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 […]

Building an Edge: SNF Operators Innovate Through Establishing Specialty Services, Public-Private Partnerships

Against the backdrop of economic and staffing challenges still facing the nursing home sector, operators are seeking business innovations that are community-centered and that expand their health care offerings through unique public-private partnerships and financial arrangements. The innovations include transition into a nonprofit model, creative ways to use state and federal dollars, and addition of […]

5 Skilled Nursing Providers to Watch in 2023

With reporting from Tim Mullaney and Zahida Siddiqi With the number of nursing home beds in decline across the United States — and providers large and small divesting of facilities, exiting the industry or shutting down completely — some organizations are finding ways to grow. Expansion is one theme uniting this year’s skilled nursing providers […]

Vivage, Beecan Merge to Create Network of 42 Skilled Nursing Facilities in Colorado

Colorado-based Vivage Senior Living announced its merger with Beecan Health Colorado, bringing together 42 skilled nursing communities under one integrated network of care. That’s nearly 3,600 combined licensed beds across the state of Colorado, Vivage said in a statement. The companies chose to merge their Colorado footprint in order to reach more people in need […]

Non-Clinical Staffing Shortages Create Pipeline Issues for Critical Nursing Home Positions

Nursing home leaders expect non-clinical staffing shortages to have a crippling long-term impact on the talent pipeline and career interest in the space – both on a clinical and supervisory level – as many young people make the choice to enter the workforce via other industries. Infection prevention protocol and more broadly the tight regulatory […]

[UPDATED] CMS Updates Nursing Home Medicare Requirements of Participation Guidance, Furthers Biden Reform Agenda

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday issued updated guidance for nursing home surveyors under the requirements of participation for Medicare and Medicaid, and in support of nursing home reform initiatives first unveiled in February. As providers and industry associations digested the updates, one familiar theme emerged: concern over new requirements and […]

Nursing Homes Struggle with Cost Inflation, Other Effects from Staffing Agency ‘Gold Rush’

Some operators are seeing day-to-day staffing agency usage cost them both financially and clinically, with pricing for certain positions soaring while inconsistent staff are impacting care quality. Jay Moskowitz, CEO of Colorado-based Vivage Senior Living, said costs associated with certified nursing assistants (CNAs) via agency increased 41% between October 2020 and October 2021 for his […]

Colorado Nursing Homes Eye Traveling Nurses as ‘Quick Solution’ to Bolster Staffing During Latest COVID-19 Surge

As Colorado faces the highest number of COVID-19 patients it’s seen in the past year with more than 94% of the ICU beds in the state currently occupied, Gov. Jared Polis has pointed to long-term care facilities as a possible lifeline for hospitals during this surge. Last month the governor reactivated an executive order which […]

[UPDATED] Nursing Home Staff Must Be Vaccinated, Biden Administration Says

Following the Biden administration’s announcement that all nursing home staff must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing Medicare and Medicaid funding, operators and senior living organization leaders fear singling out one group of health care workers will only exacerbate a continued staffing crisis. Some state mandates, on the other hand, call on all health […]

As Admissions Stall and Aid Dries Up, ‘Losses are Coming’ for Nursing Homes in ‘Bleak’ First Half of 2021

The steps taken by regulators to cut red tape for skilled nursing facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic have been extremely helpful in stabilizing operations, and the financial support from various rounds of stimulus funds has kept balance sheets steady. But with COVID-19 surging again in many parts of the U.S. and occupancy seemingly flatlining, the […]

Tips to Recruit and Retain the Best SNF Directors of Nursing

Leader. Lifelong learner. Top-notch clinician. All ideal qualities for a skilled nursing facility’s director of nursing (DON). Finding – and keeping – a person with all those qualities is a daunting challenge. “I can only tell you, DONs in the post-acute skilled nursing world are very rare and they’re a treasure,” said Nancy Schwalm, chief business development […]

What Hospitals Consider When Pointing Patients to Skilled Nursing Facilities

Hospital patients only have a limited window of time to select a skilled nursing facility at discharge, and hospitals are increasingly looking at a few new metrics when deciding which SNFs to recommend. In particular, hospitals are watching staff turnover rates more and more — even for executive positions, Vivage Senior Living chief business development officer Nancy […]