MCQC April 2006 News Letter Page 4

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A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR		The following is a recent articlefrom the Associated Press FORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) – Shareholders of Beverly Enterprises Inc. on Tuesday voted to accept an offer of $1.8 billion by a private investor group to buy the nursing home company. The shareholders approved a measure that will merge Fort Smith-based Beverly with Pearl Senior Care Inc., which is anaffiliate of Fillmore Capital Partners LLC, in a transaction to be completed by March15. Beverly stockholders are to receive $12.50 per share. Beverly put itself up for auction after a hostile take over attempt by Alpharetta, Ga.-based Formation Capital LLC. North American Senior Care Inc. wasthe apparent winning bidder, offering $1.9billion, but the investor didn't meet a financingdeadline, and the bidding reopened. It's unclear whether San Francisco based Fillmore will keep open Beverly's headquarters building, where about 600 people work. Fillmore Chief Executive RonSilva has said the state political environmentcould affect a decision on whether to move the headquarters. Silva, who is an attorney, has said he is concerned that there are too many high-dollar court judgments against nursing homes in Arkansas. “You can't run a business and pay out$150 million in liability every year,” Silva said last Thursday. Beverly has 342 nursing homes, 18 assisted living centers, and 67 hospice andhome care centers. Beverly offers rehabilitativeservices through Aegis Therapies. The company has 34,000 employees.
The Missouri Coalition for Quality Care is working on many collaborative projects with other organizations. The success ofthese projects is due to our board andmembership. I would like to thank all of you for your participation in continuing the mission of MCQC. Following are a few examples of our efforts to work and partner with other organizations. HANK KRAMBECK RECEIVES LT. GOVERNOR'S SENIOR SERVICE AWARD Hank Krambeck, MCQC member, receives the Senior Service Award. The award was created by the Lt. Governor, Peter Kinder to promote and highlight thepositive accomplishments that Missouri's senior citizens continually provide to their local communities. Hank Krambeck was nominated by Dr. Carol Cox at Truman State University for his work with the Student Ombudsman Program and his volunteer work with the MCQC in Kirksville.Hank Krambeck will receive the award at a special recognition ceremony. Lt.Governor, Peter Kinder said “there arethousands of Missourians whose lives aretouched by the unselfish work and caringhand of someone like Hank Krambeck.”He added, “these acts of kindness go onunnoticed all around us every day. Mr.Krambeck offers his time and labor backto the community, and I want to bringthese stories to the public, so we can allthank him for this work.” CONGRATULATIONS HANK MQCQ SUPPORTS ASSISTEDLIVING FACILITIES BILL (HOUSEBILL 1620 AND SENATE BILL 616) In the fall of 2004, representatives from the Missouri Association of Homes for the Aging (MoAHA) and the Alzheimer's Association assembled a dedicated groupof organizations to work on the AssistedLiving Task Force. As a member of thetask force, MCQC felt one of the most important objectives was the inclusion ofstate licensure requirements for Assisted Living Facilities.	The Assisted Living Bill, House Bill 1620 (HB1620), sponsored by Representative Mike Sutherland, changes the laws regarding Assisted Living Facilities. OnFebruary 15, 2006 the House Special Committee on Health Care Facilities conducted a public hearing on theAssisted Living Bill that had beendeveloped and promoted with theleadership of MoAHA and the Coalition ofMissouri Alzheimer's AssociationChapters, both of whom testified in favorat the hearing. The bill is similar to SenateBill 616, which received a committeehearing in the Senate earlier in thelegislative session. In addition to changingthe name of Residential Care Facilities II(RCF II) to Assisted Living, HB 1620 wouldreplace “pathway to safety” for many RCFIIs with the requirement that a facility havethe staff and facility to meet the safetyneeds of its residents. It would require allRCF IIs to pre-screen potential residents,perform an assessment and develop a planof service for each resident. It also requiresAssisted Living Facilities to obtain a licensefrom the Department of Health and SeniorServices. This modernization was supported by testimony from Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, AARP, the Department of Health andSenior Services, Bethesda Health Group, Lutheran Senior Services and from a private citizen. It has written support from the Missouri Association of Long Term CarePhysicians, the Missouri Aging Federation,the Missouri Coalition for Quality Care, theMissouri Alliance of Area Agencies on Aging, the Missouri Association of Regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman andOWL - The Voice of Mid Life and Older Women. Opposing the bill was the Missouri Health Care Association and Gardenview Care Centers.
	Our Student Partners at Work In the year 2001, student members of Eta Sigma Gamma, a national professional honorary, extended their ombudsman activities by becoming trained as State Long Care Ombudsmen. One of the initia student placements was at the N.E. Regional Hospital inKirksville, MO. For the past five years the students have worked closely with Bev Howard, administrator of the swingbed unit and with Nan Blickhan, Social Worker as well as other staff members. Recognizing the significant contribution made by the students, Ms. Howard ordered a display cabinet erected outside her office for use by the student volunteers. It is cooperation such as this that has helped establish the swing bed section of N.E. Regional Health Care as an excellent source of medical care in the community. From L to R Student Ombudsmen Emily Krogmann and Maureen Bylina – Far rightBev Howard, Hospital Administrator.