicaid and (Children's Health Insurance Program) CHIP Services (CMCS) for your information. Please share this information regarding the upcoming Person-Centered Service Planning in HCBS: Requirements and Best Practices Webinar with your staffs, consumers, and other interested parties. 

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On behalf of the PA Department of Treasury, the Office of Long-Term Living is sharing the following message. Please refer to the information below from the PA Department of Treasury regarding upcoming Pennsylvania (PA) Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Account Webinars below.
Please share with your staffs, consumers, and other interested parties. 

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This communication is intended to remind providers that on 10/12/2023, the Social Security Administration announced that the Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment will increase beginning January 2024.

SSI is a federal program that provides benefits to adults and children who meet the SSA's requirements for disability, income, and resources. This income benefit is designed to help qualified individuals meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.
Periodically, a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) affects the maximum monthly allotment. Effective January 2024, the SSA increased the SSI allotment by 3.2 percent to reflect an increase in the cost of living. 

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Dear Providers,

This communications is a re-issue of a communication send to the PCH/ALR ListServ on 10/12/2023 and contains information and resources related to COVID-19 infection prevention and control, from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH). Long-Term Care Facilities are experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Please review this message in detail. 

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Pennie Open Enrollment Deadline

Pennie, Pennsylvania's official health insurance marketplace, helps protect Pennsylvanians health while also protecting their wallet with affordable coverage. Those seeking health coverage can act now and explore their coverage options during Pennie's Open Enrollment Period, with Friday, December 15, 2023, being the deadline for coverage beginning New Year's Day. 

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Dear Providers,

Please review the attached communication: ODPANN 23-099 Medication Administration Paper Course Discontinuation Reminder and Online System Trainer Refresher Course. The purpose of this communication is to remind Medication Administration trainers that the 2004 paper course and the 2004 and 2013 manuals will be discontinued and no longer valid for use in training students after December 31, 2023, and to advertise an Online System Trainer Refresher Course being held in January 2024. 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

The following communication contains a variety of mental health resources to support your residents, your staff, and your loved ones during the holiday season.

A survey<https://www.nami.org/Press-Media/Press-Releases/2014/Mental-health-and-the-holiday-blues> conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that 64 percent of individuals living with a mental illness reported that their conditions worsened around the holidays. Whether due to separation from loved ones, personal grief, the pressures of gift-giving, economic hardship, challenging interactions with family members, or shorter days, this time of year can bring unique behavioral health challenges. 

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1115 Demonstration Public Comment

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is developing an 1115 Medicaid program, Bridges to Success: Keystones of Health for Pennsylvania (Keystones of Health). DHS hopes to use this program to make health care more accessible, improve quality of care and services, and design and evaluate innovative strategies in health care to help people live healthier lives. DHS’ goal and vision for the waiver is to address Pennsylvania’s Medicaid participants’ health-related social needs<https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demonstrations/health-related-social-needs/index.html> with interventions that are both lifesaving and cost saving. Visit the Keystones of Health webpage<https://www.dhs.pa.gov/Keystones-of-Health/Pages/default.aspx> for more details. 

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Dear Providers,

The following communication contains important information about a link between whole and packaged cantaloup products and an ongoing Salmonella outbreak.

Please see Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Cantaloupes | CDC<https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/sundsvall-11-23/index.html>, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Residents in Long-Term Care Facilities and Childcare Centers have are amongst the 117 reported illnesses linked to Salmonella from cantaloupes that may have a sticker that indicates "Malichita" or "Rudy," with the number "4050", and "Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique." 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Sound Sleep - Achieving a Higher Quality of Life Through Better Rest." The webinar will be held Thursday, December 7, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) Transportation Summit

OLTL will be hosting a Transportation Summit webinar on Monday, December 11, 2023, from 1:00 pm. to 4:00 pm. The Transportation Summit is an open forum for anyone interested in transportation-related issues in the CHC Program. There will be presentations by various staff from the Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), MTM, the Coordinated Transportation Solutions (CTS) organization, etc… See below for webinar information and the link to join.
During the webinar, there will be three ways for individuals to 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Elevating the Employee Lifecycle." The webinar will be held Thursday, November 30, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This webinar has been approved for one (1) annual training hours for Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Administrators. 

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Dear Providers,

Please see the information below, from the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA), related to a consumer warning and ongoing investigation into elevated lead levels in apple sauce pouches from several major brands: https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-applesauce-pouches-november-2023:

Investigation of Elevated Lead Levels: Applesauce Pouches (November 2023)

Do not eat, sell, or serve multiple brands of apple cinnamon fruit pouches. FDA's investigation is ongoing. 

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Dear Providers,

Please see the message below from the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Project Firstline, introducing a new comprehensive infection prevention and control training program for frontline workers:

 
[https://files.constantcontact.com/8e13d243601/bbf24285-292c-4040-88fc-4e101ecce4c9.png]

Are you a dedicated frontline healthcare worker in a Long-Term Care (LTC) facility? Do you want to boost your infection prevention and control (IPC) knowledge and make your workplace safer for residents and staff? Look no further! 

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Dear Providers,

Please see the information below, from the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA), related to a consumer warning and recommended recall of eye drops from several major brands, due to insanitary conditions in the manufacturing facility and positive bacterial tests from environmental sampling. The full content of this warning can be found at https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-warns-consumers-not-purchase-or-use-certain-eye-drops-several-major-brands-due-risk-eye#eyedrops: 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Promising Practices from LTC RISE 2.0." The webinar will be held Thursday, November 2, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Respiratory Viruses of Public Health Interest in Long-Term Care Facilities." The webinar will be held Thursday, October 26, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Providers,

This communications contains new and important information about reporting administrator changes to the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) via a newly developed web-form.

As you are all aware, staffing turnover in our industry has advanced at a rapid rate, among both Direct Care Staff and Administrators. It is essential that BHSL maintains current and accurate contact information for our administrators in order to communicate available resources, updates, and regulatory clarifications, as well as to issue licensing related correspondence. 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

This communication contains information about the launch of the Bureau of Human Services Licensing's (BHSL) Community Resource Coordinator program.

BHSL is excited to announce the launch of Phase 1 of the Community Resource Coordinator program, effective immediately. The Community Resource Coordinator program's purpose is to assist operators of Personal Care Homes (PCHs) that serve residents receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to overcome barriers related to maintaining the health, safety, and well-being of their residents, including, but not limited to food insecurity, staffing issues, government benefits, potential funding streams, clothing and personal items, activities programming, maintenance, transportation, 

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Dear Providers,

This communications contains information and resources related to COVID-19 infection prevention and control, from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH).

