Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. The watchword that increasingly defines federal (and some state) programs that drive nursing home operations and payment is connectedness, says Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, IPCO, QCP, ICC, director of reimbursement and education for Pathway Health in …
The January 2026 Care Compare refresh was originally scheduled for Jan. 28, 2026, but was delayed due to an issue with one of the data sets until Feb. 5, 2026. This refresh also brought updated Five-Star Provider Reports, even though the date and time stamp on the reports did not …
In this LTC NAC Chat podcast episode, Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, and Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, sr. curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, continue the question and answer session from McGill’s recent webinar, New Year, New Measure: Making Sense of the …
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January 2026 Updates UTI Events Learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/ltc/uti/index.html
The HCP Flu Vaccination Module, which is part of the HCP component in NHSN, is used to input required NHSN data for the SNF QRP. This site provides access to the HCP Vaccination Module: Influenza Vaccination Summary Protocol, which is the primary manual for the module. In addition, it provides …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. For years, nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) managed the long-stay (LS) antipsychotic quality measure largely through section N of the Minimum Data Set (MDS). Accurate 7-day look-back coding was the primary lever that facilities could pull to reflect their …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Few Minimum Data Set (MDS) items carry as much regulatory weight and ethical considerations as physical restraints. The decision to use any device that restricts a resident’s movement or access to his or her own body must balance …
The January Care Compare refresh, scheduled for Jan. 28, 2026, was delayed. In an email response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) BetterCare stated “[they] identified an issue with one of the data files scheduled for the January 28, 2026, Nursing Home Care Compare refresh. As a result, …
The SNF Calendar: Key Dates for 2026 QM, VBP, QRP, and PBJ, provides a quick reference highlighting key 2026 deadlines and milestones for skilled nursing facilities. This tool includes quality measures (QMs), Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, Quality Reporting Program (QRP), and Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) submissions, Care Compare Refreshes, CMS rule …
On Jan. 12, 2026, the first wave of Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) validation audits notifications arrived in the iQIES MDS 3.0 Provider Preview Reports folder for some facilities. While 1,500 randomly selected facilities will receive this audit, not all were included in this first wave. For …
