Nursing Center

AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program Winners Announced

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In the midst of the pandemic, these homes have gone the distance to receive the prestigious AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program. It is a rigorous three-level process that evaluates long-term care organizations’ capabilities against nationally recognized standards for excellence, making it one of the most comprehensive and cost-effective performance assessments available to providers.  Each progressive …

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Washington, D.C. Nursing Home Takes Control of Infection Prevention with I CAN Program

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Transitions Healthcare Capitol City in Washington, D.C. has its hands full! With 360 beds, it is a larger home that specializes in transitioning residents back to their homes. With an active rehab department and many short-stay residents, keeping people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic is a top priority. That’s why they adopted Infection Control Amplification …

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IPRO QIN-QIO presents: NHSN Office Hours, October 14, 18, 20

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In this session, our nursing home experts will do a brief review of changes to NHSN. Following our “small talk” you’ll have the chance to discuss any challenges you’re experiencing with our in-house experts. Register for any of these opportunities: Oct 14, 10:30 AM, EST Oct 18, 2:30 PM, EST Oct 20, 9:15 AM, EST

Four Ways to Improve Health Literacy at Your Health Care Organization

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October is Health Literacy Month, when we take time to recognize the importance of creating equitable access to health care information for individuals, and the role health care organizations play making health literacy a priority.  The CDC has two definitions of the term, based on the Healthy People 2030 initiative: Personal health literacy is the degree …

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Changes to Weekly NHSN COVID-19 Vaccination Data Collection Forms

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Additional/Secondary Vaccination Series: First Update August 2021 What are the changes? In anticipation of recommendations for additional vaccine series, new questions on vaccine doses will be added to the data collection forms. The main changes are outlined below. Question #2 remains the same, except it asks about the primary vaccination series. Added question #4 for …

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Free COVID-19 Training and Resources for Nursing Homes

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Targeted COVID-19 Training for Frontline Nursing Home Staff and Management is a great resource for nursing home staff to put the latest information regarding infection control, COVID-19 preparedness, resident-centered care, vaccine distribution, and other important topics into practice.   These resources were designed to help nursing home teams access the free, on-demand trainings and celebrate the staff who complete them. Materials …

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CMS Updates Nursing Home Guidance with Revised Visitation Recommendations

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March 10, 2021 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued updated guidance today for nursing homes to safely expand visitation options during the COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency (PHE).  This latest guidance comes as more than three million doses of vaccines …

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CMS Releases Nursing Home COVID-19 Training Data with Urgent Call to Action

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Agency thanks nursing homes whose staff have completed free CMS training, but urges remaining homes to take advantage of this resource CMS NEWS | Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is publicly recognizing the 1,092 nursing homes at which 50% or more of their staff have completed CMS training designed to help …

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CMS Nursing Home Podcast Series for Front Line Clinicians and Staff

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CMS Beyond the Policy: Nursing Home Series for Frontline Clinicians and Staff The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is airing the first episode in a series of short podcasts for frontline nursing home staff. The series is designed to reinforce training and infection control practices in nursing homes to help combat the spread …

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CMS Urging Nursing Homes to Follow Established COVID-19 Guidelines This Holiday Season

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CMS Memo | November 19, 2020 – Today, in advance of the approaching holiday season, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is urging nursing home staff, residents, and visitors to follow established guidelines for visitation and adherence to the core principles of infection prevention. These guidelines include: Remaining six feet apart from individuals …

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CMS Releases Nursing Home COVID-19 Training Data with Urgent Call to Action

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Agency thanks nursing homes whose staff have completed free CMS training, but urges remaining homes to take advantage of this resource CMS Memo | November 18, 2020 – Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is publicly recognizing the 1,092 nursing homes at which 50% or more of their staff have completed CMS …

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CMS’ New One-Stop Nursing Home Resource Center Assists Providers, Caregivers, Residents

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October 30, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new online platform – the Nursing Home Resource Center – to serve as a centralized hub bringing together the latest information, guidance and data on nursing homes that is important to facilities, frontline providers, residents and their families, especially as the …

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October 30: Deadline for Vaccine Program Sign-Up

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October 26, 2020 – More than 9,000 long-term care providers had signed up for the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program as of this past Friday, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The deadline is midnight ET on this coming Friday. The program, announced Oct. 16 by HHS and the Department of Defense, involves …

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CMS Announces New Guidance for Safe Visitation in Nursing Homes

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September 17, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued revised guidance providing detailed recommendations on ways nursing homes can safely facilitate visitation during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. After several months of visitor restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19, CMS recognizes that physical separation from family and other …

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CMS Launches National Training Program to Strengthen Nursing Home Infection Control Practices

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New training provides education on critical safety measures to keep residents safe August 25, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing an unprecedented national nursing home training program for frontline nursing home staff and nursing home management. The training is designed to equip both frontline caregivers and their management with …

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Nursing Home Strategies for COVID-19 Only Isolation of COVID-19 Residents

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August 25, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Medicaid Informational Bulletin (CIB) that provides guidance to states on flexibilities that are available to increase reimbursement for nursing facilities that implement specific infection control practices, such as designating a quarantine or isolation wing for COVID-19 patients. Nursing facilities are particularly …

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SNF Provider Preview Reports – Now Available

