The Cedars is proud to announce that John Watson, Chief Financial Officer at The Cedars, has been elected to receive the Outstanding Advocacy Award from LeadingAge, a national association representing 6,000 non-profit aging-services organizations throughout the United States. The award honors John Watson as a tireless advocate at the State level for educating legislators, executive branch officials, and fellow nursing facility administrators regarding Maine’s current system of reimbursing nursing homes. Through his governor-appointed position on the Commission to Study Long Term Care, John worked with State Representatives to introduce a bill for a more equitable allocation system for care provided in nursing homes. In doing so, John was integral in reforming Maine Medicaid’s system of nursing home reimbursement and thereby assuring continued access to care for Maine’s oldest and frailest....
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Advocacy, Featured.
Tune into the WHCoA live broadcast today from 10AM to 5PM to find out about important issues involving seniors in our nation. Topics covered include caregiving, financial security, healthy aging, intergenerational connections and more. President Barack Obama will deliver his remarks at 11:15 AM. The Cedars’ CEO and President, Kathy Callnan received the invitation from U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree’s office to join the regional Boston forum of the WHCoA in May to offer her expertise on vital topics that are increasingly effecting our aging population. “As the number of older American’s is growing, and with Maine being the oldest state, policy makers, service providers and the medical community need to come together to address key issues such as healthy aging, access to long term care services, and aging with dignity,” Callnan shared. The Cedars is no stranger to advocacy. With a frequent presence in Augusta, and participation in various Washington...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Advocacy, Featured.
JOHN WATSON, Chief Financial Officer at The Cedars, received a special Advocacy Award from Leading Age on April 14 for his work on Maine’s Commission to Study Long Term Care (LTC) Facilities. John has been a leader in the statewide movement to change the ways our state pays for nursing home care for years, and his distinguished service on the Commission reflects his commitment to good finance—and fairness. “The Commission found Maine underfunds nursing homes by $40 million dollars each year, ” John says. “This forces nursing homes to carve out funds from Medicare or private pay to provide acceptable care for their residents. If they can’t, they close.” These closures disproportionately affect Maine’s rural communities—and leave seniors in those communities without options. Maine’s strict medical eligibility requirements restrict access to home nursing, leaving seniors and their families to shoulder the burdens of aging in place. “The State of...
The Cedars is proud to announce that John Watson, Chief Financial Officer at The Cedars, has been elected to receive the Outstanding Advocacy Award from LeadingAge, a national association representing 6,000 non-profit aging-services organizations throughout the United States. The award honors John Watson as a tireless advocate at the State level for educating legislators, executive branch officials, and fellow nursing facility administrators regarding Maine’s current system of reimbursing nursing homes. Through his governor-appointed position on the Commission to Study Long Term Care, John worked with State Representatives to introduce a bill for a more equitable allocation system for care provided in nursing homes. In doing so, John was integral in reforming Maine Medicaid’s system of nursing home reimbursement and thereby assuring continued access to care for Maine’s oldest and frailest....