JEMS Events’ Post

Join us at #FDIC2024 for a screening of the award-winning documentary, “Honorable but Broken”, on Wednesday, April 17, 6:00 PM ET, with a panel discussion to follow. “Honorable but Broken” is a gritty tribute to the EMS professionals who come to our aid in our worst moments. Although they respond to all medical emergencies and provide a myriad of other transport services, from nursing homes to hospitals, for example, EMS are only reimbursed if they transport patients to a hospital. They are underpaid, underappreciated and largely non-unionized. Coupled with tremendous physical and psychological trauma inherent to the job, poverty wages have triggered a crippling workforce shortage. This, in turn, affects treatment and could have life or death consequences for patients. “Honorable but Broken” has won several film festival awards, was screened in Congress in November 2023 and is being used as an advocacy tool for EMS agencies and organizations across the country seeking to educate their state legislators. LEARN MORE: https://lnkd.in/edrVkdwg

Have you learned about the upcoming changes in your benefits? Learn about the new PACT ACT. The PACT Act is perhaps the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history. The full name of the law is The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. The PACT Act will bring these changes: Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care Helps us improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures If you’re a Veteran or survivor, you can file claims now to apply for PACT Act-related benefits. Go to https://lnkd.in/gE5JjJ86 for more information

🌟 Big News from the Department of Veterans Affairs! 🌟 The VA has announced a final rule amending its regulations regarding the character of discharge determinations. This exciting update expands access to VA care and benefits for some former service members discharged under other than honorable conditions or by special court-martial. Here's what you need to know: 1️⃣ Expanded Access: Former service members with other than honorable discharges or bad conduct discharges can now apply for VA benefits and services. VA carefully reviews their records to determine eligibility, ensuring deserving individuals receive the care and benefits they need. 2️⃣ Key Changes: The new regulation eliminates barriers for certain groups, including individuals discharged based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. A "compelling circumstances exception" has also been created, offering a path for the VA to provide benefits to deserving former service members. 3️⃣ Encouraging Reapplications: Former service members previously denied VA services are encouraged to reapply. With these changes, eligibility may have shifted, providing opportunities for more individuals to access care and benefits. VA Secretary Denis McDonough emphasizes, "We want to provide you with any health care or benefits we can – and we will work with you every step of the way to do exactly that." Former service members, don't hesitate to apply for VA care and benefits today. Remember, VA eligibility determination focuses on providing support, regardless of discharge status. Learn more about eligibility and how to apply: https://lnkd.in/g5u_H3FY... Let's ensure all deserving veterans receive the support they've earned. Spread the word! 🇺🇸 #VeteransAffairs #VARegulations #AccessToCare #VeteransBenefits #VAVeterans #VeteransSupport Show less

Implementing Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) in care homes is essential to protect the rights of residents who lack the mental capacity to consent to their care and treatment. DoLS should only be applied when absolutely necessary and in the least restrictive manner possible. Forexample, you have a resident who absolutely does not like to have a wash or shower at all, however all measure have been taken and this resident has DoLS in place. At all times, we should always first give them a chance to make a decision even though they have DoLs in place. Implenting DoLs should always come as the very last resort. To ensure DoLS are implemented correctly and not abused, care homes must: 1. Comprehensive Training: Staff should receive thorough training on the Mental Capacity Act and DoLS to understand when and how to apply these safeguards properly. 2. Regular Assessments: Continuous and regular assessments of residents' mental capacity and care needs are vital. Each decision to use DoLS should be based on current evaluations, not past conditions. 3. Best Interests Decision-Making: Any action taken under DoLS must be in the resident's best interests, prioritizing their health, safety, and overall well-being while respecting their rights and dignity. 4. Transparent Processes: Maintain clear documentation and open communication with families and healthcare professionals to ensure transparency and accountability in decision-making. 5. Independent Reviews: Regular independent reviews should be conducted to assess the necessity and appropriateness of DoLS applications, ensuring they are not overused or misapplied. By adhering to these principles, care homes can uphold the integrity of DoLS, ensuring they serve to protect rather than restrict the freedoms of vulnerable residents. #DoLS #CareHomes #MentalCapacityAct #ElderCare #UKCare #PatientRights

Last week we held a meeting with integrated care board (ICB) and trust chief executives and deputies to discuss the NHS’s response to the civil unrest and groundswell of hate we have seen across the country – including online – over the last fortnight in particular. These racist and Islamophobic riots have been shocking and have had a deep impact on many of our staff and patients. We are conscious that these traumatic events have come swiftly after other racist incidents in our society affecting our staff, such as continuing acts of antisemitism, all of which are deeply concerning. We know also that while the events of the last week have brought a particularly acute focus on the racism that some colleagues and members of our communities still face, these are longstanding issues that require long term commitment. While much of it is not within our influence, what happens within the NHS is. Our starting principle is that discrimination is unacceptable, and the NHS should have zero tolerance of racism towards our patients or colleagues. See the NHS response to 2024 riots in full on our website ⤵ https://lnkd.in/eNxKXF98

