Workforce development dominated the conversation during the American College of Health Care Administrators’ annual meeting Monday in Louisville, with many administrators pondering how to best find and keep qualified employees.

Worker shortages are causing more providers to close units and halt new admissions, noted keynote speaker Susan Misiorski, who presented “Creating a Culture of Retention: Getting to the Roots of the Workforce Shortage.”

One administrator told McKnight’s that they had found their nursing home and others in the area were repeatedly receiving the same applicants. That’s a common story, with Misiorski pushing new strategies that include examining who is being targeted to fill open positions.

This isn’t only finding younger workers and creating a “youth friendly” environment, but re-examining who feels welcome in long-term care jobs, she explained.

“We need to recruit men to the caregiving workforce,” Misiorski said, noting that while 40% of family caregivers are men, they are just 14% of the direct care workforce. Additionally, older workers are a place to possibly recruit, as 79% of older workers planning to get a job after they retire.

When employees start, a “person-centered welcome” is needed, Misiorski said, which can include a welcome letter, a small gift such as a company-branded water bottle and an invitation to dine with residents.

Administrators can no longer say that they’ll do everything themselves, said Susan Gilster, Ph.D., who presented on quality, compliance and satisfaction in workforce retention.

“You cannot do it all, and nor can your leadership team,” she noted.

There has to be an organizational strategy around retention, she noted. Start by examining the turnover rate, and ask how people are treated when they enter a facility.

In addition to the challenge of workforce development, administrators also are preparing for Phase 3 changes and the Patient-Driven Payment Model. When it comes to the MDS, expert Leah Klusch, RN, BSN, walked a packed group of attendees through certain red flags.

For example, pay attention to F-641, the accuracy of assessments, she said, and F-642 Procedures and Problems 483.20(h)-(J). This tackles how the MDS is the clinical basis for care planning and delivery, and how certain reporting practices that reflect a higher RUG score or unflagging quality measures may reflect a pattern.

When patterns are noticed they should be reported by the state agency to the regional office and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the guidelines states.

“Are you active with audits?” Klusch asked. “When you do those audits, document them – that’s part of compliance.” Providers can hear more from Klusch by attending her session at the McKnight’s Online Expo next week.

All told, ACHCA convocation has come roaring back, said President and CEO Bill McGinley.  The number of speaker applications doubled, and the exhibit hall sold out, with 71 exhibitors. Roughly 300 attendees joined the convocation in Louisville, which continues through Wednesday. McGinley estimates the organization has gained around 400 members over the past year, in part due to a robust social media strategy.

“We’re going to just keep trying to grow membership,” he told McKnight’s. “Our mentorship program is booming, with 34 paired mentors. We’re excited about being able to offer that to young people and to offer that to people in the college.”