Lifeways reports 52,815 face-to-face services; MDHHS site visit finds compliance gaps

Shannon Clevenger, Lifeways representative, told the Jackson County commissioners that the Lifeways provider network completed 52,815 face-to-face services for 3,631 individuals during the most recent quarter — an average of about 15 services per consumer. "We have an average of 242 employees," Clevenger said, adding the organization’s voluntary turnover rate was 1.10% and total turnover 1.38% for the period.

Clevenger told commissioners the MDHHS Office of Recipient Rights completed a required site-visit assessment in January and that Lifeways received a rating of "less than substantial compliance" for issues primarily related to policy language updates and recipient-rights procedures. She said Lifeways has updated policies and completed corrective-action steps and that the findings from an ongoing deficit-reduction compliance audit are expected to be reported to the Lifeways board in June or July.

On correction and compliance work, Clevenger said Lifeways completed a HIPAA risk assessment with a compliance score of 79% and identified 10 areas for improvement. "The assessor found that Lifeways had a strong foundational security posture while also requiring some additional policies, processes, and monitoring activities to strengthen its risk mitigation," she said.

Commissioners asked about services provided in the county jail. Clevenger confirmed Lifeways provided services to 231 distinct consumers in the Jackson jail during the quarter and explained that those individuals were not Medicaid eligible while incarcerated; she said county millage-funded services and the CCBHC sliding-fee model cover non-Medicaid-eligible individuals. "We would provide services under the CCBHC model for CCBHC-eligible services and then the millage for those non-CCBHC-eligible or qualifying individuals," she said.

The board moved and approved a motion to receive the report. The motion carried by voice vote.