With the beginning of the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season fast approaching, The Department of Human Services (DHS) and DOH strongly encourages providers to continue to be proactive about COVID-19 infection control and response. The updated COVID-19 Infection Control and Outbreak Response Toolkit for Long-Term Care is attached to this message. Please review the wealth of resources in this toolkit, which are intended to aid long-term care facilities (LTCFs) preparing for and responding to a COVID-19 outbreak, and expand 

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) is sharing the message below, from the Pennsylvania (PA) Department of Health (DOH) with you as information. Please help PA Department of Human Services (DHS) share this information as widely as possible, to inform Pennsylvanians about the DOH Listening Session – Patient Access to Controlled Substances:
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) invites you to participate in an information-gathering listening session regarding patient access to controlled substances in Pennsylvania. An informational paper is attached that will provide relevant background and questions for you to consider in advance of the session.
The Listening Session 

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Dear Providers,

Please review the attached PA-HAN 2023-720-9-29-ADV, which contains guidance for Long-Term Care Facilities from the Pennsylvania Department of Health related to the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season.

If you have questions about this guidance, please contact PA DOH at 1-877- PAHEALTH (1-877-724-3258) or your local health department.

Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence providers are also encouraged to develop a relationship with LTC-RISE (pa.gov)<https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/LTC-RISE.aspx> and PA Project Firstline<https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/programs/HAIP-AS/Pages/PA-Project-Firstline.aspx>. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication contains time-sensitive information about a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA).

At 2:20p.m., today, October 4th, 2023, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct a nationwide test<https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/national-test-2023> of the Emergency Alert System<https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-system> (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts<https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/public/wireless-emergency-alerts> (WEA). 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

This message contains important information about updated Influenza resources from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The Influenza Awareness Act of 2016 requires that Long-Term Care Facilities, including Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences, post the Department of Health's Influenza poster. You will find the updated poster for the 2023-2024 season, as well as an updated Influenza toolkit attached to this email. This information is also available under the "provider resources' section of PCH/ALR Home (pa.gov)<https://www.dhs.pa.gov/Licensing/BHSL-Licensing/Pages/PCH-ALR-Licensing.aspx>. 

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On behalf of The Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board, the Office of Long-Term Living is sharing the following message and the attached flier with you as information. Please also share the message with any interested individuals. Thank you:

Pennsylvania Workforce Plan Listening Sessions

The PA Workforce Development Board invites you to provide input on Pennsylvania's 2024-2028 workforce development strategies for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) state plan. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "More of A Good Thing: Using the 4Ms to Grow and Strengthen the PA Long-Term Care Careforce." The webinar will be held Thursday, October 12, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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Dear Providers,
Please see the message below and the attachment from the Office of Developmental Programs:

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attached communication, ODPANN 23-075 Medication Administration Paper Course Discontinuation Reminder and Train-the-Trainer Fall 2023 Schedule. The purpose of this communication is to remind Medication Administration trainers that the 2004 paper course as well as the 2004 and 2013 manuals will be discontinued and no longer valid for use in training students after December 31, 2023. To advertise the Train-the-Trainer Fall 2023 Face-to-Face Schedule. 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Providers,

This communication contains important information about the duties, responsibilities, roles, qualifications, and training requirements for Personal Care Home (PCH) and Assisted Living Residence (ALR) administrators. Please read the entire communication in detail. The Bureau of Human Services Licensing strongly recommends that you retain and share the contents of this communication with all appropriate staff, ownership, and stakeholders, as well as other internal and external supports. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Stop the Spread with Me - Minimizing Transmission in Long-Term Care Facilities." The webinar will be held Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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On behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the Office of Long-Term Living is sharing the following message with you as information. Please also share the message with any interested individuals. Thank you :

Pennsylvania Master Plan for Older Adults - White Paper

As we work collaboratively toward the development of the Pennsylvania's Master Plan for Older Adults, the Department is pleased to share with you the Master Plan White Paper<https://www.aging.pa.gov/publications/MasterPlan/Documents/MP%20Reference%20Document%20-%20Final.pdf>. 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

This communication contains information about changes to all Department of Human Services (DHS) ListServ email list platforms. If you are subscribed to more than one ListServ, the message below-which is customized to reflect the changes to this list-can be applied in the same manner to all DHS Lists to which you are subscribed. 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Providers:

Attached, you will find an announcement detailing the upcoming training programs offered by Northampton Community College for Fall 2023, all of which are provided at no cost to you.

There are a variety of training topics being offered, including Staff Training, Morale, and Retention, Fire Safety Awareness, Active Threats Awareness and Response, and more. 

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Dear Providers,
CDC is investigating a Listeria outbreak linked to kosher soft serve ice cream and is advising long-term care facilities, hospitals and other institutions to not serve any flavors of "Soft Serve On The Go" ice cream cups<https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/ice-cream-08-23/index.html>. One sick person in this outbreak was served this ice cream cup while residing in a long-term care facility. Listeria was found in a "Soft Serve On The Go" ice cream cup collected from another sick person's freezer, and laboratory scientists are working to determine if it is the outbreak strain of Listeria.
On August 9, Real Kosher Ice Cream recalled 

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Dear providers,

This communication contains important information about the requirements of 55. PA Code Chapter 2600.64(c) and 55. PA Code Chapter 2800.64(c) as related to administrator annual training hours.

Until further notice, Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residences administrators may continue to complete all 24 hours of administrator annual training online, provided that at least 12 of those hours are formatted as a live training (e.g., Zoom, Teams, etc.). A maximum of 12 hours of online asynchronous or pre-recorded trainings are permitted. 

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Dear Providers,
The previous communication contained a typo in the contact information in the last line of the email. Questions about the information in this message may be directed to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.

Criminal History Background Check and Child Abuse History Clearances- Clarification

The Office of Long-Term Living is sending this message to clarify criminal history background checks and child abuse history requirements. 

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Criminal History Background Check and Child Abuse History Clearances- Clarification

The Office of Long-Term Living is sending this message to clarify criminal history background checks and child abuse history requirements.

In accordance with 55 Pa. Code § 52.19(d)<https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/055/chapter52/s52.19.html>, hiring policies shall be in accordance with the PA Department of Aging's (PDA) Older Adults Protective Services Act policy as posted on the PDA website. The Criminal History Background Checks page<https://www.aging.pa.gov/organization/advocacy-and-protection/Pages/Criminal-History-Background-Checks.aspx> of the PDA website contains an OAPSA and Act 28 Summary<https://www.aging.pa.gov/organization/advocacy-and-protection/Documents/Acts%20Three%20Panel%20updated%202016.pdf> which summarizes criminal history background checks. The process is as follows: 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

The new Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) website is now live!

