Temporary Freeze on Medi-Cal Funds & New Rates Proposed
 Two pieces of news affecting Hillside House's financial outlook have recently come in. The Department of Health Care Services has submitted a draft of proposed rates for Medi-Cal reimbursements to health care providers for the coming year. These annual rate changes are a critical component in the financial health and survival of Hillside House. In 2007, Medi-Cal reimbursements paid for 91% of our total expenses.
The proposed rates suggest a .27% increase, which would give Hillside House an additional 48 cents per day per resident-not much! Given that inflation is at its highest rate since 1991, 6% for the year, that really amounts to a rate decrease.
Even more of an immediate concern is the budget stalemate in Sacramento, which freezes the flow of payments to providers. Hillside House is fortunate to receive its state payments through CenCal Health, our funding source in Santa Barbara. They have dipped into their own reserves to keep our monthly Medi-Cal reimbursements coming to us while legislators continue to argue over the budget. But they are running out of funds. Last week they called us to say they don't have the money to pay us; this has never happened in recent memory. Beginning in September, Hillside House will only receive 30% of the payments due to us, amounting to a $166,000 cash shortfall. In October, we may receive none. Eventually, we will receive the payments due to us, but in the short term it forces us to dip into our own limited reserves to survive.
The California Association of Health Facilities, which advocates with the legislature on behalf of long-term care facilities in California, is going to court August 21 to fight for Medi-Cal beneficiaries and providers whose funding has been cut off by the seven-week-old state budget impasse. CAHF charged that the state's "failure to adopt a budget threatens to cause severe and irreparable injury to providers and Medi-Cal beneficiaries."
Check the Hillside House website on the News page for future updates on this issue: www.hillsidehousesb.org
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Welcome to Emily Nussbaum!
 We are happy to welcome our newest - and 59th - resident, Emily Nussbaum. Emily comes to Hillside House from a group home in Ventura. She turned 31 the day after her arrival on August 8, so we were able to celebrate her arrival and birthday at the same time! Emily's closest friend, and guardian, Pat Dixon, lives here in Santa Barbara, so they are able to visit with one another several times a week. Emily and the Hillside House Client Services staff are reviewing her day program options so that they can choose the program that best suits her needs and abilities. Emily is a fun-loving addition to the Hillside House family.
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Louisa Chavez Leaves Hillside House After 15 Years
 Louisa Chavez, one of our most loving and beloved staff members, is leaving Hillside House after being a Hillside House employee for more than 15 years. Louisa is leaving to move closer to her daughter, who lives in the San Diego area. At this point, Louisa is uncertain whether to call this life change "retirement", or just "relocation." Her last day is August 21.
Louisa will be greatly missed. She is a caregiver in the finest sense of the word, and someone who took our mantra, "continuous active treatment," very seriously. She always saw "down time" as an opportunity to work one-on-one with a resident. If there were three or four people at home for the day, Louisa would turn the TV to an exercise program and lead the residents through a workout. The photo here, of Louisa doing Katie's nails, is most typical of Louisa's attitude of always using her time to make someone's life better.
To say that we wish Louisa well is a considerable understatement. She has given so much to so many residents over the years. She deserves the best of everything in the next phase of her life.
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Flamenco Dancers Bring Festive Spirit
 On July 30, the day before the start of Fiesta week, the girls from Susan Vega Dancers came to Hillside House to demonstrate their considerable skills. They are always one of the big hits with our residents, and they are at their best at Fiesta time, never failing to capture the spirit of Old Spanish Days. The troupe consisted of 15-20 girls between the ages of 8 and 12 years. They demonstrated dances from many different periods in Spanish history, illustrating, for example, how Spanish dancing from the 16th century reflected Middle Eastern influence and looked more like belly dancing than it did like modern flamenco. This upbeat entertainment was provided through the generosity of Assistance League, who not only volunteer their time at the shop, but directly enrich our residents' lives several times a month through a variety of activities.
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