Urinary test cuts antibiotics use in pneumonia, pharmacists say
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 28, 2021
Urinary antigen tests led to earlier discontinuation of certain antibiotics and shorter acute care stays in patients with pneumonia, a new study finds.
Plenty of space and still a ‘tight squeeze’ for new construction in skilled nursing
By
Kimberly Marselas
Dec 13, 2023
Ciena Healthcare, owner and operator of 83 nursing homes in five states, is breaking into the healthcare “resort” category with the opening of a 95,000 square foot, $32 million building in the Detroit...
More than two-thirds of LTC executives using expensive agencies to fill staff vacancies: NIC survey
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 16, 2020
A majority of senior housing and skilled nursing operators are relying on staffing agencies or temporary workers to meet their workforce needs in recent weeks, a new survey revealed.
Unmanifested inflation: Labor shortages may begin to improve — but at a price
By
Kimberly Marselas
Nov 03, 2021
HOUSTON — One of the nation’s top economists predicts many of the workers who left the economy over the last few months may soon start returning, but that’s not all good news for an industry such...
Less than 5 percent of nursing homes meet federal mandate in 4 states, intensifying hunt for local solutions
By
Josh Henreckson
May 21, 2024
The outlook for compliance with the new nursing home staffing mandate took another dour turn Tuesday.
Staffing offers toughest trial
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 01, 2020
Workforce challenges that have plagued long-term care operators during the coronavirus pandemic will worsen as the crisis progresses this year, predicted Harvard healthcare policy expert David Grabowski.
MedPAC ‘ruling out’ safety net for SNFs with heavy, low-income Medicare caseloads
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 14, 2023
Nursing homes that treat a large share of low-income Medicare patients have such high margins that they don’t need a bonus payment to help maintain access, a panel that advises Congress on Medicare policy...
Legislation would require nursing homes to up nurse-to-patient ratios
By
Marty Stempniak
Apr 04, 2019
Nursing facilities would need to limit the number of residents a registered nurse cares for, under a recently proposed Pennsylvania House measure.
CMS proposes change to short hospital stay rules
By
Jul 06, 2015
Hospital patients may get a reprieve from the controversial “two-midnight” coverage policy under changes proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Flu shot disparities in short-stay residents could drop by 60 percent with intervention, investigators...
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 11, 2021
A dramatic racial and ethnic gap exists in influenza vaccination rates among short-stay and long-stay nursing homes residents, a new study has found.