The new website combines the Personal Care Home (PCH) and Assisted Living Residence (ALR) websites into a single primary BHSL site at PCH/ALR Home (pa.gov)<https://www.dhs.pa.gov/Licensing/BHSL-Licensing/Pages/PCH-ALR-Licensing.aspx>.

BHSL will host a webinar to highlight new features and review site basics and navigation on Friday, 8/11/2023, at 1:00p.m. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Using Expressive Arts to Positively Impact Clinical Outcomes." The webinar will be held Thursday, August 10, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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Message from the Long-Term Care Transformation Office:

Dear Long-term care communities,

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to care for the long-term care residents of Pennsylvania.
We are writing to inform you that as of August 1, 2023, the Department of Health will be transitioning the LTC RISE<https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/LTC-RISE.aspx> program to its next phase: LTC RISE 2.0! In the next iteration of the program, the Department aims to increase the scale of identified best practices from each region of the program across the state. The most promising quality improvement activities from RISE 1.0 were identified and organized into 6 themes: 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

The attached communication contains resources from the Pennsylvania Department of Health that are intended to expand upon infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-recommendations.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fhcp%2Fnursing-home-long-term-care.html> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF) for COVID-19 outbreak preparation and response.

The Long-Term Care Facility Toolkit is intended to provide a step-by-step guide for LTCFs before, during, and after an outbreak of COVID-19. The term "long-term care facility" is used broadly in this document and facilities should apply the guidance for their unique setting as appropriate based on the population that they serve and 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

The Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) is excited to announce the launch of our new licensing website on Monday, 8/7/2023.

The new website will combine the Personal Care Home (PCH) and Assisted Living Residence (ALR) websites into a single primary BHSL site, which will be accessible by visiting https://dhs.pa.gov/Licensing/BHSL-Licensing/Pages/PCH-ALR-Licensing.aspx. This site will not be active until 8/7/2023. 

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Dear Providers,

Please see the message below, from the Office of Developmental Programs, regarding procedural changes to the creation of classes for Medication Administration Training and Practicum Observation.

For more information, please visit MedAdmin (myodp.org)<https://medadmin.myodp.org/>.

For questions related to this communication, please contact the Medication Administration Training Program Helpdesk by visiting www.MAHelpDesk.com<http://www.mahelpdesk.com/> or by calling 717-221-1630. 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Administrators,

This communication is being sent to provide you with no-cost training options that are approved to meet Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Administrator annual training requirements.

Attached you will find announcements detailing the Fall 2023 training programs for PCH and ALR Administrators provided by Temple University Harrisburg. These training programs may be counted toward your annual administrator training requirement. 

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Dear Providers,

The Department of Human Services (DHS) recognizes that the corrective action process is a cornerstone of human services licensing. In 2019, the Department released a webinar, Developing a Plan of Correction<https://youtu.be/TD6kNTyM7jg>, to assist providers with the successful development and implementation of acceptable Plans of Correction. Likewise, the Plan of Correction Quick Reference Guide<https://www.dhs.pa.gov/providers/Clearances-and-Licensing/Documents/Assisted%20Living%20Licensing/Quick%20Reference%20Guide_FINAL%209.29.20.pptx> was issued as a tool to assist our providers with this process. 

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Shapiro Administration Re-Opens Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program to Help Pennsylvanians Pay Utility Bills 

Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh today announced the Shapiro Administration is re-opening the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) to help Pennsylvanians with low incomes maintain access to drinking and wastewater services. Applications for LIHWAP open Monday, July 10, 2023. After a successful program in 2022, Pennsylvania received additional federal funding to re-open LIHWAP for 2023. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "The Scoop on Poop: Enteric Pathogens in the Long-Term Care Setting." The webinar will be held Thursday, July 13, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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Dear Providers,

Attached to this communication, you will find written guidance from the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) on the use of Bedside Mobility Devices in Personal Care Homes (PCH) and Assisted Living Residences (ALR).

Please note, BHSL will begin measuring compliance with these requirements effective 10/1/2023. As this guidance requires developing and implementing new policies and procedures, please begin implementing any necessary changes immediately. 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

On 6/21/2023, the BHSL Personal Care Home Annual Reports for 2021 and 2022 were published, pursuant to pursuant to 62 P.S. § 1088. The 2022 report contained an error, indicating , "In 2022, BHSL received 29,485 incident reports, approximately 98% percent of which required further investigation." In 2022, approximately 3% of the 29, 485 incident reports received required further investigation. 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

This communication and the corresponding attachments are intended to provide information related to annual reporting by the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) on Personal Care Home (PCH) licensing, pursuant to 62 P.S. § 1088.

Attached to this communication, you will find the 2021 and 2022 BHSL annual reports on licensed Personal Care Homes. The reports describe the characteristics of personal care homes, needs of the individuals served, number and types of inspections completed, number of complaints investigated, enforcement action taken, provision of technical assistance to operators, and other methods used by BHSL to achieve its 

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Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) Listen and Learn Sessions

OLTL is asking providers to please help us spread the message below and the attached information, by sharing it with the OLTL participants you serve. Your service to OLTL program participants is very much appreciated. Thank you:

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) provides Medical Assistance (MA) coverage and long-term services and supports to seniors and adults with physical disabilities through the Community HealthChoices, OBRA, Act 150, and Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) programs. If you receive services through one of these programs, OLTL wants to hear from you. OLTL 

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Good morning,

Below are some reminders for Service Providers when completing the HS 2125 Attestation Form for license renewals. The Civil Rights Compliance Attestation, HS2125 is attached and can be found at this link:

https://www.dhs.pa.gov/providers/Clearances-and-Licensing/Documents/App%20HSL/CRC_Attestation_%20Fillable.pdf

1. Regarding Question 2: The contact email you provide is the email address that will be used to contact you if corrective action or additional information is needed. Please ensure that a proper contact is used or that any requests from the Bureau of Equal Opportunity (BEO) will be forwarded to someone who can provide the additional information. 

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Dear Subscribers,

Licensing Administration is sending this communication to provide important information about procedural updates related to the issuance of renewal Certificates of Compliance. In August 2022, the renewal process was updated to require the Civil Rights Compliance Attestation (HS2125) be submitted together with the renewal application to Licensing Administration. Feedback with this procedure change has been favorable. 

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Dear Providers,

Attached to this email, you will find a guide on eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in licensed Personal Care Homes (PCH).

A licensed PCH that serves primarily residents who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may be eligible to receive SNAP benefits for their residents, in order to offset the rising cost of maintaining nutritious dietary options. 

