MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- A new group of healthcare leaders is making sure that the needs of one of the nation's most vulnerable populations are heard in Washington, D.C. Representing each state, members of the American Health Care Association's Future Leaders program examine advanced areas of leadership and management as well as engage with lawmakers on important long-term care topics.

Bill Turenne, owner of Turenne PharMedCo, a medical supply distributor and long-term care pharmacy in Nashville, Tennessee, has been chosen to represent Alabama and already is working to inform our nation's leaders about the concerns and challenges residents in long-term care face. He and the 2016-2017 class of the Future Leaders program recently traveled to our nation's capital to meet with members of Congress. Turenne met with U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL) whose district encompasses the Montgomery and Dothan area. They spoke about how some Medicare changes can negatively impact patients caught in the difficult middle ground of not being sick enough to stay in the hospital, but unable to afford short-term rehabilitation.

"The meeting with Rep. Roby was very productive," Turenne said. "We discussed observation days and the three-day hospital rule. Because of our meeting, I believe she has a better understanding of how those two issues can cause problems for people that need short-term rehab, but Medicare will not cover it. Hopefully, she'll be able to visit one of our nursing homes soon to learn more about those concerns and the value-based purchasing system currently being proposed by Congress."

As millions of Americans enter their senior years, Turenne believes that the rise in healthcare spending for the elderly will impact the national conversation about the most humane and affordable way to care for those who will need it in the future. It is also important to keep the spotlight on the challenges being faced today to ensure that long-term care providers and the government can work together to deliver adequate services.

"I literally grew up working in nursing homes and thought I had seen or learned just about everything related to our profession," Turenne said. "This experience has opened my eyes to what's happening in other states, and how important it is for us to have a unified presence in Washington, D.C. to help those who cannot help themselves."