Power Up! Conference: an unforgettable event!

The Topeka High Drum Line marched into our conference last week and started our event with a bang – hundreds of them in fact.  They pounded their drums, danced on the stage, and some even stood on their heads.  This exceptional group set the tone for an event packed with excitement, enthusiasm, outrageousness and fun.

Kelli Stegeman, Kansas First News interviews Jane Pauley

And their following act, Jane Pauley, did not fail to miss a beat.  Ms. Pauley delivered a powerful message about using your skills to contribute to your community and make a difference in the lives of others.  She was inspiring and genuine as she shared details of her own life, including her struggle with bipolar disorder.  She reminded participants of the therapeutic value that one receives from caring for and serving others – and that in doing so, one not only creates a positive experience for the person served, but for the server themselves. 

That Tuesday evening, conference participants gathered at the Kansas Museum of History to celebrate Kansas’ 150^th Birthday!  The crowd ate and drank while listening to the music of Pastense, a Lawrence-based bluegrass band.  Participants explored the museum, enjoyed the Kansas-themed cake adorned with a yellow brick road, and many of them took home amazing prizes donated by their fellow members.

The following morning we started with a keynote session led by Marvin Stottlemire.  Mr. Stottlemire got the crowd up and moving with a 300-person ‘Rock, Paper, Scissor’ tournament!  Following the opening sessions, participants spent the day exploring the many ‘Learning Labs’ offered this year.  Some of the well-attended sessions focused on working with sexual offenders, dealing with difficult conversations, and working with aging individuals.

Finally, we concluded our conference on Thursday with one of our most spectacular events - the 2011 Art & Awards Ceremony.  This year’s exceptional winners did not fail to bring tears to our eyes and smiles to our faces.  They reminded us all of the positive people that contribute to our field and may our work worthwhile.  For those unable to attend, our Mark Elmore Distinguished Leadership Award Winner was Carolyn Risley Hill.  Carolyn is the former CEO of Starkey Inc. and former member of the InterHab Executive Committee.  She retired from Starkey in late July and is honored for her exceptional leadership and contributions to InterHab, to her community and to Kansas as a whole.  Congratulations to Carolyn and all our exceptional winners and artists at this year’s conference.

Thank you to all who participated in the conference, to all who served on the Conference Planning Committee, to all our volunteers who helped the event run smoothly and to our sponsors who made this unforgettable event possible.

Don’t forget to join us again next year at the Hyatt Regency Wichita, October 17^th – 19^th!

(more pictures coming soon!)

Brownback officials: Medicaid managed care contract being drafted

No clear answer yet whether Medicaid reforms will mean rate cuts for providers

By Mike Shields
KHI News Service
Oct. 25, 2011

TOPEKA — Kansas welfare chief Rob Siedlecki told a legislative panel today that his agency has no plans to cut Medicaid provider rates this fiscal year. But he gave no similar assurance for the coming year.

And Dr. Robert Moser, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which oversees the state's Medicaid program, said he couldn't yet rule out provider cuts as a possibility for fiscal 2013, which begins July 1, 2012.

Moser and Siedlecki are members of a work group led by Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer that for the past several months has been crafting a plan to cut the state's Medicaid costs. Officials have said they also want to improve the quality of care for Medicaid patients. Colyer, Siedlecki and others from the administration of Gov. Sam Brownback began the planning process saying they intended to cut Medicaid costs between $200 million and $400 million by fiscal 2013.

But Brownback officials more recently have been backing away from those numbers. And today Moser was questioned directly about the planned reductions by members of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Health Policy Oversight.

'Numbers don't add up'

"I'm having trouble understanding how you take $200 million to $400 million out of the program," said Sen. Laura Kelly, a Topeka Democrat. "The numbers just don't add up."

Most budget analysts say it would be difficult or impossible to reduce the program's costs by that much that quickly without cutting rates paid to doctors and other care providers or without major cuts in services to beneficiaries. Both are options that Brownback officials at various times have said they cannot or do not want to exercise.

