Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare This toolkit is intended for use by personnel in state, tribal, local, and territorial public health departments and LTCFs, including skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities. Targeted to public health departments and LTCFs, including skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, the toolkit encourages an investigation into even a…… Continue reading Group A Strep in Long-term Care Facilities: Identifying and Managing Outbreaks (Toolkit)

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Beginning Spring 2023, the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF) will provide training and resources to skilled nursing facility staff who care for residents with a variety of behavioral health conditions. This is a three-year cooperative agreement awarded to Alliant Health Solutions…… Continue reading Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF) Launches March 15, 2023

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has provided another update to the iQIES Roles Matrix Job Aid as of February 28, 2023. This is now version 3.3.  The previous update was February 9, 2023, version 3.2. Other than the version number and date changes at the bottom of each page, you’ll…… Continue reading iQIES Roles Matrix Job Aid Updated

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS is excited to announce that the transition of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) submission to the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES) will occur on Monday, April 17, 2023. To prepare for this release, all state configurations made in the legacy QIES MDS DMS…… Continue reading iQIES for Minimum Data Set (MDS) Submissions on April 17, 2023

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Wow!  Lots of information was disseminated by CMS official this afternoon during the SNF/LTC Open Door Forum.  This blog will break it down for you. First, here’s what the agenda was for the call today: I. Opening Remarks Chair – Todd Smith (Center for Medicare) Moderator…… Continue reading News From Just-Concluded CMS SNF/LTC Open Door Forum

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Date: March 7, 2023 Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM (ET) on Zoom The Moving Forward Coalition is dedicated to creating meaningful change in how we deliver nursing home care across the US. That begins in local communities and individual nursing homes, but it also requires the commitment…… Continue reading Upcoming Zoom Call: Advocating for Nursing Home & Long-Term Care Reform with Federal Leaders

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the March 2023 updated SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program FAQs.  This is a 28-page document that addresses 41 questions relating to: General Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing Program Information Measuring Readmissions Performance Scores, Rank, and Incentive Payments Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports Review and Correction…… Continue reading SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program FAQs Updated March 2023

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, CMS announcedthat the March 2023 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for the FY 2024 SNF VBP Program are now available to download via the Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES)/Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports (CASPER) reporting system. These reports contain interim…… Continue reading 2023 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for FY 2024 SNF VBP Program Available  

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The next CMS Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)/Long Term Care (LTC) Open Door Forum scheduled for:   Date:  Thursday, March 2, 2022 Start Time:  2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) Please dial-in at least 15 minutes before call start time. Conference Leaders: Todd Smith &…… Continue reading CMS SNF/LTC Open Door Forum – March 2, 2023

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare A new CMS analysis describes trends in use and outcomes associated with waiving the 3-day (two nights) stay requirement at an acute care hospital before discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). The 3-day waiver for certain accountable care organizations (ACOs) allows providers to admit patients to…… Continue reading CMS Analysis Provides Insight into Skilled Nursing Facility 3-Day Waiver Use in ACOs