Memo # Admin Info: 25-06-NH Posting Date 2025-01-17 Fiscal Year 2025 Memo NameContact or ReferenceMemo PostingRevised: Guidance for Federal Monitoring Surveys (FMS) Memorandum Summary • Guidance on Conducting Federal Monitoring Surveys (FMS) – FY2025 Guidance on how CMS Location staff will conduct Federal Monitoring …
Revisions to: QSO-25-07-NH Original release date: November 18, 2024 QSO-25-12-NH Memorandum Summary Revised Surveyor Guidance: CMS is releasing the following revised guidance for nursing home surveyors: • Admission, Transfer & Discharge, Chemical Restraints/Unnecessary Psychotropic Medication, …
January 2025 Updates Data Collection Forms & Instructions All Data Collection Forms are Print-only UTI Events Denominator Forms Monthly Reporting Plan Annual Facility Survey Learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/ltc/uti/index.html
Over one million Americans rely on nursing homes for care, yet nursing homes face challenges in recruiting and retaining staff. Nursing homes rely on registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and nursing assistants (NAs) …
Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Mission & Priorities document (MPD) – Action Admin Info 25-05-AllFiscal Year (FY) 2025 Mission & Priorities document (MPD) – Action For questions or concerns relating to this memorandum, please contact your …
The Department’s Office for Civil Rights seeks to update HIPAA Security Rule for the first time since 2013 On December 27, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Office for …
Issue Date 2024-12-27 Implementation Date 2025-02-15 CR # 13918 Publication # 100-04 Transmittal Year 2024 SUBJECT: Billing Instructions Related to Expedited Determinations Based on Medicare Change of Status Notifications (MCSNs) I. SUMMARY OF CHANGES: The purpose of this Change Request …
Improving Care Through Increased Staffing Nursing home staffing has a significant impact on the quality of care that residents receive. Feedback from both nursing home staff and residents consistently highlights staffing as their primary concern. …
Memo #QSO-25-09-ALL Fiscal Year 2025 REVISION TO QSO-19-09-ALL REVISED ORIGINALLY RELEASED ON MARCH 5, 2019 • Core Appendix Q and Subparts – Appendix Q to the State Operations Manual (SOM), which provides guidance for identifying …
Report Materials Why OIG Did This Review What OIG Found The National Background Check Program successfully established a program to help States identify efficient, effective, and economical procedures for conducting background checks on prospective long-term …
Directors, Quality, Safety & Oversight Group (QSOG) and Survey & Operations Group (SOG) Memorandum Summary CMS is releasing the Fiscal Year 2025 guidance for the State Performance Standards System (SPSS), the process used to oversee …
Final FEMA Exception Memo for Milton: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/snf-quality-reporting-program/reconsideration-and-exception-extension Limited Waiver of HIPAA Sanctions & Penalties During a Declared Emergency: 2024 Public Health Emergency for State of Florida in Response to Hurricane Milton October 8, 2024 What: President Joseph R. …
Final FEMA Exception Memo for Helene: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/snf-quality-reporting-program/reconsideration-and-exception-extension Hurricane Helene – South Carolina and Tennessee (2024) Secretary Becerra used his authority in the Public Health Service Act to declare a public health emergency (PHE) on September 30, 2024, …
Compliance with Residents’ Rights Requirement related to Nursing Home Residents’ Right to Vote Memo #QSO-24-21-NH Posting Date 2024-09-26 Fiscal Year 2024 Memorandum Summary• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is affirming the regulatory …
Long-term care facilities can track weekly vaccination data for residents and healthcare personnel (HCP) through NHSN. August 2024 Updates Resources Influenza/RSV July 2024 Updates Timestamps in NHSN Beginning August 8, 2024, timestamps in the NHSN …
Certain For-Profit Nursing Homes May Not Have Complied With Federal Requirements Regarding the Infection Preventionist Position (A-01-22-00001) Not all for-profit nursing homes we reviewed met Federal requirements. Seventy-six of the 100 for-profit nursing homes in …
From https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/nursing-home-improvement/value-based-purchasing From https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/nursing-home-improvement/value-based-purchasing/confidential-feedback-reporting-review-and-corrections From https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/nursing-home-improvement/value-based-purchasing/scoring-methodology-payment-adjustment
Secretary Becerra used his authority in the Public Health Service Act to declare a public health emergency (PHE) on July 12, 2024, giving us the flexibility to support our beneficiaries in Texas, effective retrospectively since July 05, 2024. …
Healthcare Workplace Violence Speaker Series Workplace safety affects all healthcare staff, patients, and visitors. ASPR TRACIE recently added two new recordings to our Workplace Violence Speaker Series: An Overview of the Healthcare Facility Armed Assailant Planning …
Overview of the Early Look Performance Score Report for the SNF VBP Program The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) developed and published the Overview of the Early Look Performance Score Report for the Skilled …
Dementia robs our loved ones of precious memories and their ability to communicate. My 82-year-old stepfather has Alzheimer’s disease and has had a steady decline. My 80-year-old mother, who is also a nurse, has been …
Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting; Correction SUMMARY: This document corrects typographical and technical errors in the final rule that appeared in …
Recently Added Items Announced Agency Title Component Report Number(s) June 2024 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Assessment of the Special Focus Facility Program for Nursing Homes Office of Evaluation and Inspections OEI-01-23-00050;OEI-01-23-00052 June 2024 …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted a webinar on March 26, 2024, to educate providers of current changes and to help them achieve a full Annual Payment Update (APU) in the Skilled Nursing Facility …
Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are important members of the long-term care team. However, sometimes they aren’t appreciated or recognized enough for the work that they do. This blog will discuss the impact of CNAs and …
This site includes access to a provider enrollment and certification roadmap: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/provider-enrollment-and-certification/enroll-as-an-institutional-provider
Improves quality of information on labels, safety data sheets; takes effect July 19, 2024 WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor today announced a final rule from its Occupational Safety and Health Administration that will update the …
This job aid outlines the user roles and privileges in iQIES. All users must have a role in iQIES. Version 4.2 is now available at iQIES User Roles Matrix Job Aid v4.2 – 05/08/2024 (PDF …
https://www.cdc.gov/long-term-care-facilities/hcp/training/index.html AT A GLANCE ON THIS PAGE Course link: https://www.train.org/cdctrain/training_plan/3814 Training resources
AGENCY: Office for Civil Rights, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Final rule and interpretation. SUMMARY: The Department …
Q1. What is CMS announcing? Q2. What are the finalized minimum nurse staffing standards? Q3. Why did CMS decide to finalize a total nurse staffing threshold? Q4. What if my facility already exceeds this 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 …
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 …
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 …
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
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
