More than a piece of paper: How advanced credentials are transforming skilled nursing therapy

The medical complexity driving significant change in skilled nursing care approaches doesn’t stop at the door to therapy. With demand for speech-language pathology greater than ever, one North Carolina-based provider organization is looking to expand its therapists’ knowledge and encourage the use of advanced staff training to help patients regain function. Michele Hass, regional therapy consultant for Principle LTC, recently became one of the first SLPs in the nation to earn a dysphagia certification from Accelerated Care Plus. The highly specialized credential focuses on swallowing disorders, aspiration prevention and patient safety — and Haas plans to use what she’s learned to encourage others to use the techniques she picked up and pursue their own advanced credentials. ”These certifications, they're more than just a piece of paper,” Haas tells McKnight’s Long-Term Care News in this episode. “I think they represent a commitment to patient care and staying engaged in the profession.” Principle wants to leverage Haas’ interest in the ACP training — focused on advanced biofeedback technology— to enhance care capabilities across its regional footprint. It’s just one way the operator of 38 facilities is responding to the clinical shift from compensatory care to modern rehabilitation, according to DeLaine Rice-White, Principle’s senior vice president of therapy services. She emphasized that supporting advanced credentials can dramatically boost employee satisfaction and stabilize staffing levels, protecting facilities from the steep costs of turnover. Professional development, she added, is essential measure to protect against clinical stagnation. "If we don't do this, and we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we always got,” she tells McKnight’s Senior Editor Kimberly Marselas. “Our outcomes will not keep pace with the evolution of science and innovation if we go down that road." Listen to the full episode to learn more about ACP’s approach to dysphagia care and why Principle views certifications and other training opportunities as critical investments for skilled nursing providers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.