Five-Star, NHQI, SNF QRP, SNF VBP, PBJ data Announcement: January 2023: Data have been refreshed for January 2023. Because of COVID-19 reporting exceptions, the claims-based measures were calculated excluding Q1 and Q2 2020. For additional …
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 …
More Than a Thousand Nursing Homes Reached Infection Rates of 75 Percent or More in the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic; Better Protections Are Needed for Future Emergencies (OEI-02-20-00491) Nursing homes had a surge of …
Updates to the Nursing Home Care Compare Website and Five Star Quality Rating System: Adjusting Quality Measure Ratings Based on Erroneous Schizophrenia Coding, and Posting Citations Under Dispute Summary • Adjusting Quality Measure Ratings: CMS …
The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available. These reports contain provider performance scores for quality measures, which will be published on Care Compare and Provider Data Catalog (PDC) …
January 2023 The Improving Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act) requires the Secretary to specify resource use measures and other measures, on which post-acute care (PAC) providers are required to submit necessary data …
Due to the Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) quarterly deadline, the iQIES Service Center is projecting an increase in the volume of calls and emails between now and February 14, 2023. For More Information Contact the …
The purpose of the Third Edition Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) COVID-19 Public Reporting (PR) Tip Sheet is to help providers understand CMS’ public reporting approach to the SNF QRP to account for CMS …
Weekly health care personnel (HCP) & Resident COVID-19 Vaccination Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Data Reporting Long-term care facilities can track weekly COVID-19 vaccination data for residents and healthcare personnel (HCP) through NHSN. January 2023 and December …
Meaning “This study suggests that day-to-day staffing instability is an important marker of nursing home quality, limiting measurement, reporting, or policy to average hours per resident-day likely will miss important opportunities to improve care.” https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800160
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network Long-Term Care Facility Multidrug-Resistant Organism & Clostridioides difficile (MDRO/CDI) Infection Event Reporting Module Using Laboratory-identified Event Methodology offers protocols, tools and other resources at this site: …
Prevention Process Measures: Hand Hygiene, Gown and Glove Use Adherence Most Recent Updates Protocols Supporting Chapters Data Collection Forms & Instructions All Data Collection Forms are Print-only PPM Monthly Reporting Plan Annual Facility Survey FAQs …
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network Long-Term Care Facility Urinary Tract Infection Module provides forms, tools, and other resources at this site: https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/ltc/uti/index.html Most recent updates Protocols Supporting Chapters Data …
With the Staffing domain in the Five-Star Quality Rating System more complex than ever, Jessie McGill, RN, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, a curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, offers directors of nursing services (DNSs) and other nurse managers …
Note that CMS is planning a substantial revision to the adopted but still not implemented SNFPPR measure (SNF VBP) as well as to COVID-19 HCP Vaccination measure (SNF QRP). MUC2022-084* SNF QRP COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage …
The December 2022 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program are now available to download via the Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES)/Certification and …
TMF Health Quality Institute, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO), works with nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities in Arkansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Puerto Rico and Texas to …
IPRO QIN-QIO will be having a free day of online learning on December 8 at 9 am – 3pm ET to share the latest updates on topics to advance quality and address needs such as: …
Question: How long do facilities have to maintain QAPI records? Answer from Alexis Roam, MSN, RN, RN-BC, DNT-MT, QCP-MT: I recommend that you check the facility’s policy on document management to see if QAPI/QAA records …
CMS has updated resources for applying for CMP funds. State CMP Reinvestment Projects Funded by Calendar Year (ZIP) CMP Reinvestment Application Resources_ Updated October 2022 (ZIP) CMP Reinvestment State Plan Resources_ Updated October 2022 (ZIP) …
A systematic approach to utilizing the CASPER reports is necessary for monitoring Quality Measures, managing MDS assessments, and reimbursement. While there are numerous reports available via CASPER, AAPACN’s Guide to Key MDS-Related CASPER Reports for …
Optimizing post-acute care patient safety: A scoping review of multifactorial fall prevention interventions for older adults Abstract: Accidental falls are preventable adverse events for older post-acute care (PAC) patients. Yet, due to the functional and …
Memo: 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 Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment …
The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available. These reports contain provider performance scores for quality measures, which will be published on Care Compare and Provider Data Catalog (PDC) during the January 2023 refresh. The …
