Latest MDS update could leave providers in ‘limbo,’ expert says
By
Danielle Brown
May 19, 2020
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated MDS 3.0 items (version 1.17.2) along with related technical data specifications. But providers could be left in “limbo” as they await for more...
SNF physicians’ unique skill set requires more definition and support, industry docs say
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 15, 2022
Insights into these doctors’ contributions and constraints are highlighted in interviews with medical directors and attending physicians.
Life safety alert: Common hazardous condition emerging in SNFs
By
Stan Szpytek
Jan 24, 2022
Closed doors are a critical element of life safety in skilled nursing facilities. Learn why they also matter for compliance.
When celebrity obscures suffering
By
Brendan Williams
Sep 10, 2021
There is a poignant scene in the first episode of Spike Lee’s “NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½” on HBO in which New York Assembly Member Ron Kim breaks down recounting the efforts of former Governor Andrew...
Managing a bah humbug holiday season
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Dec 15, 2020
By now many of us have viewed the viral video of residents gleefully shooting soft foam balls at laughing staff members dressed as reindeer dodging through a pine-tree “forest.” It’s the kind...
Seeking feedback in pursuit of gritty greatness
By
Elizabeth Newman
Feb 17, 2017
How often do you, as an administrator, CEO or manager, ask for feedback of colleagues? What I’m talking about is a casual conversation related to improving quality and strengthening company culture,...
Profile: Benjamin A. Breier
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jan 06, 2017
Benjamin A. Breier may be at the helm of one of long-term care’s industry giants as the president and CEO of Kindred Healthcare. But in one big way, he’s similar to many of his employees. Work-life...
Dr. El’s Shrinky LTC Fantasy
Aug 04, 2015
I hung up the phone with the managed care case reviewer. The patient in question was in her late 50s, with multiple sclerosis and other physical problems that had left her bed-bound. What else would need...
MDS data quality: Things are not always as they seem
By
Steven Littlehale
Jul 15, 2013
Open up the hood and look at the engine. Does the data scrubbing module focus only on standard CMS coding and consistency checks and the “RUG” items, or is it more robust and emphasize clinical...
How consistent CNA assignments will help residents
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 07, 2013
Consistent assignments for CNAs are discussed and implemented more frequently than they used to be. For the most part, research studies speak to the positive attributes of this model of care. From improved...