Thanks!

Jen Craft PT, DPT

Clinical Informatics Specialist 

Oregon Health & Science University

1. In your opinion, what is the most valuable NON-CLINICAL SKILL a PT leader can possess?

MY ANSWER: Leading by example

WHAT'S YOURS?

Apologies that I haven't been using the board for these conversations!! We've discussed doing some mini-highlights/spotlights in the HPA newsletter. Sounds like everyone is on board per the emails, but feel free to chime in if you'd like to pivot...

I'm thinking we keep it short and sweet, like what you'd tell someone in a 30-second introduction at some speed dating (I mean NETWORKING) event ;)

1. What is your full name and title?

2. What is your non-clinical PT/A role?

3. What is one thing about your clinical background that helps you in your role?

3. Why did you join the Beyond Clinical Practice catalyst group?

4. What do you hope the BCP catalyst group can achieve in our profession?

That's it. A quick read that draws people in and, hopefully, forms meaningful connections and drives signups :)  Thoughts? I'm very open to any and all feedback :)

Thanks - Meredith

From: Carolyn Bloom, FAL of HPA

Below are proposed federal regulations and guidance that may have an impact on you and your practice setting. APTA staff are reviewing them and will be submitting comments. We encourage you to submit individual comments, as well, in response to these proposed regulations and requests for information. Should you do so, please follow the submission instructions provided within each proposal and use APTA’s regulatory advocacy template letter as a guide.

• HHS CMS Proposed Rule on Interoperability and Patient Access: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a proposed rule that would leverage health information technology (health IT) to bolster its MyHealthEData initiative to make patient data more accessible to patients and providers. Effected plans would include Medicare Advantage, Medicaid fee-for service, Medicaid managed care plans, CHIP fee-for-service, CHIP managed care plans, and qualified health plans plans in the federally facilitated exchanges. In addition to the proposed rule, CMS has released 2 Requests for Information, seeking comment on data interoperability in postacute care settings, and the role of patient matching in improved patient care and interoperability. APTA will submit comments, and individuals may submit comments independently using APTA's template letter (link below). Comments on the proposal and 2 RFIs can be addressed within the same letter.
  
  Deadline for Comments: June 3, 2019
  Review Proposed Rule (.pdf)
  Review Fact Sheet 
  Take Action: Submit comments | Submit comments using APTA's template letter (.doc)
  
  
• HHS ONC Proposed Rule on Interoperability and Information Blocking: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has released a proposed rule that would implement certain provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act. The provisions include conditions and maintenance of certification requirements for health information technology (health IT) developers under the ONC Health IT Certification Program, voluntary certification of health IT for use by pediatric health care providers, and reasonable and necessary activities that do not constitute information blocking. The implementation of these provisions would advance interoperability and support the access, exchange, and use of electronic health information. The proposed rule also would modify the 2015 health IT certification criteria and program to enhance health IT certification, and reduce burden and costs. APTA will submit comments, and individuals may submit comments independently using APTA's template letter (link below).
  
  Deadline for Comments: June 3, 2019
  Review Proposed Rule (.pdf)
  Review Fact Sheets 
  Take Action: Submit comments | Submit comments using APTA's template letter (.doc)

• TRICARE Proposed Rule on Prescribing of Therapy Services by "Other Allied Professionals": DoD has released a proposed rule that would allow authorized TRICARE allied health professionals (as opposed to only physicians, PAs, and NPs in current regulation) to refer and provide continuing oversight of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services for TRICARE beneficiaries when they are acting within the scope of their license. APTA will submit comments and individuals may submit comments independently using APTA's template letter (link below).
  
  Deadline for Comments: June 7, 2019
  Review Proposed Rule
  Take Action: Submit comments | Submit comments using APTA's template letter (.doc)

·         CMS Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Proposed Prospective Payment System for FY 2020: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its proposed rule for the inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system (IRF PPS) for Fiscal Year 2020, which begins October 1, 2019. CMS proposes that beginning in FY 2022, the IRF Quality Reporting Program would require IRFs to provide standardized patient assessment data to CMS specific to cognitive function and mental status; special services, treatments, and interventions; medical conditions and comorbidities; impairment; and a new category—social determinants of health. Regarding medical conditions and comorbidities, CMS seeks comment on whether or not to add certain pain interference items in light of the opioid crisis. The proposed rule also would loosen the definition of “rehabilitation physician,” allowing individual IRFs to make the determination. In addition, CMS wants to introduce 2 new process measures; one having to do with whether a provider receives a current reconciled medication list at discharge or transfer, and another relating to whether the patient, family, or caregiver receives a similar list upon discharge from a postacute care setting. APTA will provide comments, and individuals may submit comments independently using APTA’s template letter (link below).

Deadline for Comments: Monday, June 17, 2019
Review Proposed Rule (.pdf)
Review Fact Sheet  
Take Action: Submit comments | Submit comments using APTA's template letter (.doc)

• CMS Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed Prospective Payment System for FY 2020: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its proposed rule for the Fiscal Year 2020 skilled nursing facility prospective payment system (PPS). No significant changes are proposed to the new case-mix model, the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), which becomes effective October 1, 2019, the start of FY 2020. Among the PPS proposals: CMS would revise the definition of "group therapy" from consisting of exactly 4 patients performing same or similar activities to consisting of 2-6 patients—to align with the definition used in the PPS for inpatient rehab facilities. CMS also proposes to use a subregulatory process to make nonsubstantive changes to the list of ICD-10 codes used to classify patients into clinical categories under the PDPM. Additionally, CMS would adopt a number of standardized patient assessment data elements that assess cognitive function and mental status; special services, treatments, and interventions; medical conditions and comorbidities; impairments; and social determinants of health. APTA will provide comments, and individuals may submit comments independently using APTA’s specific template letter (link below). We particularly encourage individuals to respond to CMS’s proposal to revise the group therapy definition.
  
  Deadline for Comments: June 18, 2019
  Review Proposed Rule (.pdf)
  Review fact sheet
  Take Action: Submit comments | Submit comments using APTA's unique template letter (.doc)  

• CMS Inpatient Hospital PPS and LTCH PPS for FY 2020: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its proposed rule for the inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term acute care hospital (LTCH) PPS for Fiscal Year 2020, which begins October 1, 2019. Among the provisions of the proposal of importance to physical therapy providers: Standardizing pain assessment within the "pain interference" category within the Standardized Patient Assessment Data Elements; adding 2 opioid-related electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) to the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program eCQM set, beginning with the calendar year 2021 reporting period; a request for input on the more-meaningful interoperability measures to combat the opioid epidemic; adopting 2 new quality measures within the quality measure domain in the IMPACT Act pertaining to transferring health information and certain standardized patient assessment data elements; and adopting an alternative new-technology add-on payment pathway for a medical device that receives FDA marketing authorization and is part of an FDA expedited program for medical devices. APTA will provide comments, and individuals may submit comments independently using APTA's template letter (link below). 
  
  Deadline for Comments: Monday, June 24, 2019
  Review Proposed Rule (.pdf)
  Review Fact Sheet 
  Take Action: Submit comments | Submit comments using APTA's template letter (.doc)

WHAT YOU CAN DO – Submit comments! Visit the Regulatory: Take Action webpage to review the available comment opportunities.