Moser told the committee that the administration is looking at shifting more Medicaid patients into managed care programs and that the reform plan also would focus on stronger or "targeted" case management and other methods to bring down costs. But he said it would take time to achieve savings of $200 million or $400 million.

The new approaches, he said, "over the long run will get us to the savings, and that's where that $200 million or $ 400 million maybe comes from. It's not going to be easy. It's not going to happen next year. It's going to take time to develop these programs."

Moser said he could promise there wouldn't be "deep" provider cuts along the lines of a 10 percent reduction recently enacted in California and challenged in federal court. But he said he couldn't rule out the possibility of some cuts to rates.

'Not our first choice'

"Provider rate cuts are not our first choice, and Gov. Brownback has mentioned this over and over and over," Moser said. "But ... I'm going to have to just say I wouldn't take anything off the table, because it may take a combination of things. However, as a provider that's going to be my last recommendation" for achieving the unspecified savings the administration will seek for fiscal 2013.

Moser, a former family practice physician in Tribune, said he was well aware that payment cuts to doctors could drive some of them out of the Medicaid program, making it more difficult for Medicaid beneficiaries to get attention before their problems grew costlier to treat.

"Medicaid reform has never been focused on provider cuts," he said.

Also, in response to questions from legislators, the Cabinet members told the committee members that the administration is in the process of developing a contract that would expand managed care in the Medicaid program.

They said they couldn't share details of that proposal because it was still being drafted.

Possible med school expansion

In other action:

The committee heard an update from Dr. Barbara Atkinson, vice chancellor at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She said KU officials were in the early stages of planning for a possible new building at the medical school campus in Kansas City so that another 50 students could be trained.

"We're really thinking of how we can increase the numbers over the next five years," she said.

The medical school boosted its number of first-year students this year to 191 from 175, includingincreased enrollments at the campus in Wichita and a new one in Salina.

Committee members also heard an update from Kevin Robertson of the Kansas Dental Association. He described various efforts by the association to increase both the overall number of Kansas dentists and the number who will accept Medicaid patients. He said "14 well-placed" dentists could solve most of the problem of limited access to oral health care in the state's rural areas.

Also today, Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican who serves on the oversight committee, announced she would challenge incumbent Sen. Jean Schodorf, another Wichita Republican, in next year's GOP primary.

'Reinvented' Jane Pauley to speak in Topeka

Former 'Today' host talks of life after bipolar disease, show cancellation

Posted: October 9, 2011 - 4:17pm

COURTESY JANE PAULEY COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER

Former "Today" and "Dateline NBC" host Jane Pauley will speak in Topeka on Oct. 18 as the keynote speaker of the three-day "Power Up" convention at the Capitol Plaza Hotel.

HOW TO GET TICKETS
Jane Pauley's keynote address to the three-day "Power Up" convention, scheduled for Oct. 18-21 at Topeka's Capital Plaza Hotel, is open to the public. Convention host Interhab has a website, where $10 tickets can be purchased.

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By Rick Dean 

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Her network TV appearances today are limited to a monthly segment — “Your Life Calling” — on NBC’s “Today” show, which she once hosted daily (with Tom Brokaw and later Bryant Gumbel) for 13 years.

Jane Pauley can’t predict how much longer her work will air on the network that was her professional home from 1976 through 2003. She doesn't know if television is in her future at age 61.

There is one aspect of her life, however, of which Pauley is certain.

“When 'The Today Show' and (sponsor) AARP decide that 'Your Life Calling' has gone about as far as it can, I'll reinvent myself all over again,” Pauley said in a telephone interview. “It may not be easy, but I expect to stay productive and engaged.”

That is the message of her “Your Life Calling” segments, which are aimed at the age 50-plus audience looking for new directions in their lives. It is a message she will bring to Topeka on Oct. 18 as the keynote speaker of the three-day “Power Up” Conference sponsored by Interhab, an association of developmental disability service providers, and Kansas First News.

