State courts push back on nursing homes’ federal right to arbitrate
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jun 12, 2023
A spate of recent battles over arbitration agreements may force courts and lawmakers to once again tackle who can enter one on behalf of a nursing home resident — and whether they can ever be mandated...
Major study links nursing home staff vaccinations to lower resident deaths, calls for updated booster...
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 03, 2023
Policymakers should rethink their “stagnant” approach to booster shots, argue the researchers behind a new, first-of-its kind national study linking COVID-19 vaccination of nursing home staff to significantly...
‘Put some meat on the bone’ to create meaningful diversity programs
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 21, 2021
Effective diversity, equity and inclusion in programs must do more than talk about workplace fairness or train employees about bias; they also must actively counter discrimination and promote representation.
CMS tightens guidance for nursing home dialysis providers
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 23, 2023
Federal officials on Wednesday updated guidance meant to improve the delivery of nursing home dialysis, a service many providers have been adding to attract new residents and improve quality of life for...
With $1B to invest, Ensign Group sets sights on new states
By
Kimberly Marselas
Oct 27, 2023
The Ensign Group is sitting on more than $1 billion in reserves, with company officials saying Thursday they are eager to continue on a growth trajectory fueled by leadership availability and geographic...
Data lapses did not affect Five-Star ratings, CMS says as providers call for review of agency’s...
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 13, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Wednesday it was taking “seriously” a damning report that questioned the accuracy of information it posted on its Care Compare site, but added that...
Industry’s best are on top and on stage
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 10, 2023
More than 200 aging services professionals, business partners and supporters celebrated a who’s-who of industry veterans in grand style during the inaugural McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards ceremony in February.
Stagnant Medicaid rates aren’t just putting operators faced with outsized staffing costs into the red; in some places, they may be limiting access to the very capital providers need to sustain daily...
A new perspective on age-old, old-age issues
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 10, 2021
For nearly a decade, my freelance writing career included plenty of articles about chronic wounds, payment reform and pretty much anything else skilled-nursing related. Surely, I thought, I’d mastered...
Concerns continue after CMS delays staffing rule unveiling
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 07, 2023
Skilled nursing providers who had readied themselves for the unveiling of a national staffing mandate as part of the 2024 pay rule were left reading the tea leaves this week after federal regulators delayed...