Long-term care facilities can track weekly vaccination data for residents and healthcare personnel (HCP) through NHSN. April 2024 Updates Person-Level COVID-19 Vaccination Forms – Instructions and Guidance Documents INSTRUCTIONS FOR REPORTING PERSON-LEVEL VACCINATION DATA Person-Level …
Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers Nursing home minimum staffing standards promote resident care and safety Medicaid and CHIP to have historic access …
Update: April, 2024 CMS consistently strives to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our nursing home oversight and compliance programs to protect residents’ health and safety. In 2017, CMS implemented a new nursing home survey …
Report 1: Concerns Remain About Safeguards To Protect Residents During Facility-Initiated Discharges From Nursing Homes Issued on 03/29/2024 | Posted on 04/03/2024 | Report number: OEI-01-18-00251 Report Materials Why OIG Did This Review Facility-initiated discharges that do not follow Federal regulations …
Essex Residential Care, LLC, to pay $100,000 after failing to comply with HIPAA Right of Access The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced a $100,000 civil monetary …
It’s that time of year again! The AAPACN 2024 Conference will be held this year in Hollywood, FL, on April 10 – 13. AAPACN is excited to gather to celebrate outstanding post-acute care professionals, meet …
update existing compliance program guidance documents (CPGs) and deliver new CPGs. OIG intends to publish industry segment-specific CPGs (ICPGs) focused on Medicare Advantage and nursing facilities in 2024. After addressing these segments, OIG anticipates publishing updated ICPGs …
Announcements This is a friendly reminder to log into NHSN and make sure your facility has an active Facility Administrator. Please note that only the Facility Administrator can enroll a facility in a one or …
On Feb. 8, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), finalized modifications to the Confidentiality of …
In this podcast, Kim Hicks, vice president of business development for AAPACN, and Jessica Stucin, RN, BSN, LNHA, RAC-CT, RAC-CTA, assistant director of education for MDS Consultants, LLC, an AAPACN Diamond Business Partner, discuss some …
Protocols Supporting Chapters Data Collection Forms & Instructions All Data Collection Forms are Print-only UTI Events Denominator Forms Monthly Reporting Plan Annual Facility Survey LTCF Training Educational Roadmap FAQs Supporting Materials Guidance Documents Analysis Resources …
In 2023, the AAPACN Leading in Care Blog brought you inspiration, personal member stories, clarification on need-to-know topics such as the iQIES transition, Quality Measures, and MDS updates, as well as details about important events …
The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Cost Report dataset is a public use file that provides select measures from the skilled nursing facility annual cost report. This data includes provider information such as facility characteristics, utilization data, …
01-09-2024 | OEI-06-22-00030 | Complete Report KEY TAKEAWAY The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) struggled to support nursing homes during mass enrollment into the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) in 2020 and as COVID-19 …
Note: The audio file listed in the title may not be available. Thursday, December 7, 2023: Transcript, Q&A, Agenda and Audio File- Skilled Nursing Facilities/Long Term Care Open Door Forum (ZIP) From https://www.cms.gov/training-education/open-door-forums/about/odf-podcast-and-transcripts
Excerpted from the John A Hartford Foundation: The Better Care Playbook has released a new Collection, “Improving Nursing Home Care Quality: Understanding the Evidence and State Opportunities,” for health care stakeholders, including policymakers, health plans and …
(CMS-3326-F) Memo # QSO-24-03-CLIA Posting Date 2023-12-28 Fiscal Year 2024 Memorandum Summary• Publication of Final Rule: CMS-3326-F was published on December 28, 2023. This final rule updates the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) …
This paper provides an overview of Health Information Technology (HIT) adoption and utilization in long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) settings. This study found that LTPAC have adopted electronic health records (EHRs) to support clinical and …
Since the implementation of the RAI User’s Manual version 1.18.11 on Oct. 1, 2023, several long-term care nursing facilities have experienced electronic health record (EHR) software issues as well as complications with the MDS 3.0 …
From the Moving Forward Coalition and the Live Oaks Project: https://movingforwardcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Guidance-on-Culture-Change-for-Nursing-Home-Quality-Improvement.pdf?mc_cid=d4ffa43439&mc_eid=0c83b59b91
Video and transcript available This live Q&A session allowed participants to ask CMS subject matter experts about the methodologies and interpretations of the CMS Health Equity Confidential Feedback Reports for post-acute care (PAC) providers in …
Some items of potential interest: HHS/FDA Proposed Rule Stage Medical Devices; General and Plastic Surgery Devices; Classification of Certain Solid Wound Dressings, Wound Dressings Formulated as a Gel, Cream, or Ointment, and Liquid Wound Washes …
Memo # Admin Info: 24-05-NH Posting Date 2023-11-20 Fiscal Year 2024 Memorandum Summary • Guidance and Focus Concerns – Identifies the FY2024 and FY2025 Focus Concerns and guidance on how CMS Location staff will conduct …
