Medicaid threats continue following the House-passed budget reconciliation package last week. In particular, the package would severely impact Ohio by prohibiting Ohio from using Medicaid health plan taxes, which it currently uses to fund its Medicaid program, and capping franchise fees at the current level. Ohio’s current budget is built on increasing the franchise fee for Ohio hospitals, so would need to be walked-back if the reconciliation package were to pass as-is.
LeadingAge is imploring members to reach out to the offices of Senators Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno to let them know that you oppose the House’s detrimental changes to Medicaid funding and policy. For further details on the measure and an opportunity to send a message to Ohio’s senators, visit the LeadingAge Action Center.
Get the latest intelligence on the budget reconciliation process from LeadingAge’s policy staff by joining LeadingAge’s member-only National Policy Pulse call on Monday, June 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Sign up here. The deadline to submit nominations for the 2025 LeadingAge Ohio Annual Awards is tomorrow, May 30.
These awards are a great way to celebrate the dedication your organizations, employees, or colleagues have demonstrated to care for our older Ohioans. Awards will be presented at the LeadingAge Ohio Annual Conference in August.
If you're interested in nominating an individual or member organization, please click here.
Below are the nominating categories and you can review descriptions for each award by clicking here.
- Impact Award (can nominate an individual OR organization)
- Emerging Leader Award
- Excellence in Caring Award
- Heart of Hospice Award
- Visionary Leadership Award of Honor
Please reach out to Randi Hamill at rhamill@leadingageohio.org if you have any questions or need additional information! LeadingAge Ohio extends a sincere thank you to all members who participated in our biennial member survey. Your feedback is invaluable, and it plays a critical role in guiding our priorities and shaping the future of our association.
We're proud to share that LeadingAge Ohio maintains a strong Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 67—an encouraging sign of your continued trust and support. While satisfaction remains high in key areas such as communications, overall member benefits, and access to expert information, we’ve also noted a slight decline in these scores compared to 2023. These and more valuable insights will be shared on an All-Member Webinar on June 17 at 11:30AM. where we’ll review more survey results and outline ways LeadingAge Ohio plans to use the data to improve member benefits and deliver value for your dues dollar.
Don't miss this opportunity to see how your voice is making a difference. Stay engaged, stay informed, and register today for the All-Member Webinar. Top You Asked: Can a nurse practitioner meet the nursing home physician visit requirement?
We Answered: While nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and physician assistants (collectively known as non-physician practitioners (NPPs)) can conduct many of the required visits, the initial comprehensive physician visit must be completed by a physician within the first 30 days after admission. Under F-tag 712 (§483.30(c)), physician visits are required at least every 30 days for the first 90 days and every 60 days thereafter, with a visit considered timely if completed within 10 days of the due date. After the physician’s initial visit, the NPP may perform every other required visit and any other medically necessary visits as long as they are working under the physician’s direction and within their scope of practice. Top In the concluding episode of our Another Word for Living podcast series celebrating Older Americans Month and its theme, Flip the Script on Aging, host Susan Wallace sits down with Sister Pat Hayden—a woman whose life story redefines what it means to age with purpose, faith, and resilience.
Now residing at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity, Sister Pat was adopted in Canada alongside her “twin” brother by a military family. Her life has been shaped by extraordinary service—from comforting communities in moments of national tragedy, like her presence at Columbine, to leadership roles in education, pastoral care, and healthcare.
A major health crisis became the catalyst for her spiritual calling. “If I don’t walk with Christ, I’ll never walk again,” she says of the moment that changed her life forever.
Don’t miss this poignant and inspiring close to our series spotlighting the voices of older Ohioans who continue to shape their communities and challenge expectations.
Listen now: Walking with Christ: The Life of Sister Pat Hayden LeadingAge Ohio concluded its 2025 STARS Awards season last week with heartfelt celebrations at Maple Knoll Village in Cincinnati and Shepherd of the Valley in Warren. These final gatherings marked the end of a statewide tour honoring the frontline heroes who bring dignity, compassion, and excellence to aging services each and every day.
This year, 294 outstanding staff members were recognized across six regional events. The Cincinnati ceremony—our largest yet—welcomed nearly 150 honorees and was so well attended it required two back-to-back ceremonies to ensure every STAR received their moment in the spotlight.
From caregivers and culinary teams to housekeeping and administrative staff, each nominee exemplifies the heart of our field. The STARS Awards program shines a light on those whose daily work often happens behind the scenes but whose impact is anything but invisible.
