Nursing facilities must submit written QAPI plans to CMS one year after promulgation of the regulation. This regulation will be in addition to current QAA standards.
Be measurably fabulous
By
Steven Littlehale
Oct 01, 2012
On the heels of American Health Care Association announcing the adoption of PointRight’s OnPoint-30 rehospitalization metric, you may be wondering what it means exactly and what’s at stake....
Shining some light on the new Five Star system
By
Steven Littlehale
Sep 05, 2012
The Five Star overall score is comprised of three domains: Survey, Staffing and Quality Measures. This month, look a little deeper into the overall Five Star Scores.
The three “Rs” of nursing home care
By
Steven Littlehale
Aug 17, 2012
By utilizing benchmarks and data analytics preparation, time is reduced, priorities established and efforts measured. By knowing a facility’s prior survey deficiencies and having insight into the...
Why ‘Staffing to the Stars’ isn’t enough: How to make the right staffing decisions
By
Steven Littlehale
Aug 09, 2012
Operators should try to hire RNs whenever they have a vacant position for a licensed nurse — the increased hourly wage will be more than offset by the increased revenue and decreased costs. Nonetheless,...
Five-Star insights: Will those stars ever illuminate your path?
By
Steven Littlehale
May 16, 2012
I recently asked a hospital discharge planner how she chooses which nursing home to discharge to. “Five-Star” was the reply. Was I surprised? Not at all. Once again, it demonstrates just how...
Capturing acuity: How MDS accuracy has a critical impact on Medicare/Medicaid payment systems
By
Steven Littlehale
Apr 20, 2012
There’s a familiar saying in the industry that “If it’s not documented, then it’s not done.” But what if it is documented, but just not documented correctly?
Operate with an eye on quality, not the next survey cycle
By
Steven Littlehale
Mar 16, 2012
The anxiety associated with an impending survey should be offset by the fact that the nursing facility holds the secret to its own success – the knowledge of its customers.
Compliance with confidence
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 16, 2012
Undergoing the annual survey and certification process and demonstrating compliance with federal and requirements are a critical – and sometimes daunting – obligation of any nursing home operator...
Data integrity critical for MDS quality
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 16, 2012
As most long-term care operators can attest, MDS 3.0 has spurred both opportunities and obstacles. On one hand, the new resident assessment tool is pushing resident care and satisfaction to the forefront...