Medicare audits ‘ramping up’ with isolation coding in the crosshairs
By
Josh Henreckson
Apr 22, 2024
Auditors are paying special attention to isolation and quarantine coding amid already heightened Medicare nursing home audits that are expected to increase in coming months, experts warn.
BREAKING: CMS increases hours to 3.48 in final staffing rule
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 22, 2024
Nursing homes will be required to deliver 3.48 hours daily of direct patient care under a final staffing mandate issued this morning.
This COVID-19 vaccine linked to lower risk for clotting, blockages
By
Kristen Fischer
Aug 04, 2023
A study that put both COVID-19 shots to the test to see which was better for older adults found that the Moderna vaccine was superior.
Many state governments installed new regulations to govern nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but those state-level policies weren’t clearly linked to reduced transmission, according to new...
Providers: Staffing rule a CMS ‘fairy tale’ that will ‘exacerbate’ nursing home access issue
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 23, 2024
Despite minor concessions in a staffing mandate issued Monday, many nursing home providers were shell-shocked by what they saw as federal regulators’ intractable stance on minimums at a time when nearly...
After sinking $400M into skilled care, Welltower exec says more ‘creative’ opportunities in the pipeline
By
Kimberly Marselas
Nov 01, 2023
Welltower has spent more than $400 million on long-term and post-acute care investments so far in 2023, while also experiencing a 5.3% increase in net operating income across such properties it has held...
Ask the payment expert … about payment reductions
By
Eleisha Wilkes, RN, RAC-CTA, RAC-CT, DNS-CT
Oct 10, 2023
Q: How do I know what determines my 2% annual payment reduction? I’ve received a non-compliance letter citing MDS reporting requirements, but it doesn’t provide details.
Study: Positive feedback — not just negative — improves workplace culture
By
Kristen Fischer
Sep 21, 2023
Healthcare organizations should focus on what worked — not just what went wrong — when giving feedback to staff, according to a new study. Centering feedback on positives could help organizations including...
RNs, building leaders bank major pay gains in 2023
By
Kimberly Marselas
Nov 07, 2023
Salaries for nursing home leaders continued their upward trajectory this year, with many facilities responding to staffing shortfalls by increasing pay more rapidly than in the past and sometimes tacking...
Eschewing a ‘sweet spot’ for boutique-like service at any size: Creative Solutions’ Gary Blake
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 09, 2024
Gary Blake’s nameplate might say CEO, but in some ways, he envisions himself more as chief quality officer of Creative Solutions for Healthcare, the sprawling 159-facility skilled nursing company he...