Wichita Community Matters January 2015

Commun ty Matters Wichita Presbyterian Manor

January 2015

HIPAA 101 A simple question doesn’t always have a simple answer. “Why did my friend go to the hospital?” seems to be a simple question, but the answer is blocked by a federal law.

While most think of the law as the protector of medical records, privacy isn’t even in its name.

We call it HIPAA (pronounced HIP-pah), but the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 also has been known as the Kassebaum-Kennedy Act or Kennedy-Kassebaum Act. Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, R-Kan., was a leading sponsor of the bill, along with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

The official explanation is: “An Act To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote the use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care services and coverage, to simplify the administration of health insurance, and for other purposes.”

The main intent was that the health industry would save money by computerizing paper records. That led to concerns over privacy, which led to new privacy regulations.

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From left, Feliciano Martinez, maintenance technician and local pastor, helps Gabriel Espinoza, another local pastor, move chapel pews to their new homes.

Made new

Items from old campus chapel go to Wichita churches As the walls of the old Wichita Presbyterian Manor structures begin to come down, some furnishings and fixtures are finding new life at other Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America communities. Other items will remain nearby in the sanctuaries of two local Hispanic churches – one of which is pastored by one of our maintenance technicians.

Feliciano Martinez, a maintenance technician at Wichita Presbyterian Manor, has been pastor of Iglesia Cristiana Monte Calvario in southwest Wichita for about four years. The church was founded 14 years ago and has about 60 members.

This fall, as health care and assisted living residents moved into their new neighborhood buildings, which include a new chapel, Martinez asked Chaplain Greg Schmidt if the old chapel furnishings might be available.

His church didn’t need pews, but he knew another that did. Schmidt was thrilled to help. “I told him, I am so glad you asked that question,” Schmidt said.

CAMPUS, continued on page 5

HIPPA, continued from page 1

Protected Health Information

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Community Matters

is published monthly for residents and friends of Wichita Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.

Dawn Veh, executive director Amy Watson, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Mary Angela Page, activities director, mpage@pmma.org.

Telephone: 316-942-7456 Fax: 316-941-3806 Address: 4700 W. 13th St., Wichita, KS 67212-5575 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

WichitaPresbyterianManor.org

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Protected Health Information, called PHI, is any information about a person’s health status, any health services provided to the person and any payment specifics about those services. Details of your medical record may not be shared without your consent. That’s one reason there are so many forms to sign at the doctor’s office; they must have your consent to process your visit for billing, insurance purposes, etc.

That is also why it is so difficult to obtain information about friends in the hospital. It is subject to strict HIPAA regulations. Violations result in expensive fines, and health care workers are required to receive training on how to keep all medical information safe.

Some key privacy points: • When your health information is shared, only the minimum necessary should be disclosed.

• Health information is to be used only for health purposes. Without your consent, it can’t be used to help banks decide whether to give you a loan or by potential employers to decide whether to give you a job.

• If someone wants to share your health information, you have to give your formal consent.

• You can ask for copies of all this information and make appropriate changes to it.You also can ask for a history of any unusual disclosures.

• Your health care provider and insurance company must explain how they’ll use and disclose health information. (Information from WebMD.)

Retirement community regulations Retirement communities that provide state-licensed services, such as assisted living and health care, must abide by the strict privacy regulations. Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America employees receive training and updates regularly.

Vendors also are trained to ensure resident privacy is maintained.

PMMA employees know they are not to chat about residents in the hallways – or anywhere – because that violates their privacy protections. The privacy laws are why health care staff can’t talk to other residents about the people in their care. It’s not that they are being unhelpful or that they don’t care about your feelings. They are required to keep the information confidential.

Another key component of the privacy rules that affect health care residents is that the “information” may not be linked to an individual.

In the rules, “information” includes photos of faces. That’s why we ask residents to sign consent forms when we take pictures for our newsletters, web sites and other marketing purposes.

Family concerns Information from AARP explains that health care staff can discuss conditions and treatments with family members, but you must give written permission for your loved ones to see your official medical records. Older adults may have their adult children sign a letter or form designating them as a personal representative. This will give the health care providers the coverage they require to avoid HIPAA violations, according to AARP.

Scenes from moving day Clockwise from top left: Movers carry furniture into the new Memory Care neighborhood. An Art is AgelessÂŽ calendar and a tape measure greeted residents in their new homes.

Pat Barnes and Chaplain Greg Schmidt consult during move-in. Staff in the new assisted living neighborhood unpack charts and medicines. Movers bring furniture through the front doors. Assisted living staff unpack the nurses’ station.

A family member brings in a load of belongings.