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Dear Subscribers,

This communication contains information about resources that are now available to assist Personal Care Home (PCH) and Assisted Living Residence (ALR) providers with the licensure of new facilities and/or modifications to existing Certificates of Compliance.

The Application for Human Services Licensure website has been reformatted with the intent to ease any confusion that may arise from the Human Services licensure application process. The resources on this page have been rearranged to increase clarity and user-friendliness. Additionally, the Bureau of Human Services Licensure (BHSL) section of the page now features a tool kit for PCH/ALR licensure, including BHSL's Prospective 

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Dear Providers,

This communication is intended as a reminder that Direct Care Staff (DCS) who completed the Modified Medication Training Course during the COVID-19 emergency must complete the Standard Medication Administration Training Course no later than 7/31/2023.

ODP Announcement 20-032 allowed for the provision of medication administration services after completion of the Modified Medication Administration Training Course between 12/20/2020 and 7/31/2022. In order to continue to administer medication in licensed settings, DCS who took the Modified Course in lieu of the Standard Course must complete the Standard Course no later than 7/31/2023. Please review the attached ODP announcement 20-114 for 

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Dear Providers,

This communication contains an important clarification on the reporting of COVID-19 in Personal Care Homes (PCH) and Assisted Living Residences (ALR). On 5/18/2023, the attached communication was sent to our ListServ Subscribers. The information in the 5/18/2023 communication was incomplete.

In addition to the closure of the CFAST reporting portal on 5/11/2023, COVID-19 was also removed from the list of reportable diseases under PA Code, Title 28 Chapter 27. This means that PCH and ALR providers are no longer required to report COVID-19 cases and/or outbreaks to the Department of Human Services under § 2600.16 and § 2800.16. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Behavioral Health Considerations in Long-Term Care.” The webinar will be held Thursday, June 8, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Developing the Baseline Care Plan - Ensuring the Resident's Voice is Heard.” The webinar will be held Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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On May 15, 2023, the Office of Long Term Living (OLTL) welcomed Theresa Hartman as the new Director for the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL).

Theresa is a dedicated health and human services professional that has dedicated her career to working with aging and disabled persons managing chronic and acute conditions for more than 30 years in Pennsylvania. Working as a nurse she has done bed side nursing care, care management and served in management and regional positions in the nursing home industry for over 20 years. In 2018 she made the move into Home and Community Based Services 

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Dear Providers,

This communication contains information about the discontinuation of the online COVID-19 reporting tool and the additional requirements for reporting that were directly tied to the Federal Public Health Emergency.

Shortly after the start of the Federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19, the Office of Long Term Living (OLTL), required all licensed entities to submit information on residents and staff who tested positive for COVID-19 at https://pop.copacld.com/cfast/covid. Starting on May 11th 2023, the end of the Federal Public Health Emergency, this reporting requirement was discontinued and the reporting portal was closed. Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residence are 

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Dear Providers,

Please see the attached notice from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Department of Health is winding down the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 testing supplies and support to long-term care facilities. Deadlines for PPE requests, COVID-19 testing and support, and resources for ongoing infection prevention and control are included in the attachment. 

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Dear Providers,

This message contains recommendations from the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) regarding hand hygiene for Direct Care Staff (DCS) in Personal Care Homes (PCH) and Assisted Living Residences (ALR).

Although PCHs and ALRs are licensed as community settings, the reality that your DCS workforce faces on a day-to-day basis often mirrors a clinical environment. Staff frequently work long shifts and are required to provide successive care to a large volume of residents. The most current evidence-based guidelines for clinical settings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that the use of an Alcohol Based 

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Protective Services for Adults Proposed Regulation for Public Comment

The Saturday, April 22, 2023, Volume 53, Number 16 issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin<https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pabull?file=/secure/pabulletin/data/vol53/53-16/535.html> contains a public notice announcing the proposed Protective Services for Adults Regulation.

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, suggestions, or objections regarding this proposed rulemaking within 30 calendar days after the date of publication of this proposed rulemaking in the Pennsylvania Bulletin to: 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, “Transitions of Care for Residents with Serious Illness – Part 2.” The webinar will be held Thursday, April 27, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Also included in the message below is a link for the PA Long-Term Care (LTC) Learning Network Quarter 1 Survey.
Please register for the webinar or accessing the PA LTC Learning Network Survey by clicking on the links provided below. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, “Transitions of Care for Residents with Serious Illness – Part 1.” The webinar will be held Thursday, April 20, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Please register for the webinar by clicking on the link provided below. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, “Introduction to Transitions of Care.” The webinar will be held Thursday, April 13, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Please register for the webinar by clicking on the links provided below. 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Providers,

Please see the below information from the Pennsylvania Department of Health containing updates to the Temporary Nurse Aide (TNA) Waiver:

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) received notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that the approved CMS waiver extending the deadline for Temporary Nurse Aides (TNA) to complete required examinations is in effect until May 11, 2023. 

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Indoor Air Management Strategies - Remaining Funds - Request for Applications (RFA)

The purpose of this email is to announce that the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) is operating an Indoor Air Management Strategies Grant Program. The purpose of the Program is for the implementation of best practices regarding indoor air management strategies (identified in the grant program application) in long-term care facilities aimed at reducing the risk of transmission of and occupant exposure to COVID-19. 

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Dear Providers,

I am sending this announcement to notify you that I have accepted a new position as Deputy Secretary for Quality Assurance at the Dept. of Health, effective Monday, March 20, 2023.

Brian MacDaid has been appointed Acting Bureau Director, also effective March 20, 2023. Brian has worked for the Commonwealth in DHS for the past 22 years and currently works for the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) in the Bureau of Quality Assurance and Program Analytics as the Director of the Quality Assurance Division. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication contains important information about COVID-19 related guidance for Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences.

The Guidance on COVID-19 for Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences, issued on 6/26/2020 and updated on 7/13/2022 is now considered obsolete. The Department of Human Services will be removing this guidance from the Department's website. As COVID-19 continues to transition into an endemic disease, Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences should refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/guidance.html> for ongoing guidance for COVID-19 response. 

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Dear Providers,

The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the first of 2023 Quarterly Learning Collaborative. The webinar will be held Thursday, March 23, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Please register for the webinars by clicking on the links provided below.
During the first quarter of 2023, the focus will be Age-Friendly Health Systems for Nursing Facilities. Age-Friendly Care follows the 4Ms Framework, intended to make the complex care of older adults efficient and effective. Your team is encouraged 

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The previous communication regarding the Direct Care Staff Training and Competency Test did not contain the referenced attachment. You can see the communication below in full and the attachment is included in this message.