This job aid outlines the user roles and privileges in iQIES. All users must have a role in iQIES. Version 4.1 is now available at https://qtso.cms.gov/system/files/qtso/iQIES%20User%20Roles%20Matrix%20Job%20Aid%20v4.1%20FINAL%2011.14.2023_0.pdf
Audit of Nursing Homes’ Nurse Staffing Hours Reported in CMS’s Payroll-Based Journal Nursing homes are required to electronically submit complete and accurate direct care staffing information to CMS’s Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system on a quarterly …
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Rules Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Disclosures of Ownership and Additional Disclosable Parties Information for Skilled Nursing Facilities and Nursing Facilities; Medicare Providers’ and Suppliers’ Disclosure of Private Equity Companies …
The GCPG is a reference guide for the health care compliance community and other health care stakeholders. The GCPG provides information about relevant Federal laws, compliance program infrastructure, OIG resources, and other items useful for understanding health …
Biden-Harris Administration Proposes to Protect People with Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Coverage from Predatory Marketing, Promote Healthy Competition, and Increase Access to Behavioral Health Care in the Medicare Advantage Program Fact sheet Contract Year …
WASHINGTON – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) co-hosted a roundtable discussion on the cybersecurity challenges that the U.S. healthcare and public health (HPH) sector system …
More than double the number of health workers reported harassment at work in 2022 than in 2018. This may include threats, bullying, verbal abuse, or other actions from patients and coworkers that create a hostile …
As part of our commitment to advance health equity and strengthen the Medicare Program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released two Health Equity Confidential Feedback Reports to post-acute care (PAC) providers: the …
Weekly / October 6, 2023 / 72(40);1095–1098 Summary What is already known about this topic? Long-term care (LTC) facility residents are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection because of their advanced age, medical complexity, and congregate living situation; …
Memo (Technical corrections posted: 09/27/2023): QSO-23-01-NH (PDF) Press release: Changes to CMS’ Special Focus Facilities program will increase scrutiny, hold facilities accountable for substandard safety and quality, and improve care for residents As part of the …
Memo # QSO-23-23-NHs Posting Date 2023-09-25 Fiscal Year 2023 Title Memorandum Summary CMS is committed to reinvesting civil money penalty (CMP) funds for projects to support the quality of care and life for nursing home …
The Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF), which opened its online doors in December 2022 thanks to a three-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is …
In February 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at improving quality and safety for residents in nursing homes. One aspect of this initiative was conducting a new Nursing Home Staffing …
Effective August 21, 2023, MDS 3.0 Frequency data will be available from a new location on the data.cms.gov website (https://data.cms.gov/quality-of-care/minimum-data-set-frequency). This new website replaces the previous MDS 3.0 Frequency Report webpage which was decommissioned on …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added administrator exclusion criteria to the PBJ public use files. The updated criteria excludes administrator data if a nursing home reports five or more administrators on four …
Memo # QSO-23-02-ALL (EXPIRED) Posting Date 2023-07-25 Fiscal Year 2023 EXPIRATION INFORMATION: CMS PUBLISHED A FINAL RULE WHICH ENDED THE REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO STAFF VACCINATION FOR ALL PROVIDER TYPES, EFFECTIVE ON 8/05/23. ADDITIONALLY, THIS RULE …
Recent severe weather events have highlighted the need for and importance of emergency power systems for nursing homes. Nursing homes are required to provide an alternate source of energy (usually a generator) to maintain temperatures …
Occupational Safety and Health Administration 29 CFR Part 1904 [Docket No. OSHA-2021-0006] RIN 1218-AD40 Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: OSHA is …
Memo # QSO-23-18-NH Posting Date 2023-06-28 Fiscal Year 2023 Memorandum Summary • Posting Nursing Home Affiliation on Nursing Home Care Compare: CMS will include ownership and operatorship affiliation information on our Nursing Home Care Compare …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated two data products with skilled nursing facility utilization data for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA). The Medicare Advantage Geographic Variation PUF (MA GV PUF) now …
From MLN Connects: CMS finalized staff education requirements while ending the COVID-19 staff vaccination requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. These provisions were included in the “COVID-19 …
CoreQ: Short Stay Discharge Survey CoreQ Short Stay Discharge Survey Protocols and Guidelines Manual and additional resources CMS-10852 (ZIP) From https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/legislation/paperworkreductionactof1995/pra-listing/cms-10852
On April 4, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) proposed rule for public inspection. The payment news is …
Memo # QSO-23-11-LSC Posting Date 2023-03-31 Fiscal Year 2023 Summary Various CMS regulations governing certain providers and certified suppliers require compliance with the 2012 edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Health Care Facilities …
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 …