The SMP projects receive Administration of Community Living (ACL) grants to train retired professionals, older adults, and community members to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse. A new memo from HHS-OIG highlights challenges for #SeniorMedicarePatrol projects in 2023. ACL should collaborate with SMP projects to better document Medicare and Medicaid recoveries, cost avoidance, and savings for beneficiaries and others. Explore their initiatives, outreach, and educational events: https://direc.to/fhHX

Last week, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs expanded access to care and benefits for some former service members discharged under other than honorable conditions or by special court-martial, moving closer to transition recommendations made by CCJ's Veterans Justice Commission: https://lnkd.in/efspRhwy In their transition report, the Commission recommends that the VA adopt regulations following the plain text of the 1944 GI Bill by providing eligibility to all former service members not discharged under dishonorable conditions. https://lnkd.in/gwE3se3s Furthermore, the Commission recommends that Congress should mandate automated, nationwide enrollment in VA health care for all eligible transitioning service members. While the changes adopted by the VA are a step in the right direction, much more work must be done to ensure access to benefits for all former service members not discharged under dishonorable conditions. The key to the effectiveness of these changes will be in how the VA implements the reform. Learn more about the transition recommendations and the work of the Veterans Justice Commission by visiting https://lnkd.in/g2zEkxzJ

Join us for a screening of the award-winning documentary, “Honorable but Broken”, on Wednesday, April 17, 6:00 PM ET, with a panel discussion to follow. “Honorable but Broken” is a gritty tribute to the EMS professionals who come to our aid in our worst moments. Although they respond to all medical emergencies and provide a myriad of other transport services, from nursing homes to hospitals, for example, EMS are only reimbursed if they transport patients to a hospital. They are underpaid, underappreciated and largely non-unionized. Coupled with tremendous physical and psychological trauma inherent to the job, poverty wages have triggered a crippling workforce shortage. This, in turn, affects treatment and could have life or death consequences for patients. “Honorable but Broken” has won several film festival awards, was screened in Congress in November 2023 and is being used as an advocacy tool for EMS agencies and organizations across the country seeking to educate their state legislators. LEARN MORE: https://ow.ly/RNPI50Rfb08 #HonorableButBroken #EMSDocumentary #FilmScreening #EMSProfessionals #HealthcareHeroes #PanelDiscussion #DocumentaryFilm #Advocacy #PublicHealth #AwardWinning

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) just released a thorough, thoughtful and much needed report on the financing of #PeerSupport. Thanks Dana Foglesong for highlighting it, and pointing out that low wages are an important but not the only factor holding back the peer support profession. The authors identify a number of factors as prohibiting the growth of the profession and availability of peer support. I'm excited that at Flourish Labs we address all of them. Here they are, with my comments: ● Lack of employment and career path advancement opportunities for peer support specialists that provide a competitive and equitable living wage. - We provide living wages & a career path. ● Lack of training opportunities for PRSS in communities of color, rural, and other underserved communities. - We prioritise those communities when we accept folks into our training. ● Lack of field experiences for newly trained peers to build skills and complete required certification hours. - Our novice peers get practice, supervision & CEUs. ● State Medicaid Plans, including exclusionary background checks (e.g., criminal background checks for those who may have a history of SUD) not taking into consideration the nature and qualifications for the role. - An issue for us! ● Confusion about terminology and the different types of roles of peer workers such as community health workers, SUD peer recovery coaches, and mental health peer supporters. - We're doing our best to educate. I'd add that there is also some confusion between professional, certified peer workers vs volunteers. When I say 'we're a peer support company' people usually assume we do some version of group therapy where the peers are the participants, rather than the providers of care. We offer 1:1 peer support where our peers provide care and support to one individual at a tim. The authors also point out that "technology capabilities are minimal, including electronic databases, mobile technology, and other data measurement and reporting tools that can be required when participating in a Medicaid billed service." Our mission is to grow peer support with the help of technology. We spent a ton of time and effort building our Peers.net peer support website and telehealth platform on a modern tech stack including Google Cloud and Apero Health (Y Combinator). I hope that one day we can make it available to other peer support organizations.

#SRECases: We are proud to share the story of how we were able to assist a family in their fight for justice. They were awarded over $10 million in a case involving substandard care and delayed treatment of severe #NeonatalHypoglycemia. Our #MedicalMalpracticeLawyers do their best so that the outcome brings some solace to the family and raises awareness about the importance of providing #QualityMedicalCare when it matters the most. Read the full story at: https://bit.ly/41zi2h2