Dear Providers,

This communication contains important updates to procedures related to certificates of completion for the Direct Care Staff Training and Competency Test. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication contains important updates to procedures related to certificates of completion for the Direct Care Staff Training and Competency Test.

On 10/19/2022, the previous version of the Direct Care Staff Training and Competency Test was discontinued and replaced with an updated version that is hosted by Temple University Harrisburg. The ListServ message from 10/5/2022 containing relevant information about the new training is attached to this communication. 

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Request for Information – Office of Long-Term Living Community HealthChoices Program

The Department of Human Services (Department) is seeking input from vendors and other stakeholders on the specific measures it may undertake to improve the quality, consistency and effectiveness of the Office of Long-Term Living’s (OLTL) Community HealthChoices (CHC) program.
On March 6, 2023, the Department released a Request for Information (RFI) to gather input and information concerning the CHC program administered by the Department’s OLTL. You can view the RFI<http://www.emarketplace.state.pa.us/Solicitations.aspx?SID=OLTL%20Community%20HealthChoices%20RFI> on eMarketplace<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emarketplace.state.pa.us%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cermccoy%40pa.gov%7Cae2061196fe548def2cc08db1e55d33b%7C418e284101284dd59b6c47fc5a9a1bde%7C0%7C0%7C638137126192209509%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=fvBhDRVYFU2UF8I1yvUG4Ska66WZS1Z3CB6pVTwa5Ds%3D&reserved=0>.
Specifically, this RFI seeks information to assist the Department in gathering stakeholder feedback on the statement of 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Providers:

Attached, you will find an announcement detailing the upcoming free training programs offered by Northampton Community College for Spring 2023, all of which will be provided online and at no cost to you.

There are a variety of training topics being offered, including Pharmacology in Common Health Conditions, Environmental Infection Control, Process Improvements in Personal Care Homes, and more. 

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Update on Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Reporting

The OLTL ARPA Funding portal was launched September 30, 2022 for providers to submit costs associated with ARPA of 2021 funding in order to comply with DHS' reporting requirements. The reporting due dates were previously communicated and are outlined in the chart below. OLTL continues to work through portal access requests and data discrepancy issues. Due to these ongoing challenges, please be advised there will NOT be a penalty assessed for initial reports submitted after the 2/28/2023 due date. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, “Age-Friendly Health Systems: The 4Ms - Leading the Way with Lead Aides Restoring What Matters through Mobility.” The webinar will be held Thursday, March 9, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Please register for the webinars by clicking on the links provided below. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, “Age-Friendly Health Systems – The 4Ms: Introduction to Mobility.” The webinar will be held Thursday, March 2, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Please register for the webinars by clicking on the links provided below. 

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Dear Providers,

The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, “Age-Friendly Health Systems: The 4Ms - Acting on Mentation.” The webinar will be held Thursday, February 23, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Please register for the webinars by clicking on the links provided below.
During the first quarter of 2023, the focus will be Age-Friendly Health Systems for Nursing Facilities. Age-Friendly Care follows the 4Ms Framework, intended to make the complex care of older adults efficient and 

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Dear Providers,

This communication contains updated resident rights posters for Personal Care Homes(PCH) and Assisted Living Residences(ALR).

The Department's resident rights posters are required to be posted in every PCH and ALR by 55. PA Code Chapter 2600.41(c) and 55.PA Code Chapter 2800.41(c), respectively. Attached to this email, please find the updated PCH and ALR resident rights posters. You can also access these posters by visiting the PCH<https://www.dhs.pa.gov/providers/Clearances-and-Licensing/Pages/Personal-Care-Home-Licensing.aspx> and ALR<https://www.dhs.pa.gov/providers/Clearances-and-Licensing/Pages/Assisted-Living-Residence-Licensing.aspx> licensing websites. 

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Dear Providers,

On 2/10/2023, the attached communication was sent on this ListServ regarding delays in the processing of Act 54 payments to Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences. That communication listed "[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>" as the contact point for questions about the status of these payments. This email address is incorrect.

The correct email address is [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication is intended to clarify the documentation of Personal Care Home (PCH) and Assisted Living Residence (ALR) annual training hours for administrators.

Trainings from a variety of sources are approved by the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) for credit towards annual training requirements for administrators. Administrators should retain any training certificates received for their record. However, not all training sources will offer certificates and a certificate is not required for every training. When you attend a training, please be sure to document the following in your training record: 

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Dear Providers,

This communication contains information about a delay in the distribution of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, allocated to Personal Care Homes (PCH) and Assisted Living Residences (ALR) by Act 54 of 2022.

As of 2/6/2023, approximately 50% of the Act 54 payments for PCH and ALR had been processed by OLTL and approximately 25% of the total facilities for which form submissions have been received have been fully processed and paid by Treasury. The Department anticipates that it may take until the end of March 2023 for the remaining 50% of payments to be processed and finalized. 

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Dear Providers,

The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, “Age-Friendly Health Systems: The 4Ms - What Matters in Advance Planning.” The webinar will be held Thursday, February 9, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Please register for the webinar by clicking on the links provided below. 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Administrators,

This communication is being sent to provide you with no-cost training options that are approved to meet Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Administrator annual training requirements.

Attached you will find announcements detailing the Spring 2023 training programs for PCH and ALR Administrators provided by Temple University Harrisburg. These training programs may be counted toward your annual administrator training requirement. 

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Dear Personal Care Home (PCH) and Assisted Living Residence (ALR) Administrators,

Each year, the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) provides approximately 500 hours of training for PCH and ALR administrators and staff. In order to help maximize the impact of BHSL's training programs, please complete the 10 question survey linked below. Survey results are anonymous and will be used to shape our training programs in 2023 and beyond. 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

This communication is intended to provide clarification on the recent increase to the Personal Care Home (PCH) Supplement for PCH residents currently receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or currently meeting SSI disability and income criteria while applying for SSI.

In August of 2022, the Pennsylvania legislature approved an increase to the Personal Care Home Supplement, retroactive to July 1, 2022. The supplement was increased from $439.30 to $639.30 for individuals and from $957.40 to $1357.40 for married couples. 

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Dear Providers,

On July 1, 2022, the suspension of various regulatory provisions under the state disaster emergency declaration was extended to October 31, 2022. On November 1, 2022, the remaining regulatory suspensions expired, and the full regulatory requirements of 55. PA Code Chapter 2600 (Personal Care Homes) and 55. PA Code Chapter 2800 (Assisted Living Residences) were reinstated. 

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Good afternoon,

Since Licensing Administration began accepting electronic payments for licensing fees, we have noticed some areas of the payment process that need to be clarified.

