Bill Gleeson was my first boss. He was classic “old school.” Tough, gruff and a hard drinker, Bill was a stickler for getting stories first and getting them right. He also gave me some of the...
Sleeper measures could cut Medicare payments to skilled care operators
By
John O'Connor
Mar 31, 2014
As far as skilled care is concerned, most recent reporting on a major Medicare bill has all but overlooked what’s in the bill for the sector. And it’s not trivial.
It’s not just charity that should begin at home
By
John O'Connor
Feb 27, 2017
Long-term care operators tend to be a nervous lot. Rightfully so.
For one glorious moment, a warped perspective makes sense — sort of
By
John O'Connor
Nov 07, 2016
If you look at America’s sports-addicted dynamic from a purely logical standpoint, it defies logic. Cities and states pull funds away from needed services in order to comfort the comfortable? In...
The industry’s weakness for gun-toting clowns has been duly noted
By
John O'Connor
May 11, 2012
A wise editor once told me successful magazines need to target two basic human emotions: fear and greed. Over the years, that advice has proven remarkably resilient.
A survey system that works?
By
John O'Connor
Jan 30, 2012
All sides generally agree that the current nursing home survey system is flawed. But there’s hardly consensus on how best to fix it. Here’s something worth considering.
Is the NLRB on slippery ground?
By
John O'Connor
Feb 05, 2024
Could it be that the place where I buy cheap bananas is about to sink the National Labor Relations Board?
Verify payroll totals for rankings: letter
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2014
Federal regulators need to collect nursing home staffing data directly from payroll systems rather than from providers themselves, members of the Congressional Seniors Task Force said in a recent letter...
A bum rap?
By
John O'Connor
Dec 18, 2023
I’ve written on topics ranging far and wide across the long-term care spectrum. But I’m pretty sure this will be my first foray into the world of fake butt accusations.
Latest Medicare fraud allegations just an appetizer
By
John O'Connor
May 10, 2013
As we’ve been predicting here for some time, allegations of mismanaged therapy care are starting to land nursing homes in some seriously hot water.