Staffing is a topic that is always on the director of nursing services’ (DNS’s) mind, and its importance only continues to increase. Usually, the focus is on filling open positions to meet workload demands. However, …
October 1 is always an important date because it marks the transition to a new fiscal year for the fee-for-service Medicare Part A skilled nursing facility prospective payment system (SNF PPS). However, the next two …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) requires PBJ data to be submitted at least quarterly. It is imperative that this data is accurate as it is publicly reported and impacts the Five Star …
The Age-Friendly Health Systems: Guide to Care of Older Adults in Nursing Homes and the Age-Friendly Health Systems: A Workbook for Nursing Home Teams are designed to be used simultaneously to help care teams in …
The CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Vaccination Unit provided a webinar for long-term Care (LTC) facilities on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 to review annual healthcare personnel influenza vaccination summary data reporting through the NHSN …
Two journal articles involving just culture: Rooting an error review process in just culture: lessons learned.Neiswender K, Figueroa-Altmann A, Granahan K, et al. Patient Safety. 2022;4(3):34-38. Fatal Solutions: How a Healthcare System Used Tragedy to Transform Itself …
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 …
CMS will be transitioning to a new data source for a provider’s demographic data for all five Post-Acute Care (PAC) provider types (Skilled Nursing Facilities / Nursing Facilities (SNF/NFs), Home Health Agencies (HHAs), Inpatient Rehabilitation …
The recognition of nurses for their roles in diagnosis is critical to achieving diagnostic safety improvements and advancements. Contemporary recommendations from the diagnostic safety literature highlight actions nurse leaders and educators can take to improve …
Payers across the health care spectrum have begun transitioning from paying for quantity toward paying for quality. These value-based payment (VBP) programs vary in scope and focus, but generally share the goals of improving cost-savings …
More than 100 members nationwide have come together to launch the Moving Forward Quality Coalition, which plans to launch actions for nursing home improvements in early 2023. Topic areas include the following: Person-Centeredness, Culture Change, …
In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Jessie McGill, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, talk about recent changes …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be transitioning nursing homes to the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES) in the coming months. This system consolidates and replaces the Quality Improvement and …
CMS outlines actions for states to improve safety and quality of care for residents The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an informational bulletin detailing actions that states can take using existing Medicaid …
While key details are still pending, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) final rule makes clear that meeting the reporting requirements of the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting …
With so many Quality Measures originating from three different payment initiative programs, it’s a lot to keep track of. AAPACN’s At-a-Glance QM, QRP, and VBP tool organizes all of the measures for you. This tool has been …
These FAQs were created to address questions about Enhanced Barrier Precautions as defined in the CDC guidance “Implementation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Nursing Homes to Prevent Spread of Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDROs)” FAQS addressed …
National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes: Antipsychotic Medication Use Data Report (April 2022) he National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes is committed to improving the quality of care for …
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) final rule may not “turn that frown upside down” as the popular saying goes, but it does give SNFs—and in some cases …
Effective July 27, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has overhauled the methodology for the Staffing domain’s star rating calculations in the Five-Star Quality Rating System on Care Compare, says Jessie McGill, RN, …
The July 2022 Care Compare refresh reflected a major overhaul of how the Five-Star Staffing stars are calculated. The staffing domain is now based on six staffing measures, three based on hours per resident day …
While most skilled nursing facility (SNF) leaders are aware of QAPI and have executed a QAPI plan, many view QAPI itself as nebulous, abstract, or vague. This lack of clarity complicates QAPI execution. This, in …
The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports, which contain the performance scores of the SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) measures, were released in late July. These measures will be publicly reported on Care Compare …
QAPI is a data-driven, proactive approach to improving the quality of care, life, and services for residents. A QAPI meeting is an opportunity for the QAA/QAPI Steering Committee to discuss performance of the full scope …