Please review the following items BEFORE making a payment.

* Have you recently received your renewal notice packet in the mail?
* Yes, your payment is due.
* No, you do not owe a payment at this time.
* Have you recently received your Certificate fee letter or bed fee letter?
* Yes, your payment is due.
* No, you do not owe a payment at this time. 

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Dear Providers and Stakeholders,

This communication and the corresponding attachments are intended to provide information related to annual reporting by the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) on Personal Care Home (PCH) licensing, pursuant to 62 P.S. § 1088.

Attached to this communication, you will find the 2019 and 2020 BHSL annual reports on licensed Personal Care Homes. The reports describe the characteristics of personal care homes, needs of the individuals served, number and types of inspections completed, number of complaints investigated, enforcement action taken, provision of technical assistance to operators, and other methods used by BHSL to achieve its 

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Good afternoon long-term care facilities,

We are writing to inform you that the Pennsylvania Department of Health will no longer be able to provide short-term crisis staffing support or staffing support for test swabbing missions as of January 14, 2023. This decision has been made due to the exhaustion of funds designated for this purpose. We want to assure you that we will do our best to assist with a smooth transition. 

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Good afternoon,
Licensing Administration is pleased to announce that we can now accept electronic payments. You will have the ability to make your payments for your renewal application, Certificate of Compliance/license fees, licensed bed fees, fines, and/or appeal payments. Your payment can be made by credit card or ACH. Below are the instructions specific to DHS facilities and a screenshot to assist you. We have also attached the instructions for your convenience. Payments should only be made when you are requested to make a payment. Should you have any questions, please call 717-705-0383 or use the following email addresses depending 

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Pennsylvania Department of Health seeks feedback on temporary health care service agencies through brief survey!

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (department) is working to implement the requirements of Act 128 of 2022<https://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/LEGIS/LI/uconsCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&yr=2022&sessInd=0&smthLwInd=0&act=0128.> ("the Act"), which requires temporary health care services agencies to register with the department. Under the Act, temporary health care services agencies are agencies that provide temporary health care personnel (RNs, LPNs, nurse aides or direct care staff) to long-term care nursing facilities, personal care homes or assisted living residences. 

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Update to the attached Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Reporting Portal ListServ email sent on September 29, 2022

The OLTL ARPA Funding portal was launched September 30, 2022. Since the launch of the ARPA Funding Reporting portal, OLTL has received a higher than anticipated volume of portal access change requests causing a delay in access to the portal. OLTL has also identified portal functionality and data discrepancy issues for which we are working with the Information Technology (IT) Development team to implement resolutions. As OLTL works to resolve the issues, the ARPA Funding Reporting Portal 

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Update to the attached Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Reporting Portal ListServ email sent on September 29, 2022

The OLTL ARPA Funding portal was launched September 30, 2022. Since the launch of the ARPA Funding Reporting portal, OLTL has received a higher than anticipated volume of portal access change requests causing a delay in access to the portal. OLTL has also identified portal functionality and data discrepancy issues for which we are working with the Information Technology (IT) Development team to implement resolutions. As OLTL works to resolve the issues, the ARPA Funding Reporting Portal 

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<https://teams.microsoft.com/registration/QSiOQSgB1U2bbEf8Wpob3g,Za6V5ahO7UOBle1SPH7JIw,0DZtMuBRpEyUIfXxLPK--Q,tI2Ppnh51U-7yW7-AfnF3w,x00OF1mVRUCGNieJq4m5sA,XICxiZWGoUq2K6IyYVpxdA?mode=read&tenantId=418e2841-0128-4dd5-9b6c-47fc5a9a1bde&webinarRing=gcc>

If you cannot register using the button above, please visit:
https://teams.microsoft.com/registration/QSiOQSgB1U2bbEf8Wpob3g,Za6V5ahO7UOBle1SPH7JIw,0DZtMuBRpEyUIfXxLPK--Q,tI2Ppnh51U-7yW7-AfnF3w,x00OF1mVRUCGNieJq4m5sA,XICxiZWGoUq2K6IyYVpxdA?mode=read&tenantId=418e2841-0128-4dd5-9b6c-47fc5a9a1bde&webinarRing=gcc

NOTICE: This confidential message/attachment contains information intended for a specific individual(s) and purpose. Any inappropriate use, distribution or copying is strictly prohibited. If received in error, notify the sender and immediately delete the message.

Dear Providers,

This communication contains information designed to assist you in maintaining compliance with the regulatory requirements for annual training for Personal Care Home (PCH) and Assisted Living Residence (ALR) administrators.

On 10/31/2022, the remaining regulatory suspensions related to the Covid-19 pandemic expired. All annual training requirements for training years ending in 2022 must be met by January 31st, 2023. 

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Dear Providers,

This correspondence provides information on federal funding that is available for building resilience in long-term care facilities.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has released a Request for Applications (RFA) for the Long-Term Care Quality Investment Pilot<http://www.emarketplace.state.pa.us/Solicitations.aspx?SID=RFA%2067-150>, which will distribute approximately $11.7 million in federal funds to long-term care facilities including skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), personal care homes (PCHs), assisted living facilities (ALFs), and intermediate care facilities (ICFs) for the purpose of building resilience. These funds are designed to be invested in key areas including workforce development and retention, infection prevention control, emergency preparedness, and improvements to facility infrastructure. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication is intended to inform you of an update to Pennsylvania's Criminal Code, Title 18<https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/18/18.HTM>.

Act 61 of 2022<https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/li/uconsCheck.cfm?yr=2022&sessInd=0&act=61> took effect on September 9th, 2022. Act 61 adds subsection 3124.2-Institutional Sexual Assault-to Title 18 and indicates that a caretaker engaging in sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, or indecent contact with a care-dependent person is committing a felony of the third degree. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication provides a training opportunity for suicide prevention in your facilities.

Please see that attached flyer from the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veteran's Affairs.

Lethal Means Safety Education and Counseling will assist you by articulating the importance of addressing lethal means as a part of suicide prevention, facilitating a discussion about lethal means safety measures with Veterans, and demonstrating knowledge, skills, and comfort discussing means safety with Veterans who are at elevated risk for suicide. 

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Dear Providers,

Over the last several months, the Long-term Care Resiliency Infrastructure Supports & Empowerment (LTC-RISE) partners have been reaching out to skilled nursing facilities, personal care homes and assisted living facilities with various quality improvement projects funded by their partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH). By completing a needs assessment with you at your facility, the LTC-RISE partner can work with you to identify and support areas of improvement that will strengthen your facility's ability to respond to any future health crisis at no financial cost to you. Some of the areas they can assist with include 

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Dear Providers,

This communication is being distributed to notify of you of the launch date of the updated Direct Care Staff (DCS) Training Course and Competency Test required by §2600.65(d)(2) and (d)(3) and § 2800.65(g)(2) and (g)(3).

