On Wednesday, December 13, WHCA/WiCAL’s Board of Directors held its final in-person meeting of 2023.

The WHCA/WiCAL Board was pleased to be joined by new AHCA Board President, Phil Scalo, as well as new AHCA Board member, Tina Thomas.

Scalo is the founder and Chairman of Bartley Healthcare, a senior care company located in Jackson, New Jersey. Scalo has led Bartley since its inception in 1984. WHCA/WiCAL CEO Rick Abrams has been a friend and colleague of Phil’s for more than 30 years, when Rick was first the lobbyist and then CEO of the New Jersey Association of Health Care Facility (now Health Care Association of New Jersey).

Thomas represents Mission Health Communities, and serves on the AHCA Board as the Regional Multifacility Representative. WHCA/WiCAL was proud to nominate Tina for the Board seat.

During the Board meeting, Scalo and Thomas discussed the current status of CMS’s proposed minimum staffing requirement, including AHCA’s current outreach strategy to CMS and members of Congress. They also discussed the future of the national association and the sector.

Along with the remarks from Scalo and Thomas, WHCA/WiCAL staff briefed Board members on many important issues, including nursing home reimbursement rates; advocacy surrounding HCBS funding and complex patient care funding; recent progress in approving more mid-career educational opportunities for LTC staff interested in pursuing their NHA license; efforts to address regulatory/survey concerns; and updates on the WisCaregiver Careers program.

WHCA/WiCAL thanks member North Shore Healthcare for providing meeting space and refreshments at their Milwaukee headquarters.