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...
Flu-misty covered memories of the way we were
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jun 24, 2016
Within the conspiracy theories around the flu vaccine — and trust me, healthcare reporters have heard them all — there’s also one secret lurking within people’s refusal to receive the shot....
Valley fever ‘epidemic’: advice for providers
By
Tim Mullaney
May 21, 2013
The senior citizen population is on the rise in the Southwest. Unfortunately, so is a frightening illness: valley fever.
New Parkinson’s study something to sniff at — please
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 28, 2015
Ilja Gort could be dethroned soon, and it may be good for untold number of seniors and other disease victims. The winemaker has the world’s “Most Valuable Nose,” according to the “Guinness...
His passion is LTC policy and funding, thank goodness
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 11, 2016
There is an unusually strong fire in Doug Burr that keeps him going, and for this, long-term care providers everywhere should be thankful.
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.
Quality soars in long-term care
Aug 20, 2014
Much like a parent raising a child — a topic on my mind this week as I send my oldest son to college — dedicated advocates have long encouraged long-term care providers to do the best they can. This...
Of Purell and payment reform
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 16, 2013
I was sympathetic when the Partnership for Sustainable Health Care called for a speedier shift away from fee-for-service last week — and I also thought about Purell. Yes, that Purell.
Providers suffering Medicare appeals backlog — at their own hand?
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 29, 2015
If providers were charged a fee for challenging Recovery Audit Contractor findings, there wouldn’t be the current overwhelming backlog of Medicare appeals, says the administration — and, surprise,...
Former nursing home aide writes powerful poems
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 07, 2014
Janice N. Harrington worked as a nursing home aide in college, and she drew on that experience to write “The Hands of Strangers: Poems from the Nursing Home.” This book-length collection of...