Developing new post-acute and long-term care infrastructure during normal times isn’t always easy — in fact, for one Illinois company, the phased opening of three new skilled nursing facilities this year represented the culmination of more than five years of work. But as COVID-19 continues to reveal the fatal shortcomings of outdated nursing home design, […]
Skilled nursing operators and associated providers received about $165 million in small loans under a federal program designed to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic, an analysis of public data by Skilled Nursing News has found. In turn, those 3,300 loans — all under $150,000 apiece — helped operators in the space preserve a total […]
The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) on Tuesday released details on the reporting requirements for companies that received federal money designated for health care providers grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. The notice of reporting requirements details the timing of future reporting for recipients of distributions from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF), created by […]
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited three skilled nursing facilities in Ohio for violating respiratory infection standards in a way that failed to protect employees from COVID-19. The Pebble Creek Healthcare Center in Akron, along with Salem West Healthcare Center and Salem North Healthcare Center in Salem — all […]
The federal government on Wednesday revealed more details about the prioritization of nursing homes that will receive point-of-care testing kits for COVID-19 under an ambitious new plan, with 600 set to be sent this week. In addition to targeting facilities with at least three or more confirmed or suspected cases in the last week, as […]
When it became apparent that COVID-19 was sweeping the country, one of the earliest major preventative steps was a move by the federal government to instate a near-total lockdown on any unnecessary visits. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the sweeping ban on March 13, which did include an exception for end-of-life […]
In perhaps the starkest illustration yet of the need for routine testing in long-term care, a new analysis reveals how one nursing home went from zero suspected cases to an 85% positive rate in four days. A team of researchers looked at the isolated case of a single facility in Massachusetts, which the state government […]
A group of U.S. senators asked top health officials to begin releasing detailed demographic data on coronavirus infections in nursing homes, pointing to mounting evidence that the disease disproportionately affects communities of color. The federal government has required the nation’s more than 15,000 nursing homes to report COVID-19 counts from May onward, but the public […]
The exact prescription for reforming the nursing home landscape depends largely on who you ask. An executive in the space could give you a wildly different answer than a geriatrician, and both may not agree with the perspective of federal regulators. But Dr. Michael Wasserman has held roles across all those domains, and he has […]
In calling for a complete overhaul of the way the government and society view long-term and post-acute care, a prominent group of geriatricians argued that the fractured response to COVID-19 in nursing homes may have caused more harm than good in many areas. Three leaders from AMDA, the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, […]
The federal government’s top Medicare official this week emphasized a desire to work closely with leaders in the nursing home landscape, pointing to industry feedback as a key driver behind a sweeping plan to send point-of-care COVID-19 testing units to the nation’s nursing facilities. “CMS obviously has a regulatory function with nursing homes,” Centers for […]
One day after the federal government announced an ambitious plan to send point-of-care testing units for COVID-19 to all of the nation’s more than 15,000 nursing homes, leaders in the space expressed cautious optimism — while often emphasizing that they have more questions than firm answers. Starting next week, the Department of Health and Human […]
The federal government on Wednesday revealed more details about its ambitious effort to send point-of-care COVID-19 testing units and kits to every nursing home in the country, indicating that each facility will receive 400 tests to start with — and thereafter be able to secure subsequent tests for under $25 apiece through a “special concierge […]
The federal government on Tuesday announced an ambitious plan to send point-of-care tests directly to every nursing facility in the country. But unless the building has a specific waiver allowing staffers to perform tests, the facility will not receive the tests, SNN has learned. Operators must secure a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waiver in […]
Another study has shown the benefits of universal COVID-19 testing at nursing homes, especially when compared to a symptom-based strategy — while also revealing how long even the most vulnerable residents can remain asymptomatic after a positive test. Universal testing caught 354 positives that symptom-based strategies missed at 11 facilities across Maryland, a new research […]
The federal government last week announced a push to support nursing homes in emerging COVID-19 hotspots, using a two-pronged approach of targeted enforcement and technical support from Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs). But the group that represents those QIOs claims that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hasn’t provided them with nearly enough money […]
Longwood Management Corporation, along with 27 individual affiliated skilled nursing facilities, will pay $16.7 million to settle federal allegations of rehabilitation billing fraud, the Department of Justice announced Monday. The government accused the Los Angeles-based firm of pressuring therapists to hit predetermined targets for rehab minutes under the Ultra High category, which provided the greatest […]
Health officials in New York late last week signed off on the resumption of visits to nursing homes that meet a host of safety criteria, while also emphasizing the danger of asymptomatic spread within facilities. Facilities free of COVID-19 cases for 28 days will be allowed to open their doors to non-emergency visitors, the New […]
The federal government has released billions of dollars in aid to health care providers, including nursing home operators, as they try to weather the clinical and financial strains of a pandemic that shows no signs of easing in the United States. But for providers that took over facilities in the months leading up to the […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday announced a plan to support nursing homes in new “COVID-19 hotspot areas,” with a combined focus on technical support and targeted inspections for facilities with a history of infection control issues. The White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Mike Pence and coordinator […]
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