With so much attention paid to cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and items like linens, infection control-minded facilities often over- look the source of more than one-third of nosocomial infections...
Coroner rules odd nursing home death accidental; state findings yet to be released
By
John Hall
Mar 26, 2015
The coroner of St. Clair County, where an 85-year-old resident of a suburban St. Louis nursing home was found dead, strapped to her wheelchair at the bottom of some stairs, ruled Wednesday the death was...
Online forum will explain new home health rating system
By
John Hall
Apr 24, 2015
A special one-hour, web-based open door forum will be held May 7 to explain to providers the new set of star ratings for the Home Health Compare website, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced.
How to do it… Choosing hand sanitizers
By
John Hall
Feb 04, 2016
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers have long been widely accepted by leading healthcare organizations as an effective method for disinfection. Experts here tell how to ensure staff members understand how and...
Providers fret bundled pilot
By
John Hall
Nov 05, 2015
Provider advocates generally accept a proposal to bundle Medicare payments for one of the most common orthopedic procedures, but many believe the plan is being rushed while serious concerns about issues...
Rise in improper payments
By
John Hall
Jan 04, 2016
Improper payment levels continue dogging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which announced they rose significantly last year for both health programs. Additionally, the agency reported that...
Congress gets tough on EHR interoperability
By
John Hall
Mar 23, 2015
Providers using incompatible or uncertified electronic health record systems by the end of 2018 could face reduced Medicare reimbursements under a bill introduced Thursday in both houses of Congress.
Justice Department investigating Humana billing practices
By
John Hall
Feb 24, 2015
Humana Inc. reports that it is cooperating with a Department of Justice inquiry into whether it exaggerated the severity of elderly patients’ illnesses to generate higher Medicare reimbursements.
State ombudsman programs must follow federal rules, HHS says
By
John Hall
Feb 12, 2015
The Department of Health and Human Services is giving states until July 1, 2016 to get in step with long-established federal guidelines governing the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program.
Homicide charges follow sudden illness of six assisted living residents
By
John Hall
Mar 18, 2015
A 98-year-old woman’s death in a south suburban Chicago assisted living facility has been ruled a homicide. She and five others were hospitalized in early February after suffering breathing difficulties....