Today, life is great. But in February, my pregnancy showed how quickly medical situations can take a nosedive and how medical students can be an asset to patients, and potentially your facility.
A clever idea for a skilled care tax break. But there might be one little problem ….
By
John O'Connor
May 21, 2018
Our new tax law gives some of the largest companies in America a substantial tax break. The American Health Care Association wouldn’t mind snapping off a similar reduction for many of its members.
Did OSHA just tell nursing homes to cut back on care?
By
John O'Connor
Feb 12, 2018
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration dropped the hammer on a Colorado facility last week. Given what’s happened, OSHA’s response might seem reasonable. At least on paper.
New night shift study sounds the alarm
Jan 10, 2018
Over the years, I’ve heard what seems like every possible explanation for cancer. Sometimes it’s cancer patients blaming themselves through questionable science — “I was too stressed”...
Promising signs on the regulatory front
By
John O'Connor
Oct 16, 2017
President Trump is no fan of regulations, and long-term care operators have more than their fair share to contend with. So it’s a welcome breeze when Trump says he wants to start eliminating some...
Medicaid just might sink Trumpcare
By
John O'Connor
May 29, 2017
With recent major funding proposals about Medicaid causing such a tizzy, it’s fair to ask why the powers-that-be find Medicaid such a tempting piñata. There are two main drivers. But only one is...
Your FitBit might just save your life — and your residents’
By
Jan 24, 2017
Even though I fell off the wearable fitness monitor bandwagon, recent research from the Stanford University School of Medicine might just serve as the incentive I need to jump back on it.
Medicaid’s future might not be rosy under new administration
By
Elizabeth Newman
Dec 02, 2016
It’s possible Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator nominee Seema Verma will lead the agency in a new direction that is positive for both long-term care residents and providers....
Workforce pressures: It’s not about just millennials
By
James M. Berklan
Nov 02, 2016
The youngest generation of employees entering the long-term care workforce will affect professional attitudes and policies profoundly. And that’s not entirely a bad thing. Just don’t take your...
Implant provides hope for the limping
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jul 29, 2016
In one of the sadder coincidences of my life, news of an FDA-approved cartilage implant made me more excited than it would have a year ago. That’s because this particular synthetic cartilage implant...