“I think I have some insight into people successfully reinventing themselves,” said the network personality turned motivational speaker. “What I've found is that people with a history of volunteerism seem to have an easier time when, by choice or necessity, they have to answer the question, 'What do I do next? How do I continue to make a difference?' Volunteering is an outstanding way of developing new skill sets, or figuring out what you want to do next.”

Pauley serves as a template for reinvention, something she had to do after her last prolonged TV assignment, the syndicated “Jane Pauley Show,” was canceled in 2005 after only a year — one of the toughest years of her life.

“My hair was on fire every day that year,” she said. “That I survived is a testimony to resilience. I not only had to rebound from an illness, I had to rebound from a failed talk show.

“Frankly, I didn't handle it all that well. I assumed my television career was over, and I was still in my 50s. It took me three years to fight my way out of that paper bag.”

It was in 2004, a year after her 11-year stint as co-host of “Dateline NBC” ended, that Pauley wrote a book — “Skywriting” — and began the the talk show in which she openly discussed her ongoing battle with bipolar disease, the mental disorder that produces mood swings of tremendous bursts of energy followed by debilitating lows of depression.

“It produces a bungee-cord effect,” Pauley wrote. “From the depths of depression, a person can be flung to the heights of mania and, inevitably, to the depths again “

While Pauley initially viewed her 0-to-60 bursts as creative, productive energy, husband Garry Trudeau — the “Doonesbury” cartoon creator — and NBC colleagues noticed something else happening around 2000. Eventually, even Pauley knew something wrong.

“It seemed harder and harder to prepare for an interview. I either procrastinated or I wasn’t able to concentrate,” she wrote. “On the one hand I was impressed with my new creative energy, but on the other hand I was suspicious that I didn’t have it completely under control.”

With the cancellation of “The Jane Pauley Show” in 2005, Pauley threw herself into volunteer projects and foundations dealing with mental health and children’s issues. Addresses such as the ones she will give Oct. 18 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel’s Sunflower Ballroom are a part of her own personal therapy as well as being informative and inspirational for her audience.

“That was never my motivation,” she said of the benefit she receives from talking about her own situation. “But, there is research showing that giving support is as therapeutic as getting it. To stand at a podium and be applauded is certainly a serotonin booster, but it's also a great responsibility.

“When I come to Topeka, it won't be Jane Pauley talking about the time she was so sick, though I'll reference it as a way of having something in common with the clients Interhab serves.”

Today, Pauley has learned to handle the mood swings that remain a part of her life.

“I'm doing great,” she said. “I don't check my mood state as often as I check my email, but I do have to be aware of it. If I start off going too fast or feeling too good, I take note and back off.”

"Plan considered for downsizing SRS"

"Brownback administration looks at moving major welfare programs to other agencies."

KHI News Article:
By Dave Ranney

KHI News Service
Mike Shields
KHI News Service
Oct. 4, 2011

"TOPEKA — The administration of Gov. Sam Brownback is considering another major reorganization that would move many wide-reaching programs out of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

According to people who work closely with state government and confidential administration sources, the reorganization would move services for the physically and developmentally disabled from SRS to the Kansas Department on Aging, which likely would be renamed.

Mental health and substance abuse programs also would be shifted from SRS, most likely to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, an agency that earlier this year was merged with the Kansas Health Policy Authority, overseer of the state's Medicaid program.

By Dave Ranney

Pedro Moreno

The anticipated changes would leave SRS, which has been downsized several times over the last few years under successive administrations, in charge of protecting abused and neglected children and administering various assistance programs for the poor such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

The reorganization would essentially dismantle the SRS division of Disability and Behavioral Health Services, which currently is managed by Deputy Secretary Pedro Moreno. The division spends about $942 million of the agency's $1.6 billion annual budget.

'Can't speculate'

Administration spokespersons said they wouldn't or couldn't comment about the proposed changes.

