Safety committee’s records not privileged: federal court
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 05, 2015
A North Carolina nursing home operator can’t claim privilege in protecting documents created by its safety committee from discovery, a federal trial court has ruled.
Lawmakers go to bat for providers over backlogged Medicare appeals
By
James M. Berklan
May 22, 2014
Angry lawmakers ripped an overwhelmed Medicare appeals process that has wilted under a tenfold increase in audits recently. Federal officials from two key agencies agreed that the Medicare’s Recovery...
Love him or not, Trump could be your key man
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 06, 2016
Politics truly can make strange bedfellows. A great illustration of this could be the many nursing home operators who might think they don’t like President-elect Donald Trump but really could end...
Nursing home leader releases five-year plan, tells members they ‘cannot forget the vulnerable’
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 29, 2013
The leaders of the largest U.S. long-term care convention and exposition sought to inspire members at the group’s annual meeting Monday in Dallas as if they were at a “family reunion.”...
Editor’s Desk: A proposal that could hit you like an (I)MAC truck
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 01, 2009
We can forgive providers if they sense a bit of vertigo coming on. When legislators look to give back power, up truly must seem like down and down seem like up.
Editor’s Desk: A cash incentive test program for nursing homes in four states could shape your...
By
James M. Berklan
May 01, 2009
Little things like pirates taking Americans hostage off the coast of Africa, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the credit and housing markets crises have knocked long-term care out of the evening newscast,...
Switch of nation’s largest skilled nursing chain paves way for AHCA-Alliance merger
By
James M. Berklan
May 29, 2013
While many details of the merger of the American Health Care Association and the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care are still being sorted out, one thing is clear: The agreement of nursing home giant...
When nursing homes throw money around
By
James M. Berklan
May 01, 2012
Even in generosity, it seems, nursing home leaders can’t catch a break. The headlines, from the Washington Post to the Huffington Post, implied as much. There they were in bold, tall type, touting...
Policy finally gives credit where it’s due: nurses
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 01, 2010
If there is one group of people who have earned the right to be cynical, it is long-term care professionals. Coming from a journalist, this is no underqualified assessment.
Romney-Ryan gives LTC voters plenty to ponder
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 01, 2012
Long-term care providers might find they have some wrenching decisions to make, thanks to the Romney-Ryan presidential ticket.