The director of nursing (DON) role has picked up dozens of additional responsibilities during the pandemic, clinical leaders say, as the nursing home sector continues to work through a historic staffing shortage. The result can amount to, at times, an “extremely stressful” position, according to North Shore Healthcare Chief Clinical Officer Tina Belongia. DONs across […]
Cascadia Healthcare
While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been winding down certain waivers tied to the public health emergency (PHE), the agency has been noticeably silent about what could be the most impactful of the pandemic-related waivers – suspension of the three-day stay requirement. Industry leaders aren’t holding out much hope that the […]
Operators are feeling pressure from all sides as the proposed payment rule for the nursing home industry dropped on Monday, which unveiled a 4.6% cut to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) and 3.9% increase to Medicare payments for the sector. The news comes at a time when SNFs are facing a historic workforce shortage, rising […]
Staffing is unequivocally, and unsurprisingly, the top challenge for the skilled nursing industry in 2022. That’s according to the Skilled Nursing News 2022 outlook survey, conducted online late last year as a way to identify the top sources of concern and opportunities leaders saw in the year ahead. Labor challenges are not only widespread, but […]
As the omicron variant propelled some acute and post-acute settings into crisis standards of care during the latest COVID-19 surge, skilled nursing facilities are again asking themselves and their community hospitals how the two parts of the care continuum can collaborate. Nursing home operators have continued taking residents from hospitals for a more transitory timeframe […]
CareTrust REIT Inc. (Nasdaq: CTRE) is considering a sale, among other strategic options, according to unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg. The San Clemente, Calif-based real estate investment trust (REIT) is working with an advisor to gauge interest from potential suitors, including competitors in the skilled nursing space and other real estate-focused investment firms, as reported […]
Operators are walking a tightrope following a series of injunctions issued against the federal vaccine mandate, developing plans to have staff fully vaccinated by early next year while balancing compliance between the courts and federal agencies. Two preliminary injunctions were issued this week, most recently by Judge Terry Doughty of the U.S. District Court for […]
Idaho-based operator Cascadia Healthcare plans to “grow intentionally” in existing states — the predominantly post-acute skilled nursing operator has 25 facilities across six states, with plans to add four more facilities by the end of the year. Three of its new SNFs will be in Washington and the fourth will be in a state Cascadia […]
If there’s been one recurring theme for SNN’s annual executive outlook, it’s the idea that putting 2020 to bed represents a chance to reset and move on past the worst year in the history of the post-acute and long-term space, both in the United States and around the world. But that can only happen if […]
With a presidential election less than a week away and a pandemic still raging out of control in many parts of this country, the post-acute and long-term health care landscape finds itself on the brink of what could be both a brutal and potentially transformative winter. A shift in power in Washington could bring new […]
The federal government has launched several programs intended to speed up COVID-19 testing in nursing homes, but as the sector stares down a flu season with no signs of coronavirus slowdowns, a pair of top leaders on Wednesday emphasized that the testing burden is far from solved. “We really need to understand and have a […]
The deadline for nursing home industry stakeholders to apply for a spot on the federal government’s special commission on safety and quality passed last weekend, but not everyone who threw their hats into the ring will win a seat — and the problems facing the industry run deeper than any one group could solve in […]
As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. mounts, concerns about hospital bed capacity are rising in proportion — and skilled nursing facilities need to be ready to help ease the stress on the acute care system, according to multiple providers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seemed to confirm this […]
The new year is barely a few days old, but leaders across the post-acute and long-term health care space have already predicted an active — and potentially distress-filled — 2020. As the industry adapts to a new Medicare payment model, the pressures that have bogged operators down over the last few years will continue, from […]
The long wait is over: The new Medicare payment system for nursing homes has arrived. October 1 marks the official start of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), just about 18 months after the federal government first announced the change in April 2018. Since then, the skilled nursing industry has trained a laser focus on preparations […]
With the Medicare Part A reimbursement overhaul taking effect in just a few months, skilled nursing providers across the country are in countdown mode. But the clock is moving at different paces for different providers, several experts said. Some SNFs began their analysis and preparations months ago; others are barely getting started. That’s led to […]
CareTrust REIT (Nasdaq: CTRE) expanded its existing relationship with operator Cascadia Healthcare with the $12.8 million purchase of a transitional care facility in Nampa, Idaho. Cascadia of Nampa, a 99-bed facility one block away from the Saint Alphonsus Medical Center, became the 12th building from the Eagle, Idaho-based operator to enter the CareTrust portfolio. “We […]
Ever since the government came out with its most recent model for bundled payments, acute care has been in the driver’s seat. Under the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) program, hospital providers and physician leaders are the only ones who can initiate episodes of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services […]
Cascadia Healthcare Becomes Largest Post-Acute Operator in Idaho Cascadia Healthcare announced several transactions that made the Eagle, Idaho-based post-acute health care company the largest such operator in the state. Cascadia of Nampa, a 99-bed transitional care facility in Nampa, Idaho, opened most recently. In addition, Cascadia expects to open a similar construction facility in Boise, Idaho, early next […]
Among large swaths of the real estate investment community, reducing exposure to skilled nursing assets is considered a smart play at the moment. Given the uncertain regulatory landscape and shifting payment models, betting on SNFs may just not seem worth it. But several players in the SNF investment market believe that the asset class isn’t necessarily […]