In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN and Dr. Rebecca Cahill, professor for the Research College of Nursing, discuss how lean healthcare …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Fiscal Year 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) Proposed Rule earlier this month. CMS notes that this proposed rule would update “Payment …
Toolkit for States to Mitigate COVID-19 in Nursing Homes (PDF) UPDATED (5/6/22) From https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/EPRO/Current-Emergencies/Current-Emergencies-page
This printable flyer infographic describes the Chain of Infection and How to Use it to Prevent the Spread of Infection in Long-Term Care (LTC) https://repository.netecweb.org/items/show/1666 Files for Download COI in LTC 4.29.2022 Final Compressed.pdf
The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available. These reports contain provider performance scores for quality measures, which will be published on Care Compare and Provider Data Catalog (PDC) during the July 2022 release. The …
Last week, the AAPACN 2022 Conference was held in Las Vegas, bringing together nursing professionals for exceptional learning opportunities. One outstanding session occurred on Thursday, April 14, when representatives from the Centers for Medicare & …
With the release of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has signaled a significant commitment to pay-for-performance via …
While the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) put the brakes on many nursing home initiatives over the past two years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is ready to get back to business …
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
Nursing homes play a unique dual role in the long-term care continuum, serving as a place where people receive needed health care and a place they call home. Ineffective responses to the complex challenges of …
Even with the implementation of other quality programs over the past few years, the Nursing Home Quality Initiative (NHQI) quality measures (QMs) remain the core public-facing quality thermometer of long-term care. Taking the time to …
Nursing home staff will see two major changes to Care Compare with the April 2022 refresh: Public reporting of the SNF Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Requiring Hospitalization In the FY 2022 SNF PPS Final Rule, …
An updated Quick Reference Guide is now available. The Quick Reference Guide provides high-level information on the SNF Quality Reporting Program, including frequently asked questions and helpful links. V2.0 was posted in early March. It …
JAMA Network Open Study excerpt: Key Points Question Are scores on a delirium severity measure that was developed using advanced psychometric approaches associated with in-hospital and posthospital clinical outcomes? Findings In this cohort study of older patients …
2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines Free access: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001063 Abstract Aim: The “2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for …
JAMA Network Open Study Key Points excerpt: Findings This quality improvement study of 13 339 nursing homes found that daily variation of staffing was significantly associated with the 5-Star Survey and Quality Measures rankings. There was little …
Registration and data submission resources. PBJ QTSO Registration and Training 02-24-2022 (PDF) From https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/Staffing-Data-Submission-PBJ
Updates as of Feb. 17: Guidance streamlined Added links to guidance on testing for determining length of work restriction for healthcare personnel with SARS-CoV-2 infection or exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and for mitigating staff shortages in healthcare settings Time period …
Imagine sitting in a quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) meeting while different team members take turns reporting count data or the number of occurrences of an issue in the month. For example, the director …
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 …
The January 2022 refresh of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) data is now available on Care Compare and Provider Data Catalog (PDC). The data are based on quality assessment data submitted by SNFs to …
Weekend Staffing: The level of total nurse and registered nurse (RN) staffing on weekends provided by each nursing home over a quarter. Staff Turnover: The percent of nursing staff and number of administrators that stopped …
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 …
The MDS 3.0 QM User’s Manual V15.0 and accompanying Risk Adjustment Appendix File for MDS 3.0 Quality Measure User’s Manual V15 have been posted. The MDS 3.0 QM User’s Manual V15.0 contains detailed specifications for the MDS …
Misunderstandings about the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) can involve everything from the risk adjustments to the quality measure (QM) calculations to how to use certain reports. These issues can cause headaches …
Question: Where can I find the CMS Quality Safety and Oversight (QSO) memos? Answer from Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT AAPACN Curriculum Development Specialist: QSO memos issued from CMS can be found on …
The annual Measures Under Consideration (MUC) List from CMS includes four SNF VBP measures and two SNF QRP measures. 2021 MUC List (PDF) from https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/QualityMeasures/Pre-Rulemaking See Appendix A for measure specifications. MUC ID Measure Title …