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Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available. The data contained within the Preview Reports is based on quality data submitted by SNFs between Q1 2019 – Q4 2019 (1/01/19 – 12/31/19) (for assessment-based measures) and Q4 2017 and Q3 2019 (10/01/17 – 9/30/19) (for claims-based measures). The data reflects what …

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CMS Announces Membership of Independent Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the MITRE Corporation has published the membership of the independent Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. CMS seeks an independent review and comprehensive assessment of the nursing home response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The agency tasked the contractor, MITRE, …

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Medicare Coverage of COVID-19 Testing for Nursing Home Residents and Patients

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June 19, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) instructed Medicare Administrative Contactors and notified Medicare Advantage plans to cover coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) laboratory tests for nursing home residents and patients. This instruction follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent update of COVID-19 testing guidelines for nursing homes …

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CMS Released Weekly Update of Nursing Home COVID-19 Data as of June 7, 2020

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In case you missed it, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the second set of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) nursing home data today. The data will be updated weekly going forward; for more information on nursing homes, including a link to the COVID-19 nursing home data, visit Nursing Home Compare. CMS also …

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Nursing Home COVID-19 Data and Inspections Results Available on Nursing Home Compare

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Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is posting the first set of underlying coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) nursing home data. On April 19, 2020, CMS announced the requirement that nursing homes to inform residents, their families, and their representatives of COVID-19 cases in their facilities. In addition to this, nursing homes are …

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Individualized Technical Assistance for Nursing Homes

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On June 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a statement on new infection control guidance for nursing homes. The statement describes enhanced accountability measures that come at a time when most organizations are weary from their COVID-19 pandemic efforts. CMS enlisted Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIOs), like the IPRO QIN-QIO, …

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CDC NHSN Special Circumstances

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) continues to support the nation’s COVID-19 response for Long-Term Care Facilities. The NHSN Long-term Care Facility (LTCF) COVID-19 Module webpage has many resources outlining facility enrollment steps and live Q&A opportunities. However here are some specific instructions for unique situations: Your NHSN facility …

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Trump Administration Issues Guidance to Ensure States Have a Plan in Place to Safely Reopen Nursing Homes

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CMS announced new guidance for state and local officials to ensure the safe reopening of nursing homes across the country. The guidance released today is part of President Trump’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again. It details critical steps nursing homes and communities should take prior to relaxing restrictions implemented to prevent the spread of …

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Register for the webinar: Long-term Care Facilities’ Response to COVID-19

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Wednesday, May 27, 2020 2-3pm EDT For May’s LTSS webinar, join UNITE (Uniting Tribal Nursing Homes in Excellence) in a panel discussion with nursing home and assisted living facility administrators. The panelists will share their experience in responding to COVID-19, including providing care, programming, and staffing. By the end of the webinar, participants will learn: …

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Letter From CMS Administrator to Nursing Home Workers

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Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma penned a letter to nursing home management and staff. Administrator Verma shared her gratitude for the unwavering dedication and commitment of nursing home management and staff in keeping residents safe and for continuing to compassionately care for those who rely on them during …

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New Guidance Available on Requirements for Notification of Confirmed and Suspected COVID-19 Cases Among Residents and Staff in Nursing Homes

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CMS issued a memo and frequently asked questions addressing the new requirement that nursing homes and long term care facilities report COVID-19 facility data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and to residents, their representatives, and their families. This action, included in the recent Interim Final Rule with Comment Period, will support …

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CMS Announces Independent Commission to Address Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes

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Commission will comprehensively examine best practices in responding to COVID-19 in nursing homes As a part of President Trump’s Opening Up America Again effort, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new independent Commission that will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the nursing home response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. …

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Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System Updates, Nursing Home Staff Counts, and FAQs

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CMS is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s nursing homes are prepared to respond to the threat of the COVID-19. Nursing Home Compare website & Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System: We are announcing that the inspection domain will be held constant temporarily due to the prioritization and suspension of certain surveys, …

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Trump Administration Announces New Nursing Homes COVID-19 Transparency Effort

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Agencies partner with nursing homes to keep nursing home residents safe Today, under the leadership of President Trump, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced new regulatory requirements that will require nursing homes to inform residents, their families and representatives of COVID-19 cases in their facilities. In addition, as part of President Trump’s …

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Long-Term Services and Supports Solutions Newsletter — April 2020

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Upcoming webinar: COVID-19 in Indian CountryWednesday, April 22Long-Term Services and SupportsSOLUTIONSTechnical assistance for culturally competent care LTSS Technical Assistance CenterVisit the online LTSS TA Center for videos, best practices, toolkits, a resource library, and a step-by-step planning roadmap. COVID-19 and LTSS in Indian CountryBelow are tips for long-term services and supports (LTSS) facilities and home-based …

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Prioritization of Survey Activities

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s health care facilities are prepared to respond to the threat of disease caused by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). On Friday, March 13, 2020, the President declared a national emergency, which triggers the Secretary’s ability to authorize waivers …

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Nursing Home Visitor Guidance

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As part of the broader Trump Administration announcement today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced critical new measures designed to keep America’s nursing home residents safe from the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The measures take the form of a memorandum and is based on the newest recommendations from the Centers for Disease …

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Updated Guidance for Nursing Homes

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CMS is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s health care facilities and clinical laboratories are prepared to respond to the threat of the COVID-19. CMS is providing additional guidance to nursing homes to help them improve their infection control and prevention practices to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, including revised guidance for visitation. …

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