Every November, American Diabetes Month is observed to sound the alarm about the diabetes epidemic. The IPRO QIN-QIO works to raise awareness about diabetes, honor those that are affected, and […]
American Diabetes Month Read More »
National Family Caregivers Month, celebrated each November, is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. In November, the IPRO QIN-QIO is celebrating the efforts of family
National Family Caregivers Month Read More »
The Trump Administration and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are delivering on their commitment to foster innovation in Medicaid by providing states with new tools to help beneficiaries
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls for November Read More »
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging everyone to roll their sleeve up for the annual influenza vaccine. By continuing to wear a mask, washing hands often,
Sleeve Up to Fight The Flu Read More »
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
CMS’ New One-Stop Nursing Home Resource Center Assists Providers, Caregivers, Residents Read More »
November 5, 2020 – January 7, 2021, 4-5PM EDT This live Q&A series is open to clinical and administrative nursing home staff members and others who have completed the self-paced,
October 8, 2020 This webinar was designed for those who help people with Medicare make informed decisions about their 2021 health care coverage. The webinar covered information regarding 2021 Medicare
CMS Webinar on October 8: Getting Ready for the Medicare Open Enrollment Period Read More »
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
October 30: Deadline for Vaccine Program Sign-Up Read More »
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls – October Read More »
Complete the CMS COVID-19 Training for Frontline Nursing Home Staff & Management.
Free Training: Nursing Home COVID-19 Preparedness Read More »
Tuesday, November 3, 11:30AM – 12:30PM EDT Part of the Telehealth Practice Innovations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Webinar Series Join Kathy Wibberly, Director of the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center, for
Telehealth Webinar on November 3: Preparing for the New Normal Read More »
Lake Success, NY, October 19, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded a four-year contract to IPRO to serve as a Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor
As training centers and nursing homes around the country continue to join the Network and prepare to embark on their respective cohorts, we’re offering a series of pre-launch webinars to
Pre-Launch Webinars: National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network Read More »
Thursday, October 29, 10:30-11AM EDT Our COVID-19 Workshop Series continues on alternating Thursdays, 10:30–11AM. The COVID-19 public health crisis had an unprecedented impact on the healthcare system across the country.
COVID-19 Workshop on October 29: Primary Care During a Crisis Read More »
Tuesday, October 20, 2–3PM EDT Please join us for a National Learning and Action Network (LAN) event on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. A LAN is a
CMS Webinar: Staffing Challenges & Solutions: Insights from the Frontline Read More »
Join an interactive community of practice to advance improvements in COVID-19 preparedness, safety, and infection control in nursing homes. Supported by the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Join the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network Read More »
Improve Health Equity During Hispanic Heritage Month From September 15 – October 15, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH), along with the IPRO
Hispanic Heritage Month: Resources for Patients, Families, & Caregivers Read More »
Improve Health Equity During Hispanic Heritage Month This year, as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) honors National Hispanic Heritage Month, we hope
Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15-October 15 Read More »
Treatment for Substance Use Disorder During the Public Health Emergency Wednesday, October 7, 3PM-4PM EDT CMS will host a Special Open Door Forum (ODF) to allow primary care providers, psychosocial
CMS Call on October 7: Substance Use Disorder Treatment during COVID-19 Read More »
On September 3, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Rural Action Plan, the first HHS-wide assessment of rural healthcare efforts in over 18 years. The
Policy: HHS Releases Rural Action Plan Read More »
The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) offers two new features for long-term care facilities to track weekly influenza vaccination data beginning with the 2020-2021 influenza season for health care personnel
NHSN Webinars on Oct. 1 & 6, 2020: New Healthcare Personnel Vaccination Module Updates Read More »
Wednesday, September 30, 11:30AM-12PM EST National partners, the National Kidney Foundation hosts a free webinar “Protecting Yourself and Your Patients: Preventing Influenza in the COVID-19 Era,” to discuss the implications
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
CMS Announces New Guidance for Safe Visitation in Nursing Homes Read More »
The independent Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes released its final report to CMS on September 16. The Commission report was created to conduct an independent review
Report Released: Independent Nursing Home COVID-19 Commission Findings Read More »
Trainings The CMS-CDC Fundamentals of COVID-19 Prevention for Nursing Home Management training series covers 13 topics that your nursing home staff must know to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. These trainings
Thursday, October 1, 10:30-11AM EDT Our COVID-19 Workshop Series continues on alternating Thursdays, 10:30–11AM. Join us on October 1 for a conversation with a person who recently had major brain
COVID-19 Workshop on October 1: Surgery During the Pandemic Read More »
In a research article published in PLOS Medicine (August 2020), patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) who are hospitalized for serious infections requiring prolonged intravenous antibiotics may face barriers to
The Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity are working with IBM Watson Health to develop a method to measure the impact of hospitals on
Initiative: How Can Hospitals Improve the Health of their Communities? Read More »
This published article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine (August 2020) describes a retrospective cohort study of COVID-19 positive patients who were hospitalized between February 27 and April 12,
Article: Respiratory distress the cause of most post-COVID hospital readmissions Read More »
