As Lengths of Stay Decline, Drug Costs Loom Larger in Skilled Nursing

Escalating drug costs have made headlines in the health care sector at large in recent months, and as patient length of stay (LOS) declines, skilled nursing facilities are particularly feeling the pinch due to their unique supply requirements. For Transitional Care Management, which has two skilled nursing locations in Illinois, the average cost of medications […]

Documentation Key for SNFs as CMS Targets Improper Discharges

Better record-keeping could help skilled nursing facilities protect themselves from litigation or penalties as regulators looks to cut down on improper discharges. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) last month announced a new initiative aimed at blunting the growing trend of illegal “dumping,” or eviction, of SNF residents. Common reasons for discharges often include payment […]

How On-Site Dialysis in SNFs Could Improve Patient Outcomes

Improving patient outcomes remains a top priority for skilled nursing providers, and some have begun to see the potential benefits of offering specialized on-site services such as dialysis. Shelley Matthes, director of quality improvement at Ecumen, believes delivering hemodialysis treatments on site eases the overall process for the patient who would otherwise be required to travel […]

Fighting the Perception of SNFs as ‘Minor Leagues’ of Nursing

Skilled nursing operators know the cold facts: Finding and retaining quality employees has gotten a lot harder as the improving economy created a job-seeker’s market, especially among more specialized practitioners such as nurses. And that’s before considering SNFs’ reputation as a “farm system” where nurses go to pick up a year or two of experience […]