News

Is your work place safe?  Are you OSHA compliant? Through the free Workplace Safety Consultation service from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, employers can find out about potential hazards at their worksites, improve their safety management systems and even apply for a safety grant of up to $10,000 to abate safety hazards.  

Nursing Assistant Training programs in Minnesota each offer their own unique Train the Trainer programs, requiring the RN to take the training that is associated with the curriculum they are preparing to teach. The OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training program offers its own unique, online and on-demand Train the Trainer program. OnTrack RN Trainers DO NOT take the MNSCU training.  

For the first time since 1998, Minnesota will have a new statewide rule for retail food establishment operations, including Food and Beverage Licensees operating in Senior Care and Housing Settings. The new code requirements for retail food establishments will be effective on Jan. 1, 2019. Over the next few months, the Food Safety Partnership of Minnesota will be your source to learn about:  

The Minnesota food code effective Jan. 1, 2019 includes the new term: highly susceptible population. The term identifies both who they are and where they are. A highly susceptible population means persons who are more likely than others in the general population to experience foodborne disease because they are:  

Food and beverage licensees must employ a Certified Food Protection Manager under the revised food code. This position is currently known as the Certified Food Manager. While the requirements remain similar, members should be aware and ready to comply with the changes.

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) Workplace Safety Consultation Unit has announced continuation of its safety hazard abatement matching grant program. Employers covered by workers’ compensation insurance, and those approved as self-insured employers, are eligible to apply for safety/health matching grants up to $10,000 to abate safety hazards in their workplace.  

Health care workforce shortage. Competition for wages. Retention issues. Employee morale. These are some of the top regional workforce issues that will be featured at the Northeast Regional Health Care Summit 2 on Nov. 9 from 12:30 – 4 p.m. 

The Minnesota Board on Aging and Minnesota Department of Health hosted a free webinar last week on how section Q of the MDS is used to target state resources towards assisting those nursing home residents who wish to return to a community setting. The webinar and handouts are now available for members to download.

With the start of Medicare open enrollment on Oct. 15, the Senior LinkAge Line is prepared to help Minnesotans navigate significant changes to Medicare plans. Cost Plans, a type of Medicare plan popular in Minnesota, will no longer be available in 66 counties for 2019 due to change in federal law. This means that about 375,000 affected Minnesotans on Medicare will need to change plans. 

Applications for the HCBS Scholarship Grant are due by Friday, Oct. 19. Are you interested in applying? Get more information on how to write a successful application! Click here to listen to a recent webinar and here to access a slide deck from Lina Jau, Grant Manager, and Craig Baarson, Reimbursement Fiscal Analyst, with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). 

Health care workforce shortage. Competition for wages. Retention issues. Employee morale. These are some of the top regional workforce issues that will be the focus on in the Northeast Regional Health Care Summit 2.

Registration is now open for a full-day of regulatory education, designed for care centers, Minnesota Department of Health surveyors, and Ombudsman staff to attend jointly. 

Housing with Services registered settings with a memory care unit are required to provide information about their services as described in MN Statute 325F.72. The following information answers frequently asked questions as to who is required to disclose the information and what is included in that disclosure: 

A basic overview of the Elderly Waiver (EW) program will be offered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services via video conference on Nov. 5. 

Health care workforce shortage. Competition for wages. Retention issues. Employee morale. These are some of the top regional workforce issues that will be discussed at the Northeast Regional Health Care Summit 2 in Mountain Iron on Nov. 9 from 12:30 – 4 p.m. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently announced two staff changes: 

The Minnesota Board on Aging and Minnesota Department of Health will host a free webinar on Oct. 18 on how section Q of the MDS is used to target state resources towards assisting those nursing home residents who wish to return to a community setting.  

Guardian Pharmacy hosted its 7^th Annual Legislative Roundtable Discussion in St. Cloud yesterday. The event drew eight area lawmakers and more than 50 providers of aging services from care centers, housing with services and adult foster care from central Minnesota. 

Registration is now open for a full-day of regulatory education designed for care centers, Minnesota Department of Health surveyors, and Ombudsman staff to attend jointly. 

A recent webinar from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) highlighting the preliminary findings of the Adult Day Services Study is now available to download.