"I can’t speculate on the considerations," said Miranda Steele, KDHE communications director. "The administration is still a few weeks out on finalizing and announcing the Medicaid reform plan."

Under the direction of Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, a group of cabinet secretaries for the past several months has been developing a Medicaid makeover plan that is intended to save the state money and improve services for the program's beneficiaries. Apparently, the plan for reorganizing SRS would fit within that broader reform effort. The programs that would be moved under the plan rely heavily on Medicaid dollars.

"Nothing has been finalized regarding the administration’s plan to reform the state’s Medicaid program," said Sherriene Jones-Sontag, the governor's chief spokesperson. "The administration is still a few weeks away from announcing the reform plan."

"I haven't heard anything final," said Sara Arif, communications director for Kansas Department on Aging. "In a lot of the Medicaid forums that were held over the summer, we kept hearing it was somewhat difficult for families to access the system and we kept kind of hearing over and over that it would be nice if we consolidated. But I don't know if anything is happening with it, necessarily."

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SRS FY 2012-2013 Budget

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Nonetheless, some high ranking administration officials have talked privately with various service providers who would be affected by the possible changes at SRS. And administration sources told KHI News Service that the plan was well advanced.

“That’s certainly what the chatter has been coming out of the Statehouse,” said Mike Hammond, executive director at the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas.

“We’ve heard that we might be headed to (Department on) Aging,” said Matt Fletcher, associate director at Interhab, an association representing the state’s home and community based programs for people with developmental disabilities.

'Communication slow or lacking'

Some who have been frustrated by what they consider poor communication with SRS managers said a reorganization along the lines proposed would be an improvement.

"I would have to say we would welcome the opportunity to interact with an agency (KDHE) that’s open and transparent and wants to communicate with vendors and providers," said Sarah Hansen, executive director of the Kansas Association of Addiction Professionals. “We’ve been very impressed in our dealings with KDHE. They’ve gone out of their way to seek stakeholder input and they’ve truly been willing to listen. With SRS, there’s always the opportunity to sit down with the secretary but in the last few months, communication has been slow or lacking.”

The reorganization, should it happen, would be similar to one proposed more than a year ago by Rep. Bob Bethell, an Alden Republican. Bethell chairs the House Committee on Aging and Long-term Care.

'Room for increased efficiency'

“It would eliminate a lot of the silos that are prominent in the system we have now and it would give us the opportunity to better coordinate the services that we offer now,” Bethell said. “The way it is now, we can have people whose disabilities are very similar receiving different levels of services because they’re in the PD (physical disability) silo, the DD (developmental disability) silo, or the FE (frail elderly) silo.

“Let’s put it this way, there’s room for some increased efficiency,” he said.

Bethell also serves on the Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services.

Legislators have long complained that SRS, one of the largest bureaucracies in state government, is unwieldy, inefficient, and resistant to reform.

Lawmakers in 1996 voted to privatize most of the department’s services for foster children. In 1997, oversight of youth detention centers was moved from SRS to the then-new Juvenile Justice Authority. In 2005, lawmakers moved the processing of Medicaid payments to doctors, hospitals and other medical providers from SRS to the Kansas Health Policy Authority, which following a fresh reorganization in July this year became the Division of Health Care Finance at KDHE.

The health policy authority also assumed from SRS the administration of HealthWave, the state’s health insurance program for children in low- and modest-income families.

Despite agency reductions that started in earnest under the administration of Gov. Bill Graves, SRS still has almost 5,500 employees, down from its peak of more than 11,000. About one-third of the remaining SRS workers are employed at the five state hospitals for people with severe mental illness or developmental disabilities.

Sources said they weren't sure whether SRS would remain in charge of the state hospitals if and when the reorganization happens.

SRS' proposed budget for fiscal years 2012-2013, does not reflect the changes being considered.

The proposed budgets for KDHE and KDoA have not yet been made public."

The KHI News Service is an editorially-independent program of the Kansas Health Institute and is committed to timely, objective and in-depth coverage of health issues and the policy making environment.