Memo # Admin Info -23-06-NH Posting Date 2023-02-10 Fiscal Year 2023 Summary Implementation Dates for the Revised Chapter 5 – CMS expects the state survey agencies (SAs) to implement the revised timeframes for investigating nursing …
Emergency preparedness planners in nursing homes can adapt this new On-Campus Hospital Armed Assailant Planning Considerations document to help prepare their facilities to mitigate, respond to, and recover from an armed assailant or active shooter situation on …
Written by Michael Daniels, RN, DNS-CT, QCP, RAC-CT, RAC-CTA All one needs to do is peruse the long-term care (LTC)/skilled nursing facility (SNF) job openings online for a few minutes to realize that something is …
It is well known that in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States much of the devastation was concentrated in nursing homes. In addition to the staggering death toll, isolation and …
On Oct. 24, 2022, surveyors will begin using new survey guidance to identify noncompliance with QAPI, trauma-informed care, and resident safety, including abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Skilled nursing facility (SNF) leaders should be in the …
In this QAPI video series, a QI expert walks through best practices for starting and leading a successful PIP/QIP, looking at important decisions to consider in starting a performance improvement plan, as well as highlighting …
Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 Summary of Recent Changes Updates as of September 23, 2022 In most circumstances, asymptomatic HCP with higher-risk exposures do not require work restriction. Updated …
Strategies to Mitigate Healthcare Personnel Staffing Shortages Summary of Recent Changes Updates as of September 23, 2022 Conventional strategies were updated to advise that, in most circumstances, asymptomatic healthcare personnel (HCP) with higher-risk exposures do not …
QSO-22-25-CLIA DATE: September 26th, 2022 TO: State Survey Agency Directors FROM: Director, Quality, Safety & Oversight Group (QSOG) SUBJECT: CMS Rescinds December 7, 2020, Enforcement Discretion for the Use of SARS CoV-2 Memorandum Summary CMS …
The FDA published the FDA Voices: “FDA Issues New Guidance to Help Facilitate Availability of Naloxone to Prevent Opioid Overdoses and Reduce Death,” by Marta Sokolowska, Ph.D., Deputy Center Director for Substance Use and Behavioral …
By Melanie Tribe-Scott, BSN, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP The U.S. Surgeon General recently issued an advisory highlighting the urgent need to address the health worker burnout crisis across the country (Office of the U.S. Surgeon …
Certain Nursing Homes May Not Have Complied With Federal Requirements for Infection Prevention and Control and Emergency Preparedness (A-01-20-00005) Selected nursing homes may not have complied with Federal requirements for infection prevention and control and emergency …
Audits of Nursing Home Life Safety and Emergency Preparedness in Eight States Identified Noncompliance With Federal Requirements and Opportunities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to Improve Resident, Visitor, and Staff Safety We …
The unified approach to case-mix adjustment includes standardized patient assessment data collected by the four PAC providers. Unified PAC Report to Congress (PDF) | Unified PAC Report to Congress Appendices (ZIP) Section 2(b)(2)(A) of the Improving Post-Acute …
Memo # QSO-22-17-ALL Surveys for compliance with Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care StaffVaccination Requirements Posting Date 2022-06-14 Fiscal Year 2022 Summary • Survey oversight of the staff vaccination requirement for Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers …
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 …
Guidance related to Emergency Preparedness- Exercise Exemption based on A Facility’s Activation of their Emergency Plan Memo # QSO-20-41-ALL REVISED 05.26.2022 Posting Date 2022-05-26 Fiscal Year 2022 Summary • Emergency Preparedness Training and Testing Program …
Nurse leaders are essential to any long-term and post-acute care facility. These nurses fearlessly take responsibility for the success of their team and for quality resident care delivery. They spearhead the nursing department, overcoming obstacles …
Proposed Specifications for the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program: Total Nursing Hours per Resident Day Measure (PDF) From https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Value-Based-Programs/SNF-VBP/Measure
AHRQ has created a guide for nursing home leaders as they implement COVID-19 vaccination programs among staff members. The resource identifies important factors to consider from planning to implementation, including guidance on updating policies and …
Three new online resources from AHRQ are available to help nursing homes adopt best practices aimed at controlling and preventing infection and improving the emotional well-being of staff and residents: Best Practices Guide for COVID-19 Infection Control …
Jan 26, 2022 As part of its commitment to improve transparency and help families and caregivers find the best quality of nursing home care for their loved ones, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services …
This CISA Insights is intended to ensure that senior leaders at every organization in the United States are aware of critical cyber risks and take urgent, near-term steps to reduce the likelihood and impact of …
The last two weeks of data show steep increases in staff and resident COVID-19 cases, particularly staff cases: https://data.cms.gov/covid-19/covid-19-nursing-home-data
