Believe it or not, the overall picture has been improving. And it might get even better in 2018.
Disaster or learning opportunity?
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 15, 2017
It pays to know that amid the byzantine architecture of the Department of Health and Human Services there are QIN-QIOs. That’s Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Networks for those with...
Five-Star is anything but frozen
By
Steven Littlehale
Dec 13, 2017
The day after Thanksgiving, CMS further defined its intensions with the Five-Star Quality Rating System; more specifically how the new survey process and derivative data will be used in its calculation...
How can leaders engage employees? Lessons from “Field of Dreams”
By
Nancy Anderson, RN, MA
Dec 13, 2017
Do you remember the movie Field of Dreams? I loved that movie! It had charm, mystery, sentimentality, and a real feel-good ending.
A MRSA vaccine may be on the horizon
By
Elizabeth Newman
Dec 13, 2017
If a MRSA vaccine could be developed for adults, it could potentially save nursing homes a lot of money, not to mention reset some of our infection control protocols.
When will we ever get good press?
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Dec 12, 2017
You know, a lot of great stuff happens in the long-term and post-acute care setting. But nooooooo, no one ever wants to talk about the good stuff. One bad apple and the mainstream press go wild and we...
Palliative care improves outcomes for those with COPD
By
Terri Maxwell
Dec 11, 2017
Almost 15.7 million Americans are diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic respiratory illness with multiple disabling symptoms that impact quality of life.
Coordinated care: Recommendations to improve quality
By
Bruce Chernof, M.D.
Dec 11, 2017
Despite all of us having heard at least one story of good medicine gone wrong, coordinating care among skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and home- and community-based services (HCBS) can be a win-win situation.
How an operational assessment can change your organization
By
Cyndi Taplin
Dec 06, 2017
A well-executed financial and operational assessment can change the culture of a facility from one of blame to one of cooperation, improve system and process efficiency, increase occupancy and reimbursements,...
A provider lesson in saying goodbye gracefully
By
Elizabeth Newman
Dec 05, 2017
I was impressed recently when I saw the press release announcing that Villa Healthcare was closing its Villa at River Parkway in Milwaukee in March.