The updated course and test will launch on 10/19/2022. At the launch of the updated course and test, the current course and test will no longer be available. Please note: staff that have already completed the DCS Training Course and Competency Test are not required to take the new course. The new course is only required for staff that have not previously completed 

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Important Notice – Immediate Action Required for Regulatory Compliance – Please Read Carefully

You are receiving this message because you hold a license to operate a facility licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). On August 22, 2022 we sent you a message regarding changes in how you provide information related to civil rights compliance. That communication is below for your reference. Since that time, we have received several questions and we want to provide further clarification to you. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication is intended to provide clarifying information regarding the new platform and processes for the Medication Administration Training Program.

Please review the attached announcement from the Office of Developmental Programs. The announcement contains information and instructions on accessing the new platform, as well as a link to a recorded overview webinar. 

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The Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) is pleased to announce the launch of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Funding Reporting portal. The online portal will be available on September 30, 2022, for OLTL providers to submit costs associated with ARPA funding distributed in 2021 in order to comply with DHS’ reporting requirements. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, “Protecting and Preserving our Workforce by Preventing Common Injuries.” The webinar will be held Thursday, October 6, 2022, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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NOTICE: This confidential message/attachment contains information intended for a specific individual(s) and purpose. Any inappropriate use, distribution or copying is strictly prohibited. If received in error, notify the sender and immediately delete the message.

Dear providers,

This communication is being sent to remind of you of options for no-cost training that are approved to meet Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Administrator annual training requirements. When the current regulatory suspension ends, you will have limited time to ensure that you have met the training requirements for your facility's 2022 training year. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication is being distributed to inform you of a short delay in the launch of the new Direct Care Staff (DCS) Training Course and Competency Test required by §2600.65(d)(2) and (d)(3) and § 2800.65(g)(2) and (g)(3).

The course will not launch on 9/12/2022, as originally anticipated. The delay is expected to be very short, and an additional message with more detailed information, links, and instructions to access the training will be distributed at least one week prior to the official launch. 

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Dear Providers,

This announcement and the attached digital flyer are being provided with the intent to increase awareness of a variety of resources that may be available to Personal Care Homes (PCH) and Assisted Living Residences (ALR) that are struggling to find the resources to serve their most vulnerable residents.

Because PCHs and ALRs are not generally publicly funded, the amount of direct assistance available to providers is limited. The Bureau of Human Services Licensing is providing this information if your facility is struggling to provide care and assistance to our most vulnerable populations. To that end, a 1-page digital 

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Dear Providers,

After gathering feedback and questions from various stakeholders, the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) has revised the previously issued guidance on the use of voice controlled electronic devices. Please disregard all previous guidance that was issued on this subject. The guidance attached to this message reflects BHSL's official guidance. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, “Mental and Behavioral Health Considerations for Long-Term Care.” The webinar will be held Thursday, September 8, 2022, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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Please disregard the guidance on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) One-Time Payments that was issued on Friday, August 19, 2022 and replace with the guidance that is in the message below. The guidance in the message below contains updated language that more accurately reflects the notification, instructions and timelines for Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences. 

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On behalf of the Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services and Department of Health, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation invites you to join the following webinar:

Monkeypox: What you Need to Know

August 31, 2022

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Learn the facts about the symptoms, prevention, and what to do if you or someone where you work gets sick. This webinar will include presentations by leaders and clinicians from DHS and DOH, as well provide an opportunity for Q&A. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, "Improving Resident Relationships in Long-Term Care." The webinar will be held Thursday, September 1, 2022, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Providers:

Attached, you will find announcements detailing the upcoming free training programs offered by Northampton Community College for Fall 2022, all of which will be provided online.

There are a variety of training topics being offered, including Verbal De-escalation Redirection Techniques, Dementia Care in PCH, and Safe Medication Practices. 

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American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) One-Time Payments – Notification, Instructions, and Timelines

Governor Wolf signed Act 54 of 2022, which allocates $26.767 million of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for payments to nursing facilities (NF), personal care homes (PCH) and assisted living residences (ALR). To qualify for the one-time payment, a facility must be in operation as of July 1, 2022. 

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Dear providers,

Please see the attached communication regarding Voting Rights of residents in Long Term Care Facilities.

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) supports the right of all eligible Pennsylvanians to vote. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are ongoing, and we would like to remind you that any qualified voter has the option to vote by mail-in ballot. PCH and ALR residents face unique challenges in exercising their right to vote due to health risks associated with the pandemic. As such, OLTL encourages each Department of Human Services-licensed PCH and ALR Administrator to develop plans for facilitating voting by 

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Dear Provider,

Due to staffing issues, BHSL Licensing Administration is currently experiencing a delay in processing renewals 130 days in advance of expiration. In most cases, Licensing Administration is issuing the license in the month that it expires.

If your license has expired and you have not yet received your renewal, please contact Licensing Administration at 717-705-0383 or [log in to unmask] directly so that your renewal can be expedited. Any Certificates of Compliance that have or will be expired on or before August 31, 2022 have been emailed to the email addresses we have on file. We are currently working on the 

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Dear Providers,

Please disregard the guidance on the use of voice controlled electronic devices that was issued on Monday, August 15, 2022 and replace with the guidance that is attached to this message. The guidance attached to this message contains updated language that more accurately reflects the conditions of regulatory compliance surrounding the use of these devices. 

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Dear Providers,

Attached is guidance on the use of voice controlled electronic devices such as Google Assistant or Alexa in Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences.

Please email questions to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

NOTICE: This confidential message/attachment contains information intended for a specific individual(s) and purpose. Any inappropriate use, distribution or copying is strictly prohibited. If received in error, notify the sender and immediately delete the message.

Communication
Important Notice - Immediate Action Required for Regulatory Compliance - Please Read Carefully
You are receiving this message because you hold a license to operate a facility licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS).

There are two changes to the Civil Rights Compliance process. First, there is a new Civil Rights Compliance form when submitting a new licensing application and a new Civil Rights Compliance attestation form when submitting a licensing renewal application. Second, the process of submitting the form has changed. 

[More ...]

Communication
Important Notice - Immediate Action Required for Regulatory Compliance - Please Read Carefully
You are receiving this message because you hold a license to operate a facility licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS).

There are two changes to the Civil Rights Compliance process. First, there is a new Civil Rights Compliance form when submitting a new licensing application and a new Civil Rights Compliance attestation form when submitting a licensing renewal application. Second, the process of submitting the form has changed. 

