The virtual Collaborative Care & Health IT Innovations Summit is now free for care providers! Don’t miss this chance to learn from and connect with industry leaders, June 8-10, 2021! Be sure to register today!
This month, LeadingAge CAST announces the release of an updated CAST EHR Selection Tool, news of continued EHR sophistication, a new CAST case study on cybersecurity, and a project where LeadingAge partnered to bring voice assistants to 300 communities.
We look at pandemic trends in senior living tech, the opening of a “Most Wired” survey, a toolkit to spread the word about Emergency Broadband Benefit Program discounts on internet access, and CAST member news. Let’s get started!
Now Free to Providers: Virtual Collaborative Care & Health IT Innovations Summit June 8-10
The Collaborative Care & Health IT Innovations Summit, which LeadingAge CAST will convene online, is coming up soon—June 8-10, 2021. It is now available at no cost to care providers.
As members of the collaborative care community, we all know how important it is for long-term and acute care providers to stay current with the very latest technology and innovations that can improve care, reduce costs, and lead to better health outcomes for older adults. But, after a year of struggling with COVID, many of you have shared that your budgets just won’t allow you to attend this year’s Collaborative Care & Health IT Innovations Summit.
That’s why LeadingAge is opening up the June 8-10 event by offering free registration to all providers across the collaborative care continuum. It’s more important than ever for us to come together, learn, share, and imagine new ways of collaborating to improve health care for the older adults we serve.
Be sure to register for free today!
Summit Theme and Keynotes
The summit features these keynotes by industry experts:
Tuesday, June 8 at 1 p.m.
Pandemic As Propellant: How COVID-19 Made Technology The New Toilet Paper For Younger & Older Consumers
Joe Coughlin, Ph.D., Founder & Director, MIT AgeLab at MIT
Wednesday, June 9 at 11:15 a.m.
Responding to the Pandemic: Lessons Learned and Implications for Technology
Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., Robert J. Margolis Professor of Business, Medicine, and Policy, and founding director of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University
Wednesday, June 9 at 1 p.m.
Next Generation of Innovative & Alternative Payment Models: CMS/CMMI
Chris Ritter, Patient Care Models Group Director, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovations (CMMI), Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Thursday, June 10 at 1 p.m.
Way Forward for Collaborative Care in Light of the Pandemic
Peter Kress, Senior VP & CIO, Acts Retirement-Life Communities
This year’s theme is “The Role of Health IT in Collaboration During Crises.” You will learn about hot topics including these and many more:
- Impact of COVID-19 and technology on collaborative care.
- CMS & ONC updates and cross-agency coordination during crisis.
- Payment reforms and the next generation of innovative and alternative payment models.
- Telehealth innovations.
You can also make valuable connections with colleagues during online networking breaks. Be sure to join us for top-notch content and connections. Register for free today
Do Know All You Should About the 21st Century Cures Act?
New rules around the 21st Century Cures Act are now in effect—but do you know how it applies to your organization? And if it does, what are the government requirements you should know about? LeadingAge’s next virtual event will cover all the implications for aging services and other LTPAC providers. The webinar on Tuesday, May 25 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. ET will walk through how the recently released rules support the seamless and secure access, exchange and use of electronic health information. Speakers include:
- Kianna Banks, Nurse Consultant, CMS
- Scott Cooper, Center for Clinical Standards & Quality, CMS
- Johnalyn Lyles, Division Deputy Director, Regulatory & Policy Affairs, ONC
- Alex Mugge, Deputy Chief Health Informatics Officer, CMS
This virtual event is free, but registration is required. I will be moderating the session. Save your spot now.
Updated CAST EHR Selection Tool and More Sophisticated EHR Adoption
LeadingAge CAST has updated its Electronic Health Record (EHR) Selection Tool, which gives aging services providers background on EHR systems and products to help them choose the best technology for their needs. We also have released updates to the LeadingAge CAST 7-Stage EHR Adoption Model, which found increasing levels of sophistication among EHRs in use by long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) providers.
New CAST Case Study: Partner for Cybersecurity and HIPAA Compliance
The latest LeadingAge CAST case study urges aging services providers to prioritize risk remediation even in the face of day-to-day demands. Learn how one life plan community partners with BlueOrange Compliance, a LeadingAge Bronze Partner with CAST Focus, to address HIPAA compliance and cybersecurity risks. See a summary or the full case study.
LeadingAge, Volara and others Partner to Bring Voice Assistants to 300 Communities
Residents in more than 300 senior living communities in the United States and United Kingdom soon will have access to voice-activated video calling and diverse content. Volara, in collaboration with LeadingAge and other organizations, is bringing Google Next Hub Max devices to 9,000 residents. LeadingAge CAST Patron HumanGood is one of several organizations helping to implement this technology.
Pandemic Trends in Senior Living Tech
A recent HealthTech article discussed the current trend toward younger first-time residents in senior living and the tech capabilities they expect. I was interviewed and commented that adoption has increased among many residents, as older adults who may have resisted technology have had to use it for telehealth or to connect with family and friends.
I also told HealthTech I am seeing more movement toward health care tech. Personal devices were the focus before the pandemic started.
Nick Patel, president of ThriveWell, an IT consulting firm under LeadingAge CAST Patron Asbury Communities, was also quoted. Discussing a past pilot project with virtual assistant devices and wearables, he noted that success depends on having a strong IT infrastructure. Read “Smart Technologies Create a More Connected Environment for Older Adults” to learn more.
Tech Lessons Learned in the Pandemic
New survey results from Ascom show that mobile devices, telehealth, and video conferencing entered the spotlight in assisted living communities during the pandemic.
CHIME Digital Health Most Wired Survey Now Open
Please consider taking the CHIME 2021 Digital Health Most Wired Survey, which measures technology adoption levels and is open for submissions until mid-June. Long-term and post-acute care has a dedicated category.
Help with Internet Costs Available; Toolkit Helps Spread the Word
Older adults can now find assistance paying for internet through the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBBP). Please use the new EBBP toolkit to spread the word to the people you serve.
CAST Members Make News
Please join me to welcome five new Associate Business Partners with CAST Focus. Please also help me to congratulate LeadingAge CAST members who are in the news for new apps, acquisitions, and partnerships.
Contact Me
If you have news to share with CAST or if I can be of assistance in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me.