The CMS Innovation Center recently announced the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model to address disparities by providing a path for rural communities to transform health care delivery
Initiative: CMS Announces CHART Model for Improving Rural Health Read More »
COVID-19 will have an unprecedented impact on homelessness, according to analysis by Dr. Brendan O’Flaherty, a professor of economics at Columbia University. Dr. O’Flaherty projects a 40-45% increase in homelessness
Article: Housing Insecurity a Growing Problem Read More »
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a rapid and massive shift to telemedicine to help protect patients and providers from infection. A JAMA Internal Medicine research letter asserts that an estimated
Article: Assessing Telemedicine Unreadiness Among Older Adults in the U.S. Read More »
A research article in HealthAffairs (August 2020) states that there is untapped potential to expand home-based medical care to homebound and non-homebound seniors, which can lower cost of care and
Article: Receipt of Home-Based Care Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries Read More »
View popular resources from our partners. Federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): Office of Minority Health Health & Human Services (HHS): Health Disparities Partners The Community Guide: Health
Resources: Where can I learn more about health equity? Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course for those who are new to the Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Quality Reporting Program (QRP). This
CMS Releases Long-Term Care Hospital Quality Reporting Program Web-Based Training Read More »
The COVID-19 pandemic caused healthcare providers to change how they operate to continue providing essential services to patients. It is essential to ensure immunization services are maintained or re-initiated. Immunizations
COVID-19 and Influenza Season 2020-2021 Read More »
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended
CMS Stakeholder Calls: September 8-24 Read More »
August 26, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s healthcare facilities are prepared to respond to the Coronavirus
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
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
Nursing Home Strategies for COVID-19 Only Isolation of COVID-19 Residents Read More »
Twice a month on Friday, 12:30–2:00 PM EDT Lessons from the Front Lines calls are a joint effort between CMS Administrator Seema Verma, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, and the
Lessons from the Front Lines: COVID-19 Read More »
Thursday, August 20, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) transitioned the live nursing home infection control trainings
Important CMS & CDC Nursing Home Training Series Change Read More »
August 24, 2-2:45PM EDT Requires Login. You’ll get an email and appointment after registration. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is making improvements to help people with Medicare
CMS Webinar on August 24: Medicare Care Compare Read More »
Do you have questions about the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Expanded Model Public Health Emergency (PHE) Flexibilities? The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released Frequently Asked
CMS Releases FAQs on MDPP Public Health Emergency Flexibilities Read More »
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will resume routine inspections of all Medicare and Medicaid certified providers and suppliers to improve the safety and quality
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health is honoring National Immunization Awareness Month. Although vaccination rates are low among all adults in the U.S., research shows
August is National Immunization Awareness Month Read More »
In 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continued its overhaul of the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program to continue the advancement of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT)
Learn More About 2020 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Requirements Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides a web-based training course for hospices wanting a resource to the many trainings offered related to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program
Now Available: Web-Based Course on Hospice QRP Education and Training Resources Read More »
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
SNF Provider Preview Reports – Now Available Read More »
Thursday, August 13, 1:30-3PM EDT Proposed changes to the CY 2021 Physician Fee Schedule are aimed at reducing burden, recognizing clinicians for the time they spend taking care of patients,
Listening Session: CY 2021 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing several policies that would give Medicare beneficiaries more choices in where they seek care and lower their out-of-pocket costs for
CMS Proposes Policies to Provide Seniors with More Choices and Lower Costs for Surgeries Read More »
Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule would make permanent certain telehealth and workforce flexibilities provided during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and improve healthcare for Americans in Rural Areas The Centers
The current COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) does not waive any requirements related to Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Consolidated Billing (CB). However, CMS added CPT codes 99441, 99442, and 99443,
COVID-19: Coverage of Physician Telehealth Services Provided to SNF Residents Read More »
Three final rules will strengthen Medicare program July 31, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is finalizing three Medicare payment rules that further advance our efforts
CMS Updates Medicare Payment Policies for Several Types of Healthcare Providers Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are announcing that payment is available to physicians and health care providers to
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office (MMCO) is sharing messages and materials on supporting equal opportunities and inclusion for
Resources: Bringing Attention to Health Equity for People with Disabilities Read More »
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls: August 11-14 Read More »
On July 28, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its first monthly update of data that provides a snapshot of the impact of COVID-19 on the
CMS Updates Data on COVID-19 Impacts on Medicare Beneficiaries Read More »
The Home Health COVID-19 PHE Tip Sheet is now available. This tip sheet is designed to assist Home Health providers in understanding the status of the Home Health Quality Reporting
Home Health QRP COVID-19 PHE Tip Sheet is Available Read More »