A sincere thank you to our host sites, nominators, and supporters for helping us honor these incredible individuals. And to every STAR—thank you. You make the difference. June 26 | 10:00AM–2:00PM | LeadingAge Ohio Office, Columbus
Artificial intelligence is starting to shift the way nonprofits think about fundraising, donor engagement, and communication strategy. On June 26, LeadingAge Ohio will host an in-person workshop built for philanthropy professionals working in aging services who want to see what AI can do—beyond the buzz.
This session is designed to be hands-on. Attendees will bring their laptops, open up ChatGPT, and try out real-world prompts in small groups. The focus will be on tackling common challenges—drafting appeal letters, generating stewardship ideas, brainstorming campaign themes—and testing how AI tools can support (or spark) those efforts.
You don’t need any prior experience with AI—just a willingness to try something new and learn alongside your peers. Registration is open but space is limited. Did you know your LeadingAge Ohio membership includes access to all the educational and networking resources offered by LeadingAge national?
That means you can tap into the LeadingAge Learning Hub—a one-stop destination for on-demand professional development created specifically for aging services professionals.
Browse an archive of recorded webinars, trainings, and articles, or take advantage of QuickCasts: short, bite-sized virtual learning sessions perfect for a lunch break or quick refresher on a key topic.
Highlights include:
- Access Anytime, Anywhere: Learn when and where it works for you.
- Fresh, Expert-Led Content: Updated regularly with insights from leaders across the field.
- Certificates of Completion: Earn recognition for your professional development.
Start exploring at https://learninghub.leadingage.org There's always something happening at LeadingAge Ohio, and we don’t want you to miss a moment. From educational opportunities to networking events, our calendar is packed with ways for members to stay informed, engaged, and connected.
Explore what's ahead and make plans to join us—whether you're looking to expand your knowledge, connect with peers, or get involved in shaping the future of aging services in Ohio.
View all upcoming events here and mark your calendar today!
Top With LeadingAge Awards Nominations now open, members can spotlight outstanding colleagues and peers for two prestigious awards. The Award of Honor recognizes an experienced aging services leader, such as last year’s winner, David Gehm, whose lasting impact has been felt not only on their own organization but in the wider field of aging services. The Joan Anne McHugh Award honors a frontline nurse supervisor who, like 2024 winner Lourisa Solomon, provides direct care while elevating staff and building a positive work culture. The nomination deadline, June 25, is less than a month away; learn more and nominate a deserving change agent. Top Throughout June 2025, the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) will be hosting community listening sessions to learn from the experiences of older adults and caregivers across Ohio. These sessions will be facilitated by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio and will be hosted in six Ohio communities:
Please see the attached recruitment flyers for the SPOA community listening sessions and share with your networks. There is both a print version and web version of each flyer attached. Registration is limited at each event to create an environment conducive to conversation. Lunch or refreshments, as well as gift cards, will be provided to participants. We look forward to hearing from the diverse perspectives of older Ohioans and their caregivers. On May 29, LeadingAge Ohio testified on changes and amendments we would like to see in the Senate’s substitute version of the biennial budget, House Bill 96, which is set to be unveiled on June 2. Priorities that LAO advocated on before the Senate Finance Committee included:
- Updating Ohio’s PDPM case mix adjustment;
- Reversing House changes to the private room add-on;
- A proposal to change the way the capital portion of the reimbursement formula is calculated to improve environmental quality;
- Increasing hospice pass-through payments above the current 95 percent;
- Adding approved direct care occupations to the state’s Individual Micro-credential Assistance Program (IMPA); and
- Restoring funding to the Ohio Housing Trust Fund.
LeadingAge Ohio’s testimony can be found here. Last week, LeadingAge Ohio joined other aging network partners in meeting with the leadership team with the Ohio Department of Aging to dialogue about the state of aging services. The conversation included the following updates:
- ODA continues to track the federal budget reconciliation process closely, as well as the Trump Administration’s reduction in force (RIF) efforts. Of particular concern are threats to the long-term care ombudsman program and to Medicaid funding. In particular, advocates articulated the “timing” issue with the current SFY 2026-2027 Ohio budget relying on hospital franchise fees. These same fees may be capped, should the federal reconciliation bill pass first. Currently, the federal bill is set to pass ahead of Ohio’s state operating budget.
- The Department is engaged with the Health Policy Institute of Ohio to complete its State Plan on Aging, a requirement of the Older Americans Act. Currently, HPIO and ODA is meeting with stakeholders and a statewide schedule of listening sessions has been established (see above).
- The Department confirmed concerns that the funding for the Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) included in the House-passed state budget appears insufficient to include home- and community-based services, including assisted living waiver. LeadingAge Ohio is working to confirm this with the Department of Medicaid, and advocating for equity across long-term services and supports.
