Fiscal Management and Budget Efficiency During Lean Times

When a skilled nursing facility (SNF) is operating on a tight budget, while also being census- and staff-challenged, the director of nursing services (DNS) needs to be more directly and proactively involved in fiscal management of the nursing department. “It can be very scary, especially for a new DNS,” says …

MedPAC March 2023 Report: Medicare Payment Policy

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has released its March 2023 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy. The report includes MedPAC’s analyses of payment adequacy in traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare and reviews the status of Medicare Advantage (MA) and the prescription drug benefit (Part D). This report also satisfies an additional …

Why It Is Important to Have Staff Represented at the AAPACN 2023 Conference?

The American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN) will host the annual conference this year April 19 – 21 in Las Vegas, NV. Long-term and post-acute care professionals from across the nation will gather to learn the latest updates, embark on new certifications or recertifications, develop new action plans for …

NETEC Long-Term Care Special Pathogens Infection Prevention and Control Workbook Available

The National Emerging Special Pathogen Training and Education Center (NETEC) has released a workbook for “assessing operational elements for special pathogen preparedness, response, and recovery unique to the long-term care setting.” The workbook is designed to help nurse leaders address the following issues, according to a letter from NETEC: Request …

AHRQ Seeks SNFs/NFs for Free Safety Program Using Bathing/Skin Care Techniques for MRSA, Other MDRO, and Pressure Injury/Wound Prevention

Learn About Participating We are recruiting long-term care facilities to participate in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for MRSA Prevention, a free 18-month program that seeks to improve bathing and skincare techniques to reduce pressure injuries, wounds, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other Multidrug Resistant Organism (MDRO) transmission. Beginning in June 2023, …

March 29 Advancing Excellence Webinar: Understanding Special Needs Plans in PALTC

Register Now: Spotlight Series Session – Understanding Special Needs Plans in PALTC Listen in as Cheryl Phillips, President and CEO of the SNP Alliance, will describe the various models of SNPs that exist and their applicability in PALTC. She is joined by Ronald J. Shumacher, Chief Medical Officer for Optum …

Moving Forward Coalition Calls: March 24: Calling All Nursing Home Leaders; April 21: COVID-19 Innovations; May 10: Cost Reporting 101

Calling All Nursing Home Leaders! Friday, March 24, 2-3 PM (EST) During this session we plan to share a bit about our vision but primarily learn from you. The Moving Forward Coalition needs the help of providers to test, promote and advocate for our package of quality improvement plans. Join …

March 2023 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for the FY 2024 SNF VBP Program Are Available

The March 2023 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for the FY 2024 SNF VBP Program are now available to download via the Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES)/Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports (CASPER) reporting system. These reports contain interim stay-level data for the SNF 30-Day All-Cause Readmission Measure (SNFRM) for …