The Nebraska Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee welcomed two new members and received updates on quality improvement efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Disability and Aging. Officials reported improvements in several quality measures, including fewer cases involving quality-of-care concerns and increased review of incident reports. Committee members raised questions about preventable deaths, staffing shortages and provider training. Members also heard from a western Nebraska parent who described the challenges of traveling long distances for specialized care and approved sending an additional representative to a Medicaid Advisory Committee subcommittee to help address medical access concerns.
The committee also continued discussions about the interRAI assessment system used to determine services for people with developmental disabilities. DHHS Director Tony Green announced that the state plans to hire a contractor to review and customize the assessment tool for Nebraska while incorporating feedback from families and stakeholders. Later in the meeting, members discussed the upcoming renewal of several Medicaid waivers, the potential impact of statewide budget reductions and approved sending a letter to Gov. Jim Pillen expressing concern about possible cuts to disability services and advisory committees.
Meeting documented by Journey McManus
Read full meeting notes here