Memo # QSO-22-08-NH Posting Date 2022-01-07 Fiscal Year 2022 Summary CMS will begin posting the following information for each nursing home on the Medicare.gov Care Compare website: Weekend Staffing: The level of total nurse and …
Transitioning Certification Functions for Changes of Ownership, Administrative Changes, and Initial Enrollment Performed by the CMS Survey and Operations Group Memo # Admin Info: 22-02-ALL Posting Date 2021-12-23 Fiscal Year 2022 Summary The Centers for …
Case Marks First Charges Brought in District of South Carolina Related to Fraudulent Vaccine Cards Columbia, South Carolina — Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that a Federal Grand Jury in Columbia returned …
These brief videos offer self-paced learning for those on the front lines of nursing home care. This includes nursing assistants, housekeeping, dietary, and maintenance staff, and others. Emotional and Organizational Support for Staff Series This …
The magnitude of facility-initiated discharges in nursing homes remains unknown. Many challenges exist to identifying and addressing inappropriate facility-initiated discharges, including that neither Administration for Community Living (ACL) nor Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services …
Electronic access (PDF) to this book is free with IHI membership (also free). Leape LL. Making Healthcare Safe. Springer; 2021. Written by Lucian Leape, a pioneer of the patient safety movement, this book describes how patient safety became …
A Resource for Providers Participating in the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program, Long-term Care Residents & Their Families On This Page Is medical consent required for LTC residents to receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 …
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers nursing homes and other long-term care providers guidance on how to ensure their residents and staff have access to COVID-19 vaccines, including booster shots. It covers …
PUBLIC HEALTH SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 Estimates of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths Among Nursing Home Residents Not Reported in Federal Data Karen Shen, PhD; Lacey Loomer, PhD, MSPH; Hannah Abrams, MD; et al. This cross-sectional study examines the magnitude of unreported COVID-19 …
CMS’s COVID-19 Data Included Required Information From the Vast Majority of Nursing Homes, but CMS Could Take Actions To Improve Completeness and Accuracy of the Data (A-09-20-02005) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) COVID-19 data …
Case Western Reserve University researchers, in partnership with Brown University, examine vaccine’s effectiveness over time on seniors and their caregivers 1-Sep-2021 5:00 PM EDT, by Case Western Reserve University Newswise — CLEVELAND—A new, multi-institutional study led by …
For Older LGBTQ+ Adults, Entering a Nursing Home Can Feel Like Coming out All Over Again New study by Rush researchers calls for a change in practices in long-term care settings 4-Aug-2021 Newswise — As …
The mAbs Calculator is a free decision-support tool that enables healthcare facilities to make data-informed choices about resource allocations needed to effectively and efficiently provide monoclonal antibody therapeutics to qualified patients. The mAbs Calculator can …
Memorandum Summary CMS is hereby removing the July 7, 2017 Memo (S&C 17-37-NH) from its guidance repository. Discussion CMS is hereby removing the July 7, 2017 Memo (S&C 17-37-NH) from its guidance repository. In that …
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 16, 2021 Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the availability of an estimated $103 million in American Rescue Plan …
Improving Health Care Quality for LGBTQ People (Contact Hours 70 min.) Learn to identify sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) terminology to build trust with LGBTQ patients and recognize health disparities that impact many older LGBTQ adults. …
The Long-Term Care Toolkit explains the Four Moments of Antibiotic Decision Making, and has tools to support their implementation and improve prescribing in three areas: developing and improving an antibiotic stewardship program, creating a safety …
(OEI-02-20-00490) This data snapshot showed the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medicare beneficiaries in U.S. nursing homes in 2020. It provides objective, standardized data based on Medicare claims for beneficiaries in nursing homes …
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department of Labor. ACTION: Interim final rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is issuing an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect healthcare …
US Department of Labor’s OSHA issues emergency temporary standardto protect health care workers from the coronavirusOSHA also releases new guidance for all industries WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration …
June 9, 2021 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is sharing the following alerts from the White House and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Organizations are encouraged …
Considerations for Long-Term Care Facilities on Acquiring COVID-19 Vaccination Resources The purpose of this document is to provide long-term care facilities (LTCFs) with information about acquiring COVID-19 vaccination resources for staff and residents. All LTCF …
What does it take to be a successful DNS? AADNS’s Body of Knowledge for the Director of Nursing Services in Long-Term Care identifies, defines, and measures the core competencies required of DNSs practicing in SNFs. …
