Opinion: THE BIGPICTURE — How to grow: the latest rub
By
John O'Connor
Mar 09, 2007
Perhaps comparisons to the phoenix are a bit extreme. But like the mythological figure, for-profits seem to be rising from the proverbial ashes.
No wonder he left Congress
By
John O'Connor
Dec 05, 2023
If it seems like it’s silly season again in Washington, maybe that’s because it is. Congress can take a bow.
Each year’s a new start
By
John O'Connor
Jan 01, 2009
We can find many reasons to rejoice in a new year’s arrival.
New policy triggers rehab mode change
By
John O'Connor
Mar 01, 2012
Individual therapy services are seeing a huge spike across skilled care settings, according to a new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services report. The shift seems to reveal how a change in payment rules...
This year I promise to…
By
John O'Connor
Jan 03, 2011
It’s very possible that as you are reading this, you have already abandoned those sincere New Year’s promises you made to yourself as 2011 was ringing in. If so, you’re hardly alone.
Care improving in key areas, report asserts
By
John O'Connor
Nov 01, 2009
Nursing home quality improvement efforts have largely succeeded in recent years, according to a report that was jointly released by the American Health Care Association and the Alliance for Quality Nursing...
‘Prehab’ may fuel quicker post-acute recovery, lower costs
By
John O'Connor
Dec 16, 2019
Residents about to undergo surgery may fare better if they take several “prehab” precautions.
Medicare payment group changes name
By
John O'Connor
Apr 06, 2015
A Medicare payment watchdog group saddled with huge case backlogs and heavily criticized for causing delays in resolving reimbursement issues has changed its name and location on the web.
The Bigger Picture: A route to better hiring
By
John O'Connor
Aug 02, 2019
Even in good times, hiring qualified frontline workers is problematic for many skilled facilities.
Occupancy, absorption both climb in first quarter: NIC
By
John O'Connor
Jun 01, 2014
Skilled nursing facilities’ average occupancy rate continued to rise in the first three months of 2014, while absorption flipped into positive territory for the first time in almost a decade, according...