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new conference geared to senior decision makers in long-term care, the first annual Symposium on Regulatory Issues for Management in Long-Term Care (SORIM LTC), will take place April 28–29, 2006, at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel in San Antonio, Tex. The meeting will be the first to bring attendees together with state and federal officials from the agencies whose regulations directly impact the success or failure of facilities in long-term care, says Courtney H. Lyder, ND, GNP, FAAN, the University of Virginia Medical Center Professor of Nursing and Chairman of the Department of Acute and Specialty Care. Dr. Lyder, the SORIM LTC conference chairman, recently spoke with ECPN about the aims of the conference. The highlights of that conversation follow.

ECPN: Who do you see as the primary audience for the conference?
Dr. Lyder: This conference will be designed for the senior decision makers of long-term care—directors of nursing, executive management, administrators, owners, and the medical director. Its aim is to keep these decision makers abreast of all the new and forthcoming federal and state regulations that will directly impact the healthcare services delivered to extended care residents. These include recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) initiatives, such as the survey guidance on pressure ulcer care (Federal Tag 314) and incontinence and urinary catheters (Federal Tag 315) as well as forthcoming CMS guidance relating to the medical director, facility accidents, and medication use, among others.
       Given the increasing regulatory environment we have seen lately and will continue to see, it is critical for management to remain vigilant and proactive with these changes. When management does not remain adaptive to these regulatory changes, it can often lead to citations, civil money penalties, and even litigation. Our conference will provide management with background and details of new federal regulations that will directly impact the delivery of services in long-term care. Moreover, we will provide management with insights to new and forthcoming initiatives from CMS.

ECPN: Who will speak at the conference?
Dr. Lyder: The speakers for this dynamic and interactive conference will include senior federal and state officers who develop, enforce, and litigate based on long-term care regulations. That makes this the first conference bringing together federal and state officials on the same playing field as the participants, the decision makers in long-term care. In talking to the advisory board of the conference, I found that no one had ever heard of a conference where most if not all of the presenters were federal and state officials.

ECPN: What other types of topics will be discussed?
Dr. Lyder: Specific foci will include mastering the survey process, learning the perspectives of federal attorneys on litigation in long-term care, using state quality improvement organizations to effect change, and strategically maximizing reimbursements. We will also learn from skilled nursing facilities how they turned challenging situations into triumphs. Finally, a series of workshops on a variety of topics germane to management will be offered.

ECPN: What sets this conference apart from others in the long-term care industry?
Dr. Lyder: We realize that there are numerous conferences in long-term care. However, no long-term care conference brings together the decision makers from long-term care and federal and state governments. We will provide attendees with insights into the federal and state regulations that directly impact the success or failure of their businesses in providing quality long-term care services. There is much to learn from each other.
We saw a need for this type of conference, heavy on experts from federal and state regulatory bodies, in the long-term care industry—particularly at a time when we are seeing so many new and forthcoming regulatory developments.

ECPN: What will attendees gain from attending the conference?
Dr. Lyder: By the end of the conference, attendees will be able to articulate new and revised federal regulations, or F Tags, that greatly affect long-term care. They will be able to identify new initiatives from CMS that directly impact long-term care as well as identify the federal and state agencies that can help to improve the delivery of health services in long-term care. They will also learn how to maximize reimbursement. Lastly, they will have an invaluable and rare opportunity to network with the conference’s distinguished faculty—the officials who guide and shape these crucial regulatory processes.

Editor’s note: For more information on the SORIM LTC conference, call Kristi Shelly at 800-237-7285, extension 203, or visit http://www.SORIMLTC.com.