Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare NHSN has posted the Long-term Care Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Reporting Changes and Updates slides that correspond with the update provided in late May. The 45-slide deck includes: AND AND NHSN also posted an updated COVID-19 Vaccination Modules: Understanding Key Terms (4 pages) on May 23,…… Continue reading Updates to Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Data Reporting: Long-Term Care Facilities (Slide Deck)

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP  Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On May 25, 2022, CMS posted the Five-Star State-Level Cut Point Tables for the month of May. The Five Star Quality Rating System Technical Users’ Guide: State Level Health Inspection Cut Point Table – provides the data for the state-level cut points for the star…… Continue reading Five-Star State-Level Cut Point Tables Posted – May 2022

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Emergency preparedness plans capture a nursing home’s approach to meeting the health, safety, and security needs of staff and residents during an emergency or disaster. The written emergency preparedness plan should be a comprehensive plan that includes a risk assessment based on an all-hazards approach,…… Continue reading Incorporating Infection Prevention and Control into an Emergency Preparedness Plan

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS posted this month’s update of Appendix B on May 25, 2022. Appendix B contains changes to the list of State RAI Coordinators, MDS Automation Coordinators, RAI Panel members, and CMS locations and contacts. This is the updated Appendix B.May’s changes to Appendix B are:…… Continue reading May 2022 Update of Appendix B – RAI User’s Manual 

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS updated and posted numerous LTC Data Sets in May: Those Data Sets are found here and include (note: there is 1 Data Set for Swing Bed Providers): COVID-19 Vaccination Rates – State and National AveragesCOVID-19 Vaccination Rates – Provider DataProvider InformationSkilled Nursing Facility Quality…… Continue reading CMS Updates Numerous LTC Data Sets 

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare May 16, 2022 …The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing a funding opportunity of nearly $15 million for a three-year federal grant to establish a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) program that will strengthen the delivery of behavioral health care…… Continue reading New Funding Opportunity to Strengthen Behavioral Health Services in Nursing Homes and Other Long-Term Care Facilities

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has updated Section 13 – SNF Quality Reporting Program in the CASPER Reporting User’s Guide for MDS Providers. In that Section, you’ll find: Scroll down the page beneath the hyperlink found in the 1st sentence of this Blog to find: Each of the Sections…… Continue reading CASPER Reporting User’s Guide for MDS Providers Updated   

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Five Star Preview Reports will be available on May 16, 2022. To access these reports, select the CASPER Reporting link located on the CMS QIES Systems for Providers page. Once in the CASPER Reporting system, select the ‘Folders’ button, then select ‘My Inbox’ or the…… Continue reading Five-Star Preview Reports Available