Here we go, Here we go!

“Commitment is what transforms promise into reality” – Abraham Lincoln

The month of February marks the beginning of the second month of the 85th Legislature. Most committees in the House and Senate have yet to meet and the only bills that can be heard at this stage are emergency items. Thus, there is a lot of “hurry up and wait” activity. We’re taking this opportunity to meet with legislators and their staff on the unsustainable nature of current funding levels and the need to support our long term solutions.  The House Appropriations committee will start meeting next week so we will begin to see the pace of action start to pick up quickly.  We continue to work with our bill sponsors and we’ll let you know when bills are filed as well as other important updates.

And remember:  we need EVERYONE to take time to come to the Capitol this legislative session and be heard.

I also want to say thank you for your commitment to care and the efforts that you all are making to reduce the use unnecessary use of anti-psychotics. The most recently released data indicates a 37.4% reduction in Texas, moving us down to 41st nationally.  We continue to receive requests for assistance and additional information for further reduction, illustrating the focus and commitment to continuous improvement being demonstrated by the results we’re seeing.  As we anticipate additional legislative efforts to further expand regulatory reach, there’s no better time than now to work collectively and demonstrate our commitment to the frail elderly, through actions and outcomes, to our communities, legislators and the media.

As always, thank you for what you do and the compassion you bring to your communities you serve on a daily basis. Strive to be better than yesterday, and remain committed to providing the best for your residents, families and staff.

 

Onward and Upward