Workforce issues, pandemic relief funding and vaccine access are priorities for new NCAL executive director

National Center for Assisted Living Executive Director LaShuan Bethea.

If you’re having trouble finding the new executive director of the National Center for Assisted Living, LaShuan Bethea, at NCAL Day on Sunday or at the American Health Care Association / NCAL Convention & Expo Monday through Wednesday, look for a notebook.

“I’m going to be walking around with my notebook so that I can write down all the things that people will be saying to me so that I can follow up,” she told McKnight’s Senior Living. The gatherings, Bethea said, will be “where all the innovation is, and I absolutely plan to take advantage of that.”

Bethea was announced as NCAL’s next executive director in July and in September succeeded Scott Tittle, who departed to go to VIUM Capital as a managing director and the national lender’s first head of government relations and external affairs. But she is no stranger to long-term care or to NCAL.

With more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, Bethea joined NCAL from Genesis HealthCare, which has more than two dozen locations offering assisted living and several locations offering independent living or memory care among its almost 400 long-term care locations. There for 14 years, Bethea most recently was vice president of legislative affairs and reimbursement.

“I have been a member of AHCA/NCAL for quite some time and have participated in many of the committees within AHCA/NCAL,” she said. “They play a very important role in advocating for residents and individuals that choose to call skilled nursing and/or assisted living facilities and communities their home. I was very excited to be a part of those advocacy efforts because senior care, assisted living, skilled nursing, are very, very important to me.”

Now as she helms NCAL, a top priority will be helping members address their workforce challenges, Bethea said.

In a recent AHCA/NCAL survey, 61% of assisted living operators said they fear that such issues will force them to close. Eighty-two percent said they are experiencing moderate (52%) to high (30%) level staffing shortages. Sixty-six percent reported having a “very difficult” time, and an additional 34% saying they are having a “somewhat difficult” time, hiring new staff members.

“In talking to members recently, I’m hearing that some have referrals that they can’t accept, because they don’t have sufficient workforce. Ultimately, that creates an access issue for individuals who want to call an assisted living setting their home,” she said. “That obviously raises a lot of concern around access to those individuals that we want to be able to provide services to.”

Regarding policy, Bethea said, the Care for Our Seniors Act, a $15 billion reform agenda proposed by AHCA and LeadingAge, “absolutely would do the right thing for the entire long-term care workforce,” even though it is focused on nursing homes.

“It basically is a multi-tiered approach that helps recruit and retain more caregivers by providing assistance through affordable housing, childcare, tax credits and loan forgiveness for new graduates who want to work in a long-term care setting,” she said. “Working on initiatives or getting lawmakers to introduce bills like the Care for Our Seniors Act is something that could be done. Our members are excited about those types of initiatives and want NCAL to continue to pursue those types of initiatives, both at the federal level as well as the state level, to let our legislators know, ‘There is something that you can do to help us with our workforce challenge,’ which in turn would help us with our census in some parts of the country.”

Federal Phase 4 Provider Relief Fund monies could help with workforce issues as well, Bethea said. The application portal is now open.

“Our members absolutely need access to that funding. Part of what that funding will do is, it will allow members to be able to pay competitive wages to help offset some of the issues that they’re dealing with as it relates to workforce, as well as cover some of the costs of things like PPE,” she said. “So we’re grateful that the Provider Relief Fund application period is open.”

Access to COVID vaccines also is a big issue for NCAL members and a focus for the association, Bethea said.

“Around vaccines and, in particular, the booster shots, we’re working with assisted living providers to make sure that they have relationships with long-term care pharmacies or vaccine providers that can come in and give new staff and new residents and individuals that come into assisted living their vaccines and booster shots,” she said. “However, in some areas, there may be assisted living providers that don’t have those relationships. And that’s where we’ll communicate with both the federal government as well as the states to work with those assisted living providers, to make sure that there are adequate resources available.”

Now, as NCAL Day and the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo approach, Bethea said she is looking forward to an “absolutely amazing” experience.

“After the last two years of working primarily remotely, I honestly can say that I don’t think anything compares to being face-to-face in a room with people who are as passionate about long-term care and senior care as you are,” she said.

“Traditionally, I’d probably blend in with the crowd, and this time I don’t expect to blend in with the crowd as much,” Bethea added. If she does blend in, however, just look for the notebook.