Final
Fitz State Veterans Nursing Home Acct Committee
STATE AND VETERANS NURSING HOMES
Votes:
Action Taken:
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09:35 AM
-- Fitzsimons State Veterans Nursing Home Accountability Committee
Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton, Chair, Fitzsimons State Veterans Nursing Home Accountability Committee (FSVNHAC), presented background information about FSVNHAC. She referred to the Executive Order that created the FSVNHAC (Attachment A). She also summarized the final report and recommendations of the FSVNHAC (Attachment B). Ms. Norton reviewed the committee charge which include:
to independently monitor the progress Pinon Management's and the Department of Human Services toward ensuring patient safety and financial viability at the Fitzsimons State Veterans Nursing Home;
to ensure an adequate transition from Pinon Management to the Department of Human Services'on June 30, 2005; and
to evaluate the impact that the proposed recommendations for improving conditions at Fitzsimons State Veterans Nursing Home may have on other state veterans nursing homes.
Ms. Norton noted that based on the charge, the FSVNHAC reviewed the following specific qualitative and quantitative information:
financial viability information (cash flow, budget, per diem rate, Medicaid eligibility determination processes, marketing efforts, audit results, monthly financial, performance against comparable facilities, census, payor mix);
patient safety information (survey findings, occurrences reports, personnel updates for key positions, and key indicators/benchmarks/early warning systems implementation); and
an extensive gap analysis.
09:48AM
Ms. Norton reviewed the FSVNHAC's final recommendations (pages 2 through 11, Attachment B).
09:55 AM
Ms. Norton answered questions from committee members. Committee members referred to Recommendation #3 which proposes a public/private partnership could benefit other state veterans nursing homes and should be instituted uniformly across the state. Representative Jahn said that the state does not have the appropriate resources to run state and veteran nursing homes. Ms. Norton referred to the document entitled
Pinon Management's Comments to the Department of Human Services' Executive Summary Response to our Gap Analysis
(Attachment C).
Recommendation #6 (Attachment B) which requested the State Personnel Board to reconsider residency waivers for the nursing home administrators coordinator positions was also discussed by the committee. In addition, Recommendation 10 which suggests the Medicaid eligibility determination process be expedited was discussed. Senator Tochtrop noted that the process is a chronic problem for nursing homes across the state and needs to be addressed.
Senator Tupa referred to recommendation number 7 which recommends that the Department of Personnel and Administration should conduct a salary survey of professional nurses and implement that study as soon as practicable. He asked how underpaid the state and veteran nursing home nurses are compared to other nurses in the Denver Metro Area. The question was deferred to Peggy Olivas, Human Resources Director, Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), who presented later.
10:08 AM
Representative Balmer referred to the Gap Analysis (pages 8 through 11, Attachment B) and asked for information regarding the insurance premium costs. Jeff Jerebker, President, Pinon Management, came to the table to respond and stated that the table refers to a public/private management in which the insurance premiums are different than state veteran nursing homes.