2011 Newsletter

SAAS News - 12.22.11


I am glad we have a season that reminds me to pause and appreciate who you are, what you do, and how you support us and our mission. From all of us here at SAAS we wish for you an opportunity to pause and appreciate those who are important in your life and hope that it brings peace, joy, and energy to tackle 2012! 

SAAS News - 11.21.11


In the midst of so much change and uncertainty, it's nice to have specific reason to pause.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  What can be better than a "forced break" providing a reason to reflect, no hustle, no bustle, just a great meal with family and friends.

 

Most importantly it reminds me to thank you for what you do.  No matter what your role in this important line of work, you make a difference to the individuals, families, and communities that you serve.    

SAAS News - 10.13.11

When I was in Minnesota last month presenting at the MAARCH conference, I reminded the audience that this is the 20th anniversary of what's been called the greatest World Series ever. If you're not a baseball fan (particularly not the Braves or the Twins), this might not jog your memory. However, it's a wonderful story of two teams who went from "worst to first" and ended up in the "Big Dance." There was talk that the trophy should have been split as each team won at home (a first) and several games went down to the 9th inning. If you want to learn more about this historic World Series you can check out http://mlb.mlb.com/min/fan_forum/1991.jsp.

SAAS News - 9.9.11

September has always been my favorite month. Our field is often plagued with misinformation, stigma, and sad stories, but this is our month to celebrate. National Recovery Month kicked off with a press conference on September 8 at the National Press Club, where SAMHSA released key findings from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

SAAS News - 8.2.2011


Language Matters. We hear this phrase often, usually when we are expressing our frustrations about someone else's choice of words, how words perpetuate the stigma that pervades our field, and the impact on the the ability of our patients to seek and access treatment services.

SAAS News - 6.24.11

The State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) and Qualifacts Systems, Inc., are pleased to announce they have entered into an exclusive partnership to offer Qualifacts' Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) electronic health record to the SAAS member agencies. This partnership will provide members the opportunity to pursue proven EHR technology in order to take advantage of Meaningful Use incentives and comply with health information technology initiatives.

"We evaluated many EHR vendors in the industry and felt Qualifacts' tremendous growth, leadership and culture were a clear fit for our members," says Becky Vaughn, CEO of SAAS. "Moreover, their SaaS model gives our members the most flexibility in this period of rapid change."

News Updates - 5.20.11

SAAS is continuously working to provide agencies with the tools and resources necessary to transform business practices and procedures to meet the requirements of the new health reform environment. As a part of this effort, we are asking that providers again take a moment and participate in a provider survey. We updated the survey used last year to include many of the business practices that have been identified as necessary for taking advantage of opportunities available as a result of parity and other reforms.  Participation in this survey is very important as we identify areas for technical assistance. Last year we found that for many agencies, simply responding to the questions in the survey was beneficial and served as a brief assessment of agency readiness for transformation. As an added benefit of completing the survey, agencies can receive an individualized report based on their responses to the questions.

News Updates - 4.21.11

Essential Learning, a SAAS partner, recently released a white paper titled "Comparing E-Learning, Tele-Classes, and Live Trainings: An analysis of cost and training effectiveness" analyzing various learning modalities now available to providers. At a time when the behavioral healthcare system is facing unprecedented change as a result of healthcare reform, providers will be expected to meet increasing service delivery standards as a condition of partnership with third-party payer organizations and integration with the primary healthcare arena. As a result, education standards and demands for staff training will also increase.

News from SAAS - 3.23.11

Dear SAAS Member:  

Today marks the first anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. We have many accomplishments to celebrate in such a relatively short period of time. Over the last year:

  • Pre-existing condition insurance exclusions have been eliminated by the ACA for children up to age 19;
  • Young adults up to age 26 can now remain on their family insurance policy;
  • Annual and lifetime health insurance limits have been eliminated.

Each of these changes has special importance for the addiction field, where so many serious conditions begin in the early years.

We also have much more work to do. We know that fully one-third of those adults who will become newly insured in 2014 under the Medicaid expansion or the State Health Insurance Exchanges already have a mental health or substance use condition.  In most cases, these problems are currently not being treated, with widespread consequences affecting the individual, the family, and the community.

Moving Forward - News Updates 2.16.11

Benchmarking Initiative Helps Providers Prepare for Transformation


As agencies identify strategies and methods to meet the changing healthcare services environment following passage of healthcare reform, SAAS is committed to providing education and tools to assist in organizational transformation. Benchmarking is one powerful management tool designed to help agencies increase efficiencies in today's changing environment. Benchmarking can answer important questions such as:

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