CMS created the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily. The Nursing Home Compare Web site features a quality rating system that gives each nursing home a rating of between 1 and 5 stars. Nursing homes with 5 stars are considered …
CDC’s Emerging Infections Program (EIP), published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, highlights an increase in an urgent antimicrobial resistance (AR) threat in the United States, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE). Enterobacterales (a group of bacteria that includes E. Coli and Klebsiella spp.) cause infections in healthcare settings and communities—including pneumonia, bloodstream infections, …
CMS released the FY 2025 Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) for skilled nursing facilities. Your PEPPER helps you review your billing data to make sure claims are accurate. Use it to: How to Get Your PEPPER Authorized officials (AOs), access managers (AMs), and staff end users (SEUs) …
An updated PBJ FAQ sheet has been posted to reflect the PBJ transition to iQIES and minor clarifications. This update does not include any changes to PBJ policies. PBJ Policy Manual FAQ Update 082026 (PDF) From https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/nursing-home-improvement/staffing-data-submission
This manual provides general background and information about the submission requirements, such as sample submission screens, submission deadlines, and definitions of job categories. Note: Changes from the previous version of this policy manual are identified in red/italics. September 2026 An updated PBJ Policy Manual and PBJ FAQ sheet have been …
Provider Search Report Scheduler Changes https://qtso.cms.gov/news-and-updates/iqies-mdsnh-reporting-software-enhancements-sept-18-2026
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Oct. 1, 2026 launches a three-year countdown. The director of nursing services (DNS), the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC), and other nurse leaders will need to engage collaboratively in long-range planning so that the entire interdisciplinary team (IDT) will …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. The risk-based survey (RBS), a more focused standard recertification survey for qualifying higher performing nursing homes, reduces survey time and resource use while maintaining oversight of health and safety requirements. It also changes how the Centers for Medicare …
In this LTC DON Chat podcast episode, Part 3 of the Nursing Facility Systems Series, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, director of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, discuss how to build a culture …
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Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. For years, sepsis education has focused on familiar indicators such as fever, tachycardia, hypotension, confusion, shortness of breath, chills, and pain. Those signs remain important, but in long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC), one question may be equally valuable: …
