CHHS News

WKU students, faculty attend KAHCF Quality Summit

Date: Friday, May 30th, 2014

Students pursuing the Long-Term Care Administration (LTCA) Certificate and WKU faculty members in Health Care Administration and the School of Nursing were invited to attend the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities (KAHCF) Quality Summit in Bowling Green.

WKU students who attended the KAHCF Quality Summit included (from left) Madison Shirley, Brent Stephens and Parker Kuhn.

“KAHCF was excited and honored to host these future long term care leaders at our Quality Summit,” said Steve McClain, KAHCF Director of Communications and Membership Development. “This was a great opportunity for them to hear from a national leader on the future of long term care and the continued focus on quality as we go into the future. We look forward to continued efforts with WKU and its students to prepare for our future.”

The KAHCF Quality Summit offered educational sessions focusing on quality improvement, compliance and best practices in long term care. The agenda was condensed this year to also allow more time to network with peers and interact with vendor sponsors.

“The KAHCF conference was a great way to step outside the classroom and learn about my future career,” said HCA sophomore Madison Shirley of Winchester. “It was exciting for me to hear concepts I have learned in previous HCA classes being applied in real life discussions. I am really looking forward to attending the KAHCF conference again one day as a Health Care Administrator.”

HCA sophomore Parker Kuhn of Lexington said the conference was a good experience. “I had a great time at the KAHCF conference,” Kuhn said. “There were many people there who have been in the field for many years and talking to them was enjoyable and exciting. Though I am still two years from graduating, I’m excited to get more involved in the healthcare field.”

Both Kuhn and HCA sophomore Brent Stephens of Winchester found the time with vendors to be especially beneficial as they were repeatedly asked about their summer fundraising event. Kuhn and Stephens are two of 12 WKU fraternity members who will be participating in the third “Bike4Alz,” a cross country bike ride beginning May 24 in Oceanside, Calif., and ending July 18 in Washington, D.C. The goal of this event is to raise $100,000 for Alzheimer’s awareness and research. Vendors were eager to hear more about the ride and, in some instances, offered support of the event.

“The conference was very energizing for me to see so many healthcare professionals in the field gathered together and talking about how they can improve the delivery of care. It really made me excited to join the field after I graduate,” Stephens said.

In the opening session, ACHA President Mark Parkinson, a former Kansas governor, discussed opportunities and challenges before the long term care and post-acute care profession. He described the coming years and for decades to come, skilled nursing centers and assisted living communities have the ability to demonstrate the value and quality of care the sector provides to millions of Americans.

As the School of Nursing continues to explore offerings in long term care, Associate Professor and RN to BSN Coordinator Dr. Cathy Abell also attended the conference. “I was pleased to have the opportunity to attend the Quality Summit,” she said. “I was able to participate in educational sessions that provided up-to-date information about providing quality care for residents in nursing facilities. It was also an excellent opportunity to network with leaders in long term care.”

For information about the Department of Public Health’s Long Term Care Certificate Program, visit www.wku.edu/publichealth or contact Melanie Eaton at melanie.eaton@wku.edu
For information about the School of Nursing, visit www.wku.edu/nursing
For information about KAHCF, visit www.kahcf.org

Contact: Melanie Eaton, (270) 745-5854.

KAHCF