Quick Assessment Reference Pocket Guides / Badge Buddies for Coding The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering Pocket Guides to assist providers in assessing and coding self-care and mobility, falls, and pressure ulcers/injuries. The pocket guides provide a quick reference for important terms and definitions that promote coding …
QSO-22-02-ALL Memorandum Summary CMS is announcing steps to assist State Survey Agencies (SAs) in addressing the backlog of complaint and recertification surveys. These steps include: Revising the criteria for conducting COVID-19 Focused Infection Control (FIC) …
In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN speaks with Lisa Morris, RPh, BCGP, FASCP, executive director of clinical services for Consana, about …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is granting exceptions under certain Medicare quality reporting and value-based purchasing programs located in areas affected by Hurricane Ida to assist you while you direct your resources …
A common question regarding Quality Measures is how quickly does an MDS need to be corrected to still impact MDS 3.0 Quality Measures. AAPACN’s MDS Quality Measures: Data Timeframes and Correction Periods tool will help …
In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MT, AAPACN vice president of education and certification strategy talks about quality measures for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) with Pat Newberry. Specifically, they address the differences …
Swingtech, a contractor with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), alerts skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) that are not meeting the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) data submission threshold for the …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) discovered an error in the calculations for the Discharge to Community measure and will be updating the Care Compare website with the corrected data on Sept. 29, …
Arch Phys Med Rehabil . 2021 Mar;102(3):480-487. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2020.09.375. Epub 2020 Sep 28. Objectives: To examine the association of patient and direct-care staff beliefs about patients’ capability to increase independence with activities of daily living (ADL) and the probability …
COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: Most Homes Had Multiple Outbreaks and Weeks of Sustained Transmission from May 2020 through January 2021 GAO analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that, …
We have all struggled with a stubborn knot or tangle at some point in our lives—whether it’s your kids’ shoelaces, your earbud cord, a garden hose, or even a fishing line. If you are a …
The safety of residents is a top priority for a skilled nursing facility (SNF). But how does one promote safety in such a dynamic environment? Three critical steps the director of nursing services (DNS) and …
NEW TRAINING AVAILABLE – Resident Mood Interview (PHQ-9) for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Setting Video Tutorial CMS Resident Mood Interview (PHQ-9) for the SNF Setting Video Tutorial The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services …
Memo # QSO-21-15-ALL Posting Date 2021-03-26 Fiscal Year 2021 Summary Burden Reduction Final Rule Interpretive Guidelines: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is releasing interpretive guidelines and updates to Appendix Z of the …
https://www.cms.gov/how-update-nursing-home-nhskilled-nursing-facility-snf-demographic-data SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) quality data on Care Compare are updated on a quarterly basis. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be transitioning to a new data source for providers’ demographic data for all five …
CMS Use of Data on Nursing Home Staffing: Progress and Opportunities To Do More (OEI-04-18-00451) The OIG has made four key recommendations related to staffing that CMS concurred with. These recommendations state that CMS should: Provide …
Note: The Access to Ombudsman information is highlighted in red in the memo, but that is what was revised in July. The new updates focus on the updated Q&As under the section, Individuals Entering and …
High nursing staff turnover in nursing homes offers important quality information Gandhi A, Yu H, Grabowski DC. Health Aff (Millwood). 2021 Prior research has found that high nursing staff turnover is associated with lower patient safety culture. …
Updated Mar. 10, 2021 Find the most recent update here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-after-vaccination.html CDC guidance for SARS-CoV-2 infection may be adapted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances. On this page Visitation …
NOTE: CMS revised guidance on March 10, 2021 for nursing home visitation during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, which supersedes the visitation guidance in this memo. See CMS memorandum QSO-20-39-NH Revised, Nursing Home Visitation-COVID-19. ————————————————————————————————- …
In this eighth and final episode of the Deep Dive into MDS 3.0 Quality Measures podcast series, AAPACN curriculum development specialist, Jessie McGill, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, discusses two long-stay measures, Percent of Residents Who were …
A resource guide, written by and for directors of nursing, administrators, and other nursing home leaders, outlines steps to reduce or eliminate urgent staff shortages, particularly shortages of direct care workers. This guide is from the …
