An ongoing depletion of knowledgeable nursing staff at nursing homes, such as the Minimum Data Set (MDS) coordinators, is leading to errors and confusion with facility surveys and ratings. This, in turn, is impacting operations and the ability to acquire and improve distressed facilities. A high turnover among those close to the survey process is […]
While hopeful that the Supreme Court’s recent Chevron decision will undermine the federal staffing mandate and lead to a more rational regulatory environment, leaders in the nursing home sector also are warning that the ruling could create a period of uncertainty and tumult. Steve LaForte, director of corporate affairs and general counsel for Idaho-based Cascadia […]
In an era when surveys – and delay in surveys – have been the cause for much stress among nursing home operators, a sometimes undervalued and overlooked strategy to minimize survey risk involves operators developing strong relationships with their state survey agencies. That’s certainly an easier task compared to getting approval from national agencies like […]
As regulatory, operational and legal risks abound for nursing home operators, strong relationships with commercial insurance carriers and brokers continue to be key in countering costs. Operators facing higher insurance premiums and greater administrative burdens have turned to using strong commercial insurance risk management companies as well as data-driven solutions that factor in the new […]
The new facility assessment requirements that federal agencies are expecting will guide decisions on staffing levels are also garnering concerns about potential administrative and financial burdens, particularly for smaller-sized nursing home chains. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) modified the existing requirements in late June, issuing expanded guidance to include metrics that are […]
Potential changes to the nursing home survey process being mulled over by federal authorities – and aimed at standardization across states – have many operators feeling optimistic for the years ahead, especially given that regional differences in implementation can lead to extra administrative burdens and survey backlogs. Toward the end of 2023, the Centers for […]
Many skilled nursing operators will need to reclassify their existing relationships with independent contractors and rethink future ones in the wake of a final rule issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) on Tuesday. The DOL’s new rule revises guidance on how to determine who is an employee and who is an independent contractor under […]
Managing personal technology devices is a common concern among staff at businesses across the nation, and nursing homes are no exception. While policies for personal technology use at nursing home organizations run the gamut – from completely restricting cell phone use to limited use to even encouraging use among employees – nursing homes have had […]
As operators mull problems on staying up to date with new or upcoming rules, legal and compliance executives believe that the federal government’s staffing proposal and focus on healthcare fraud prosecution are among the top challenges facing the sector. Speaking at Skilled Nursing News’ Risk Summit, leaders from Cascadia Healthcare and American Senior Communities, discussed […]
While financial pressures have created challenges and precipitated closures for smaller mom-and-pop nursing homes, the trend has also meant opportunities for those looking to acquire and add scale. Operators who have recently acquired mom-and-pop or small facilities say the most important consideration when expanding a portfolio with mom-and-pops is getting to know the culture of […]
As government entities and organizations in the nursing home space are scrambling for policy changes to regulate staffing agencies, they seem to be prioritizing legislation that addresses price gouging while worker classification also remains on the table. The Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) introduced in Congress in 2021 and currently being examined […]
General staffing metrics used to assess quality of care hold less weight these days and need to be updated, experts say, because the entire skilled nursing industry is struggling to build and retain its workforce. These quality measures need to be presented through the lens of the pandemic and the staffing crisis, SNF leaders say. […]
With the end of the public health emergency, industry stakeholders said the development of Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs) are of more interest to skilled nursing operators than ever before. Mark Price, Chief Executive Officer of Curana Health, said the interest level in I-SNPs has significantly increased in the past few months. “With the end […]
As acuity continues to rise among nursing home residents, providers say reimbursement needs to change too – and not just the dollar amount. Incentives should be based on quality of care, and the industry will need to build out specific reimbursement models to match expanded acuity specialities, especially as value-based care becomes more and more […]
Last week, Cascadia Healthcare officially took over management of three facilities formerly operated by the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, with the remaining six buildings in the transitioning portfolio scheduled to follow suit in April and May. The transition process is going smoothly, with each building presenting a “microcosm of opportunity,” Cascadia President and CEO […]
The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, one of the largest skilled nursing providers in the United States, plans to consolidate its operations from 22 states to seven. Once the process is complete, the Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Good Samaritan Society will have operations in South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. About […]
Nursing home operators and workers are warning that an onerous and punitive approach to surveys is contributing to administrator burnout and deepening the ongoing labor crisis. “I was working at least 12 hour days every single day, and working the floor as a CNA as well, in addition to doing the administrator job because of […]
As nursing home operators find themselves in the middle of a tripledemic – with Covid-19 cases, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the flu on the rise during winter months – concerted efforts to get staff and residents boosted against Covid have fallen by the wayside. And nursing home operators dealing with staffing shortages and burnout, […]
The top quotes of 2022 memorably captured some of the biggest skilled nursing issues of the year, from “shocking” payment policies to “colossal” regulatory issues to “transformative” changes. The quotes below not only serve as reminders about what transpired over the last 12 months, but touch on many issues that are still pressing as 2023 […]
An already risky move to turnaround a building on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Special Focus Facility list may become an even greater challenge. Those that have taken on the task say recent punitive restrictions could mean less operators will opt to purchase these types of facilities in future. In turn, especially […]
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