Business View Magazine
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ther supportive or oppositional to the Louisiana nursing
facilities’ profession, and try to convince legislators that
our position is the correct one,” Donchess adds.
Exclusive LNHA educational programs for members
are second to none. In fact, some have been recog-
nized by the state agency as “program of choice” for
certain disciplines. These include:
• Resident Activity Director – certification workshops
held twice per year
• Social Services Director – certification workshops at
least once per year
• MDS (Minimum Data Set) – key process for determin-
ing needs of new admission individuals; taught by educa-
tors who train the state surveyors
• Director of Nursing Boot Camp – held once per year;
baseline lesson for newcomers, refresher course for sea-
soned professionals
LNHA’s revenue comes primarily frommembership dues,
but the Associa-
tion also offers ad-
ditional programs
that benefit both
the
association
coffers and indi-
vidual members.
The Workers’ Com-
pensation Program
is a self-insurance
program
started
in 1989, when the
price of regular in-
surance was going through the roof and many insurers
were leaving Louisiana.
Donchess says, “We are now one of six homogeneous
self-insurance funds in the state, and we offer work-
ers’ compensation coverage to any member facility that
wants to join. We also have a Trust Program for medical
malpractice and general liability insurance that started
around 2003. All members of LNHA are eligible to partici-
pate, and they pay premiums to take part.”
According to Donchess, 60 to 70 percent of members
take part in both the Self-Insurance and Trust Programs.
“These are benefits that many associations don’t offer;
they create a higher benefit level for our members and
have worked out quite well for us,” he notes.
LNHA started a Service Corporation in 1996 in order to
offer another benefit to its members. Because other
group purchasing programs were charging monthly fees
to facilities, LNHA leadership believed a better mouse-
trap could be built. Now, LNHA Service Corporation is the
statewide leader in offering food and equipment services
to the members of LNHA.
“One of the great changes we’re going through now is
positioning ourselves to care for people coming out of
