Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is releasing a video tutorial to assist providers in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities with standardized data assessment guidance and assessment strategies for the cognitive assessment known as the Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS). This video tutorial is approximately…… Continue reading NEW TRAINING EVENT – Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) Video Tutorial

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Five-Star Technical Users’ Guide was updated October 28, 2020.  October 2020 revisions include: Staffing Rating Changes: Starting with the October 2020 refresh of Nursing Home Compare (NHC), CMS will resume updating PBJ staffing measures and staffing ratings, using the data submitted for the August 14,…… Continue reading Five-Star Users’ Guide and State-Level Cut Point Tables Updated

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is releasing a video tutorial to assist providers in Skilled Nursing Facilities with standardized data assessment guidance and assessment strategies for the cognitive assessment known as the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM©). This video tutorial is approximately 25 minutes…… Continue reading NEW TRAINING EVENT – Confusion Assessment Method (CAM©) Video Tutorial

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The October 2020 refresh of SNF QRP data is now available on Nursing Home Compare (NHC), as well as the Nursing homes including rehab services web pages within Care Compare (CCXP) and Provider Data Catalog (PDC). The data are based on quality assessment data submitted by…… Continue reading SNF QRP October Refresh 2020 – Nursing Home Compare

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Appendix B of the RAI User’s Manual was updated again.  This Appendix is updated periodically when specific changes are made to state and regional offices: State RAI Coordinators, MDS Automation Coordinators, RAI Panel members and Regional Office contacts.  This update is advance-dated October 29, 2020.  Changes…… Continue reading RAI User’s Manual – Appendix B – Updated Again

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare I encourage you to read and share Dr. Michael Wasserman’s October 26, 2020 Guest Column  in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.  It is well worth the read! Dr. Wasserman ends his column with this: “Nursing homes desperately need strong medical leadership in an engaged and competent medical…… Continue reading Moving Nursing Homes Forward: The Future is Now

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On Friday, October 23, 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed two bills (S2712 and S2785) ordering reforms to the long-term care industry in New Jersey. S2712 requires minimum direct care staff-to-resident ratios in New Jersey long-term care facilities. Additionally, the legislation will establish the Special Task Force…… Continue reading New Jersey: Minimum LTC Staffing Ratios Law Signed