Kindred Healthcare has succeeded in its quest to acquire Gentiva Health Services. The companies announced Thursday morning they would combine to create the fourth-biggest healthcare provider of any type...
Therapy buck stops at SNF
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 01, 2014
A legal settlement involving two long-term care companies accused of not sufficiently controlling their contracted therapy provider’s billing practices has created anxieties among skilled nursing...
NIC national meeting focuses on investing in seniors healthcare
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 26, 2014
The 24th NIC national conference takes place Wednesday through Sunday in Chicago. Featured speakers include Press Ganey Chief Medical Officer Dr. Thomas Lee at the opening general session and former chairman...
Painting by numbers: the way to go to make the right business decisions
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 24, 2014
The reasons to pursue more robust data-crunching activities keep growing. Especially for long-term care providers, who could have a leg up on other providers and payers.
‘Open mic’ will catch ways to improve transitions from hospital care
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 19, 2014
Andrey Ostrovsky, M.D., will explain methods and strategies to improve transitions between acute and non-acute care settings in a special webinar next Friday. Ostrovsky’s talk is part of the HIMSS...
The sweet irony of a nursing home report card
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 17, 2014
It’s said that politics, among other things, makes for strange bedfellows. Add long-term care quality improvement efforts to the list.
DOJ forces observation stay showdown
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 01, 2014
Hospitals have been cast in a harsh light by long-term care advocates recently for allegedly over-using “observation stay” status. The practice can ultimately deny some patients subsequent...
Supervisor let resident die, covered it up, state charges
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 01, 2014
A nursing home supervisor in New York allegedly failed to administer CPR or direct staff members to do so, criminally allowing a resident to die, the state attorney general’s office has charged.
Lawmakers go to bat for providers over backlogged Medicare appeals
By
James M. Berklan
May 22, 2014
Angry lawmakers ripped an overwhelmed Medicare appeals process that has wilted under a tenfold increase in audits recently. Federal officials from two key agencies agreed that the Medicare’s Recovery...