- The Internal Command Center (ICC) was toured by stakeholders, who were able to see existing modules for Ohio’s nursing homes and assisted living. The Command Center includes 22 million data points across over 200 metrics for all of Ohio’s 1,700 nursing homes and assisted living communities. The Department confirmed that the next provider types to be targeted is Ohio’s PACE operators, with launch for that module anticipated this summer, ahead of the opening of several PACE sites.
When asked whether provider associations may have access to the capabilities of the ICC, ODA shared plans to distributed “push” reports from the system for the associations to use.
Members are always encouraged to elevate questions for Ohio’s administrative agencies by sending them to Eli Faes, Director of Public Policy at efaes@leadingageohio.org. Top In the revised QSO-25-14- NH memo, CMS updated the regulatory guidance for conducting comprehensive assessments following a significant change in a resident’s condition. These changes were made to update the language to reflect the levels of assistance a resident receives for self-care and mobility activities to align with Section GG of the MDS. Under F-tag 637 §483.20(b)(2)(ii), a significant change in status assessment must be completed within 14 days after the facility determines, or should have determined, that there has been a significant change in the resident’s physical or mental condition. CMS clarifies that a “significant change” means a major decline or improvement in the resident’s status that will not normally resolve itself without further intervention by staff or by implementing standard disease-related clinical interventions, that has an impact on more than one area of the resident’s health status and requires interdisciplinary review or revision of the care plan, or both. The intent of the regulation is to ensure that each resident who experiences a significant change in status is comprehensively assessed using the CMS-specified Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) process.
Examples of significant ADL changes include:
- Any decline in an ADL physical functioning area (at least 1) where a resident is newly coded as partial/moderate assist, substantial/maximal assistance, dependent, resident refused, or not attempted since last assessment and does not reflect normal fluctuations in that individual’s functioning.
- Any improvement in ADL physical functioning area (at least 1) where a resident is newly coded as Independent, Setup or clean-up assistance, or Supervision or touching assistance since last assessment and does not reflect normal fluctuations in that individual’s functioning.
During the Long-Term Care Survey Process, surveyors will probe the following:
- Did the facility identify, in a timely manner, those residents who experienced a significant change in status?
- Is there documentation in the medical record when the determination was made that the resident met the criteria for a Significant Change in Status Assessment?
- Did the facility reassess residents who had a significant change in status, using the CMS-specified RAI, within 14 days after determining the change was significant?
LeadingAge Ohio encourages providers to routinely use their EMR software reports to timely identify significant ADL changes. Staying vigilant with these assessments is essential for resident-centered care and helps prevent unnecessary citations during surveys. CMS has updated the survey resources on the CMS Nursing Home webpage in accordance with the revised QSO-25-14- NH memo. LeadingAge Ohio encourages facilities to monitor compliance using the surveyor guidance found in the State Operations Manual Appendix PP. Additionally, the survey pathways can be found in the Survey Resources zip file on the CMS Nursing Home webpage and under the downloads section on this CMS webpage. LeadingAge has developed webinars and resources on the requirements of participation which are located on the LeadingAge learning hub. LeadingAge continues to add QuickCasts on the regulatory groups. Updated resources have also been added on the Nursing Home RoP Tools and Resources webpage.
For more information about the requirements of participation and citations occurring in Ohio, please join us on the monthly STAT: Survey Tips and Tactics call. Register now for the June 11 call at 11:00AM. LeadingAge Ohio is sharing tips to assist members during the survey process. Send questions you would like addressed in future Tips of the Week to Stephanie DeWees at sdewees@leadingageohio.org. LeadingAge Ohio is committed to supporting members as Ohio transitions to the new PDPM Medicaid reimbursement system. We’re offering a complimentary, member-exclusive PDPM data analysis report, prepared by Squared Business Solutions, to help you better understand your facility’s Medicaid assessments under PDPM. This customized report breaks down your data by PDPM components—PT, OT, Nursing, SLP, and NTA—and compares it to statewide averages. It also includes insights into key Case Mix Index (CMI) groupings, helping you identify areas of opportunity to improve your reimbursement. Request your free report today by emailing schristopher@squaredbusinesssolutions.com. Top LeadingAge Ohio holds valuable education webinars and in-person events throughout the year. Opportunities are added weekly. See the complete Schedule of Events. Top A new on-demand webinar, Enhancing the Dining Experience in Assisted Living, is now available through LeadingAge Ohio’s learning platform. Presented by Gina Cappitti, Director of Workforce Solutions at LeaderStat, the session looks at how dining can become a meaningful, resident-centered part of daily life.
Drawing from her background in assisted living operations, Gina offers real-world examples for making mealtimes more engaging, inclusive, and reflective of individual preferences. She also explores how staff roles, training, and environment contribute to the overall experience.
This presentation is especially relevant for those involved in resident life and activities.
View the session here. Top
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