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Holiday Bazaar

Clockwise from top: Visitors sign in at the Holiday Bazaar and Open House. Santa and Mrs. Claus visit during the Open House. Visitors check out the vendor displays. Residents sell crafts.

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PMMA’s focus turns to the future in the 1990s This month, we continue to look back at our history as Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America celebrates 65 years of the art of life.

In 1990, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America moved into a new corporate office building in northeast Wichita, and Manor of the Plains in Dodge City opened.

was donated by American States Insurance Company. Construction began in December 1992. Jane O’Bryan was named the first administrator.

That year, the “Tradition of Caring” capital campaign also kicked off with a goal of $6.4 million. The first leg of the campaign was conducted in Emporia, where $600,000 was raised. Each campus had its own campaign to raise funds toward the $6.4 million goal. The campaigns raised funds to meet current Good Samaritan Program needs and provide a future endowment for Good Samaritan needs, assist in covering debt service and provide capital improvements at PMMA campuses.

Also in 1992, four Presbyterian Manor campuses—Wichita, Newton, Salina and Lawrence—received recognitions from the Kansas Association of Homes for the Aging.

Wichita Presbyterian Manor won the Excellence in Service and the Recognition awards.

The service award recognized Wichita’s ethics committee, which led to the campus working to become “restraint free” before the movement became popular around the country. Lawrence and Salina also received recognition awards, which signify high marks in the Department of Health and Environment’s annual survey of Kansas nursing facilities. Newton received the Innovation of the Year Award for the Apple-A-Day preschool, which opened in January 1992.

Local volunteers in Fort Scott, Kansas, led efforts to raise funds for a new retirement complex.

The “Time to Secure the Future” campaign set out to raise $500,000 in base contributions toward the construction of a 40-unit residential complex in Fort Scott. The land

In July 1993, Dr. Mary Carman

CAMPUS, continued from page 1

PMMA Chief Operating Officer Doug Yoder and Regional Operations Director Bill Taylor quickly approved Martinez’s request. “They were 100 percent immediately on board that we just give them to him,” Schmidt said. “To be able to give these things to another church was incredible.”

The old chapel’s organ has a new home at Monte Calvario, along with a table, some chairs and a mirror.

And nearly two dozen pews are now in place at La

A rendering of PMMA’s Fort Scott campus before construction began in 1992.

A 1992 groundbreaking ceremony for Fort Scott Presbyterian Village.

became chairperson of the PMMA board of trustees. Carman, who served on the advisory council at Newton in the 1980s, was a professional psychologist on staff at Prairie View. She was instrumental in the creation of one of the first special care units for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia at the Newton Presbyterian Manor campus.

Vina Christian church. Pastor Gabriel Espinoza of La Vina also took the chapel’s accordion divider to create a separate room for his church’s children’s ministry.

Martinez has worked full time at Wichita Presbyterian Manor for three years and still finds time to serve as the church’s only pastor. He and his wife, Margarita, have five children ranging from fifth grade to college age.

“We help the community by having our doors open to heal their souls and heal their hearts,” Martinez said.

“We’re their spiritual hospital. That’s what a church is.”

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Wichita Presbyterian Manor 4700 W. 13th St. Wichita, KS 67212-5575 Return Service Requested

Wichita Presbyterian Manor calls for Art is Ageless® entries Wichita Presbyterian Manor has issued a call for entries for the Art is Ageless® juried exhibit to be held March 9 to 19, 2015. Entries of artistic works will be accepted from any area artist who is 65 years of age or older to exhibit and/or compete for an opportunity to be featured in the 2016 Art is Ageless calendar.

The Art is Ageless® Program encourages Wichita Presbyterian Manor residents and other area seniors to express their creativity through its annual competition, as well as art classes, musical and dramatic events, educational opportunities and current events discussions throughout the year.

Having a creative outlet benefits the mind, body and spirit.

“The exhibit and competition always draw a wide array of impressive artwork from talented seniors,” said Amy Watson, marketing director. “We’re expecting this to be 6

another great year for creativity and variety of works on exhibit.”

Local competition winners will join winners 17 other Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America communities to be judged at the systemwide level.

Entry forms and information can be picked up at Wichita Presbyterian Manor, 4700 W 13th Street, or by contacting Watson at 316-9427456 or awatson@pmma.org.

Or go online to ArtIsAgeless.org to view rules, download an entry form or enter online.

Artists may choose to enter the exhibit only. For the competition, works are to have been completed in the past five years (since January 2010). There are nine categories, as well as designations of amateur or professional. Works to be entered for judging need to be at Presbyterian Manor by March 6, 2015.