‘Where the Ship is Heading’: Theoria Joins ACO REACH to Better Align With Value-Based Care in SNFs

Some physician groups have decided to join the accountable care organization (ACO) REACH programs to better serve high needs groups given that the nursing home sector is gravitating toward value-based care – the trend being especially true if patients are already aligned with an ACO through their primary care provider. Theoria Medical, for one, made […]

Fighting the Market Not a Winning Strategy: United Church Homes CEO on the Future of Managed Care

United Church Homes (UCH) is continuing to make progress on a recently announced value-based care play with health plan provider CareSource, while responding to the ongoing market and regulatory pressures in the nursing home space. In June, UCH — with a portfolio of about 1,600 senior housing and care units, including 600 nursing home units […]

‘Only the Beginning’: Staffing Mandate Assessments May Push Operators to the Brink

Beyond minimum staffing requirements, operators may need to prepare for updated assessment requirements, which leaders say will be a “core” aspect of the mandate, along with the 24-hour registered nurse (RN) requirement.  And these assessment requirements have increased, resulting in criticism from industry experts on both their value and the added burdens that these might […]

[UPDATED] CMS Issues Final Rule For Transparency in Ownership of Nursing Homes

The Biden-Harris Administration announced Wednesday a final rule requiring skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to disclose additional ownership and management information. The final rule, displayed on the Federal Register by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), implements portions of the Affordable Care Act. Nursing homes must submit ownership disclosures within a year of the […]

CarDon CEO: With Headwinds Contracting Nursing Home Margins, Survival Comes Down to Ancillary Services

The nursing home business is in a contraction phase, with continued increased labor costs, revenue draining government initiatives including but not limited to the minimum staffing proposal, and managed care diverting patients away from the space. Operators must balance census and labor with innovative ideas to stay afloat, says Kent Rodgers, President and CEO of […]

On Path to Ramp Up Future Acquisitions, CareTrust Aims to Sell 11 Midwest Skilled Nursing Facilities 

CareTrust REIT (NYSE: CTRE) executives disclosed their intention to sell 11 skilled nursing facilities in the Midwest that were classified as held for sale in the second quarter. The announcement was made during the company’s third quarter conference call on Friday, and in the broader context of CareTrust’s proactive portfolio management strategy. Executives indicated that […]

AG Rhodes CEO: Bad Policies Driven by Politics Hurt Person-Centered Care in Nursing Homes

As CEO of Atlanta-based nonprofit A.G. Rhodes and LeadingAge board member, Deke Cateau knows that well-intentioned policies sometimes simply don’t work in the real world – and can even wreak havoc for nursing homes. “If we have individuals … making critical changes to an industry that they do not understand, it’s dangerous. It would be […]

Hope Isn’t a Strategy: Inside the Fight for Survival of One Rural Nursing Home

Earlier this year, the Boundary Waters Care Center was in danger of closing. Through a concerted push for funds, the center raised $60,000 in community donations and is still operating — but Executive Director Adam Masloski is fighting every day to overcome operational and financial challenges, and he is deeply concerned about the potential devastating […]

American Healthcare REIT Signs Agreement to Take Full Ownership of Trilogy REIT

American Healthcare REIT (AHR) has entered into a purchase agreement to take full ownership of its subsidiary, Trilogy REIT Holdings, in which it had a majority stake. NorthStar Healthcare Income, which owns 24% currently, has granted AHR the option to acquire all the minority membership interest held by NorthStar.  This is another large purchase for […]

CMS Flooded With Staggering 40K-Plus Comments on Nursing Home Staffing Mandate

More than two months after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its minimum staffing proposal for the skilled nursing industry, commentary from stakeholders came to a close Monday with a staggering 40,000-plus comments received. Reviewing the hefty load of comments on the proposal may take as long as a year, according to […]

Omega Sells 29 LaVie Nursing Homes for $305M, Adjusts to Guardian’s Exit from Industry

Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) has sold 29 LaVie facilities for gross proceeds of $305 million. This Nov. 1, 2023, sale marked a substantial reduction in Omega’s exposure to LaVie assets, decreasing associated risk, CEO Taylor Pickett said Friday during the company’s Q3 2023 earnings call. Also on the call, leaders with Omega commented on […]

Nursing Home Construction Dwindles As Operators Downsize – But a Lack of Medicaid Beds is Most Concerning

As nursing home operators continue to decry staffing shortages as a contributor to access issues for residents, new construction of facilities to meet demand appear to be lagging as well. New construction has become especially difficult for operators trying to add Medicaid beds for low income residents, given notoriously low reimbursement rates – which are […]

‘Room for Adjustment’: Former CMS Chief on Countering Staffing Mandate, Public Image of Nursing Homes

Seema Verma, the former administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), isn’t happy with the talk on Capitol Hill around nursing homes, saying that it shows a lack of knowledge on the lawmakers’ part, making it incumbent upon sector leaders to engage with lawmakers directly, even inviting them into facilities. Currently senior […]

Moving Forward Coalition Members Discuss Nursing Home Staffing Issues, Action Plans

As the comment period for the federal government’s staffing proposal winds down, advocates for both nursing homes and residents alike are looking at ways to reach a middle ground. Among these advocates for measured change are members of the Moving Forward Coalition – an organization formed in April 2022 following the National Academies of Sciences, […]

Ensign CEO: Efforts to Strike Down CMS Staffing Rule Appear ‘Futile’ – But It Can Be Shaped

Nursing home industry stakeholders should try to shape the proposed federal minimum staffing policy to best fit with what providers can handle rather than railing against the rule completely. At least that’s what leaders of the Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) plan to do, CEO Barry Port said during the company’s third quarter earnings call on […]

Marquis CEO Fogg: Negotiating Power with Medicare Advantage, Big-Picture Staffing Strategy Key for Nursing Homes’ Future

The proposed federal staffing mandate is a potential “kill factor” for nursing home providers, while the rise of Medicare Advantage (MA) is a “major challenge” — and how well the sector responds to these threats will play a major part in shaping the future. This is the perspective of Phil Fogg Jr., CEO of Marquis […]

Nursing Home Leaders Connect with Staff in New Ways to Drive Retention

With the federal staffing mandate pending, many nursing home operators are looking for ways to retain their current staff. Research has shown that the role of regional clinical leadership – and the turnover rates of NH administrators (NHA) and directors of nursing (DON) – have an impact on overall quality. Stuart Almer, the CEO of […]