[More ...]

Dear Providers,

This communication is being distributed to inform you of upcoming changes to the Direct Care Staff (DCS) Training Course and Competency Test required by §2600.65(d)(2) and (d)(3) and § 2800.65(g)(2) and (g)(3).

Effective 9/12/2022, the current<http://services.dpw.state.pa.us/pch_comptest/> Direct Care Staff Training Course and Competency Test will be discontinued and replaced by an Updated Direct Care Staff Training Course and Competency Test that will be administered through Temple University Harrisburg. The current course and test will not be available after 9/11/2022. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication and the attached announcement is intended to inform you of the first-stage of changes that have been made to the online platform for Medication Administration Trainers. Please review the announcement in detail, as it contains a large amount of very important information for facilities that utilizing the Medication Administration Training Program. 

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The information below is being shared with Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residents as a resource. The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network invites you to the next webinar, “Acute Change in Condition Due to Aspiration Events.” The webinar will be held Thursday, August 18, 2022, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

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Dear PCH/ALR Providers:

This communication and the attached announcement from the Office of Developmental Programs contain information on website outage extensions related to the Medication Administration Training Program.

Outages related to infrastructural updates have been extended beyond the original target date of 7/31/2022.

Key dates:
Monday August 8th, 2022. Registration and course content for the Train-the-Trainer course will be unavailable until 8/8/2022. 

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Dear Subscribers,

This announcement contains details about a new option for complaint submissions within the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL).

Effective Friday July 22, 2022, complaints related to Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences can be submitted to BHSL via an Online Complaint Form<https://forms.dhs.pa.gov/dhs-bhsl-complaint/>.

Often, complaints that are submitted via email or telephone require BHSL staff to make numerous attempts to contact the complainant in order to capture necessary information, diminishing BHSL's ability to timely and effectively investigate complaints. Use of the online complaint form is encouraged, as the form is designed to capture the information necessary to 

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Dear Providers,

This communication is being sent as a follow-up to the 6/21/2022 ListServ announcement regarding the webinar, Providing COVID-19 Therapeutics: Your Questions, Answered, presented by the Pennsylvania's Department of Health, Department of Human Services and Emergency Management Agency, and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation on 7/12/2022.

This webinar was extremely well received and contains information that could be very important for your facility when considering the options for treating Covid-19 infections amongst your residents and staff. 

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Dear providers,

Please see the below message from the Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network. Many of the Long-Term Care Learning Network educational topics apply to providers of Personal Care and Assisted Living Services, as well as Nursing Facilities.

Questions can be directed to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.

Dear Providers,

The following message contains information about the launch of the nationwide 988 mental health crisis hotline on Saturday, 7/16/2022.

Calling for help in a mental health crisis will now be simple as remembering a new three-digit hotline.

The 988 crisis number goes live nationwide on Saturday, designed to make it easier to get the services currently offered through the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number - 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK). That line will still be active. 

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Dear Providers,

This message is being sent as a reminder about tomorrow's webinar being offered by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation on providing COVID-19 therapeutics. Please plan on joining if you can. You can use the following link to register.

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On behalf of the Pennsylvania's Department of Health, Department of Human Services and Emergency Management Agency, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation invites you to join the following webinar: 

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Dear Providers,

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that infection prevention and control practices play a fundamental role in the delivery of safe healthcare and sustaining a strong, healthy community. At the forefront, hand hygiene has remained the most important prevention measure to reduce the spread of disease. Missed opportunities for hand hygiene identified during facility site visits have further emphasized the need for added education in inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In response, DOH's Non-traditional Infection Control Consulting (NICC) team has developed, Make Your Intention Prevention: Clean Hands Stop the Spread. This hand hygiene poster 

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Dear Providers,

Pursuant to Act 30 of 2022, the suspension of various regulatory provisions under the state disaster emergency declaration that are currently in effect and which were set to expire on June 30, 2022, are now extended until October 31, 2022. To view a list of the regulations that were suspended in whole or in part and their current status, please visit the DHS Suspended Regulations list<https://www.dhs.pa.gov/coronavirus/Pages/Suspended-Regulations-Reinstatement.aspx>. 

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Dear Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Administrators,

This communication is being sent to provide you with no-cost training options that are approved to meet Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence Administrator annual training requirements.

Attached you will find announcements detailing the Fall 2022 training programs for PCH and ALR Administrators provided by Temple University Harrisburg. These training programs continue to be fully online to allow for social distancing and may be counted toward your annual administrator training requirement. 

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Dear Providers,

This communication and the attached announcements from the Office of Developmental Programs contain important updates and information about the Medication Administration Training Program. Please be sure to review both documents in full, as they will provide details about the following information:

* All sites related to the Medication Administration Training Program will be unavailable from 7/1/2022 through 7/31/2022.
* Certified trainers will be able to continue to teach Medication Administration during this outage. Trainers should contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> to obtain training links and additional information. 

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Dear Providers,

This message is being sent to provide information on an upcoming webinar being offered by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation on providing COVID-19 therapeutics. Please plan on joining if you can. You can use the following link to register.

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On behalf of the Pennsylvania's Department of Health, Department of Human Services and Emergency Management Agency, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation invites you to join the following webinar: 

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Dear Providers,

In order to continue to support our long-term and congregate care facilities and keep residents and staff safe, the Department of Human Services (DHS) needs to understand current vaccination rates for people receiving care and staff in licensed residential settings as well as providers' ability to access vaccines for staff and residents. 

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The Office of Long-Term Living is sharing this message from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Please read and share this message with your contacts to help protect our military veterans. Thank you.

Spread the Word!

Join the DMVA in raising awareness about scams and exploitation involving veteran benefits

There are nearly 800,000 veterans in Pennsylvania and over half of them are age 60 and older. 

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The Office of Long-Term Living is sharing the message below and the attached document from the Pennsylvania Department of Health with you, for your information. Please share this information with staff as appropriate:

Dear all,

With the recent rise in COVID-19 case counts across the Commonwealth and the country, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) wants long-term care facilities (LTCFs) to be aware of the multiple ways to access lifesaving COVID-19 treatment and preventive products. 

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Dear Providers and ListServ subscribers:

This communication is being published for the purpose of providing important updates on the Personal Care Home and Assisted Living Residence ListServ(s).

Due to the prevalence of electronic communication and the frequent and necessary updates that the Bureau of Human Services Licensing issues to providers and other stakeholders, it is imperative that open and reliable email contact be maintained with every licensed entity. Please be aware of the following information: 

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