Multi-State Nursing Home Operators Navigate Conflicting COVID-19 Rules

Skilled nursing operators across the U.S. are grappling with the challenge of caring for patients most vulnerable to COVID-19 while staying on top of a variety of state and federal guidelines. To do that without getting overwhelmed, it’s critical to have all the various components of an operation working together — and for operators with […]

Rethink Podcast #24: Arif Nazir of Signature HealthCARE and AMDA

The 24th episode of our podcast, Rethink, is now available! As both the chief medical officer for Signature HealthCARE and president of AMDA, the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, Dr. Arif Nazir has a micro- and macro-level view on how skilled nursing facilities are fighting the novel coronavirus. Dr. Nazir sat down with […]

Signature’s Chief Medical Officer: COVID-19 Crisis Will Usher in ‘New Era’ of Skilled Nursing, Post-Acute Care

As both the chief medical officer for Signature HealthCARE and president of AMDA, the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, Dr. Arif Nazir has a micro- and macro-level view on how skilled nursing facilities are fighting the coronavirus. And even in these early days of the crisis, Nazir believes that the sweeping emergency steps […]

After Successful Pilot at Signature, SNF Care-Planning Initiative to Expand with $3M Grant — and Eye on Reducing Hospitalizations

Advance care planning has emerged as a key win-win for nursing home operators and their residents, improving quality of life while also helping providers avoid unnecessary and costly rehospitalizations. Backed by a multi-million-dollar grant and adopted by some major players in the skilled nursing space, a program designed to improve advance care planning opportunities — […]

Why Signature Believes 18 Months of PDPM Prep Will Pay Off

The first round of earnings calls these past two weeks revealed few firm outcomes related to the new Medicare payment model for nursing homes, but one provider was identified as potentially ahead of the curve: Signature HealthCARE. Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) chief investment officer Robert Stephenson on Wednesday praised Signature, one of its tenants, […]

Omega Looks to Cut Daybreak Skilled Nursing Exposure After Performance ‘Deteriorated Further’

Despite showing long-term optimism about Daybreak Venture, executives at Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) on Wednesday revealed an ongoing plan to replace the struggling skilled nursing operator at many of its facilities in Texas. The two parties have mutually agreed to work toward a deal that would “selectively downsize” Daybreak’s footprint across the Lone Star […]

Proposed Mandatory Payment Model for Dialysis Could Have Skilled Nursing Promise

The federal government on Wednesday unveiled a new proposed payment model for certain kidney-related conditions, and several providers in the space say it could have serious potential for skilled nursing operators. Under the proposed End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Treatment Choices (ETC) model, Medicare would expand coverage of care for kidney diseases and offer financial incentives […]

HHS, DOJ Tout $2.3B in Fraud Recoveries — Including $47M from Skilled Nursing Facilities

The federal government recovered $2.3 billion in allegedly fraudulent health care reimbursements in fiscal 2018, with several big-dollar skilled nursing settlements contributing to that total. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week released a joint report on their health care fraud activities for the previous fiscal […]

REIT Resurgence Could Boost Skilled Nursing M&A Despite Near-Term Stress

The recent bullish performance of publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs) could have a virtuous cycle effect in the space, potentially boosting mergers-and-acquisitions activity in the skilled nursing and broader health care industries. That’s the thesis of Alex Pettee and Hoya Capital Real Estate, a Connecticut-based investment advisory firm that on Monday published a […]

PDPM 101: What Skilled Nursing Providers Need to Know Now

With a new Medicare payment model for skilled nursing facilities just months away, operators who haven’t started planning for the changes are already months behind. Skilled Nursing News has been reporting on the new Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) since the day it was finalized last July 31, and we’ve spent those eight months speaking to […]

Provider in $1.5M Skilled Nursing Settlement Responds to ‘Inaccurate’ Government Claims

Management at Conway Lakes Health & Rehabilitation in Orlando this week struck back at the federal government’s claims of malfeasance, days after regulators announced a $1.5 million settlement deal to resolve allegations of illegal kickbacks. The Department of Justice accused Clear Choice Health Care, the operator of Conway Lakes, and its employees of giving improper […]

Skilled Nursing Rents 10% Too High, Analysts Say

Skilled nursing rents must decline by about 10% across the board in order to ensure the facilities’ long-term stability, a Wednesday report from Green Street Advisors has concluded. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) must achieve rent coverage of around 1.9 times to achieve stability for their tenants, the real estate research firm’s analysts Lukas Hartwich […]

Omega CEO: Skilled Nursing Headwinds Will Die Down in Three Years

Fresh off a major restructuring effort with key tenant Signature HealthCARE, the CEO of Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) had a decidedly sunny outlook for the skilled nursing industry’s short-term future — as well as Signature’s. “We’ll look three years out,” Taylor Pickett said of his company’s restructuring strategy during a panel discussion at the […]

Sharing Success Stories Can Bolster Skilled Nursing in Meetings With Hospitals

Most post-acute providers are aware that they need to be able to demonstrate their outcomes with data in meetings with hospitals and other referral partners. But another crucial component is showing how those outcomes are contributing to a skilled nursing facility’s success. “I always say share what your outcomes are doing for you,” said Shonia […]

Signature CEO Steier on the Skilled Nursing Chain’s Rebuild, PDPM, and Industry’s Integrated Future

Skilled nursing provider Signature HealthCARE faced a a series of financial headwinds over the past two years. The provider’s problems ranged from issues paying the rent to major landlords Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) and Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (NYSE: OHI) to a government investigation related to the False Claims Act (FCA). The Louisville, Ky.-based operator, […]

Omega Joins CareTrust in Predicting Post-PDPM Wave of Skilled Nursing Sales

Leaders at two major real estate investment trusts (REITs) focused on health care assets have predicted a coming wave of mergers-and-acquisitions volume as smaller providers refuse to adapt to new skilled nursing payment rules. As mom-and-pop operators begin to unpack the changes associated with the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) — the new set of therapy […]

Omega Pulls Plug on Restructuring Agreement with Struggling Orianna Skilled Nursing Chain

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (NYSE: OHI) has pulled out of a proposed restructuring agreement with troubled tenant Orianna Health Systems, citing frustration with the process and a desire to protect its shareholders. The Hunt Valley, Md.-based real estate investment trust (REIT) said Monday that Omega will terminate its participation in the deal effective July 25. […]