NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF AGING
DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC WELFARE
Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Commission; Notice of Public Input Meetings
[44 Pa.B. 2416]
[Saturday, April 19, 2014]On January 31, 2014, Governor Tom Corbett issued an Executive Order creating the Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Commission (Commission). Part of the Governor's Healthy Pennsylvania plan is to ensure access to quality, affordable health care in this Commonwealth. The Commission consists of 25 members, including consumers and their families and representatives from Area Agencies on Aging, the physical disabilities community, medical community, providers of long-term care, managed care organizations and members of the General Assembly. Secretary of Public Welfare Beverly Mackereth and Secretary of Aging Brian Duke, serve as the Commission's cochairs.
Governor Corbett has charged the Commission with evaluating and developing recommendations to improve this Commonwealth's long-term care system, including identifying effective ways to provide a better coordinated approach to delivering services and support and ensuring quality health care for older residents of this Commonwealth and individuals with physical disabilities. The Commission must report its findings and recommendations to the Governor by December 31, 2014.
The Commission believes that public input is critical to fulfilling its mission. Over the next several months, the Commission will be convening a series of public input meetings throughout this Commonwealth. The first meeting was held on April 11, 2014, in Harrisburg. The remaining meetings will be held at the times and locations noted as follows. The Commission invites interested persons to attend these meetings and offer their input to assist the Commission in understanding the current long-term care system and recommending ways in which it can be improved.
While the Commission will accept all comments, the Commission is particularly interested in receiving feedback on the following topics:
• Prevention and caregiver support: What services, supports and other activities are currently available or should be provided to consumers and their caregivers to improve health and well-being, prevent or delay nursing facility admissions and enable consumers to remain in their own homes as long as possible?
• Accessibility: How do consumers currently obtain privately and publically funded long-term services and supports and how could the process, including intake and assessment, be improved to provide better access to individuals and families who need those services and supports? What is the capacity of the healthcare system to meet the growing number and needs within long-term care?
• Provision of service: What should be done to improve coordination of social, medical and long-term care services within the long-term care continuum? What are best practices in care coordination? What changes should be made to promote a person-centered system for the delivery of long-term care services?
• Quality outcomes and measurement: What measures are currently being taken or should be adopted, to monitor the quality and cost-effectiveness of long-term care services and supports? What information and data is, or should be, collected and used to measure quality of care and to promote and improve health outcomes for consumers?
Locations, Dates and Times
Mercer—Thursday, May 8, 2014
Mercer County Career Center
776 Greenville Road
Mercer, PA 16137
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.Allegheny—Friday, May 9, 2014
A.W. Beattie Career Center
9600 Babcock Boulevard
Allison Park, PA 15101
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.Lycoming—Friday, May 30, 2014
Pennsylvania College of Technology
1 College Avenue
Williamsport, PA 17701
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.Montgomery—Friday, June 6, 2014
Montgomery County Community College
Central Blue Bell Campus
340 Dekalb Pike
Blue Bell, PA 19422
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.Pike—Friday, June 20, 2014
Pike County Training Center
135 Pike County Boulevard
Lords Valley, PA 18428
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.Registering for a Public Meeting
Persons who wish to provide verbal comments at a public meeting must register prior to the date. Registration is not required for persons attending to listen, but the Commission is requesting those interested in attending register to help ensure there is adequate seating. If there are capacity limitations, priority will be given to those who have registered to attend.
To register to present verbal comments or to attend the public meeting go to www.dpw.state.pa.us and follow the registration instructions. Individuals may also register by calling (717) 425-5719 or (800) 654-5984 (TDD users) with name and telephone number.
Verbal comments at the public meeting will be limited to 5 minutes to allow others time to share their comments. To assist the Commission in accurately capturing verbal comments, individuals are asked to submit a written copy of their comments by submitting a copy at the hearing, e-mailing them or mailing them to the address noted as follows.
Submitting Written Comments and Feedback
If individuals cannot attend the public meetings but would still like to provide input to the Commission, the Commission will be accepting written comments and feedback through June 27, 2014.
Submit written comments to the Department of Public Welfare, P. O. Box 8025, Attn: OLTL Policy, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8025, ra-LTCCommission@pa.gov.
Persons with a disability who require an auxiliary aid or service may submit comments using the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD users) or (800) 654-5988 (voice users).
BRIAN M. DUKE,
Secretary of AgingBEVERLY D. MACKERETH,
Secretary of Public Welfare
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 14-817. Filed for public inspection April 18, 2014, 9:00 a.m.]
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