Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare There is a new Quality in Focus tab at the CMS QSEP Training website: LTC training includes: Quality in Focus Resources for Addressing LTC Free of Accident Citations Training for Providers Quality in Focus Resources for Addressing LTC Treatment and Prevention of Pressure Ulcer Citations Training…… Continue reading New CMS Survey Training Resources

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare AHRQ supports U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week, an annual observance to raise awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent threats to the public’s health. More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in…… Continue reading Antibiotic Stewardship Toolkits

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare This Friday kicks off U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW), November 18-24. This year’s theme is prevention. Data in CDC’s 2022 COVID-19 Special Report [PDF – 44 Pages] showed that many patients with COVID-19, including outpatients, receive unnecessary antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics can save lives, but their use can cause…… Continue reading U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week: November 18 – 24, 2022

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) is proud to announce thatWorldwide Pressure Injury Prevention Day is to be celebrated on Thursday, November 17, 2022. The objective of Worldwide Pressure Injury Prevention Day is to increase awareness about pressure injury prevention and to educate the public on this topic. NPIAP has developed an…… Continue reading Worldwide Pressure Injury Prevention Day: Thursday, November 17, 2022

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Health care workers have sacrificed so much to care for our nation. It’s National Gratitude Month – a great reminder to say THANK YOU to a health care worker you know. Our health depends on the well-being of our health workforce. Let’s take care of those…… Continue reading National Gratitude Month – Thank You Health Care Workers!

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare That’s the headline in FLUVIEW – week ending November 5, 2022. LTCFs (e.g., nursing homes/skilled nursing, long-term care for the developmentally disabled, and assisted living facilities) from all 50 states and U.S. territories report data on influenza virus infections among residents through the National Healthcare Safety Network…… Continue reading Early Increases in Seasonal Influenza Activity Continue Nationwide

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CDC has released the 2021 National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report, which shows significant increases in the standardized infection ratio (SIR) between 2020 and 2021 in some HAIs for some facility types.  Changes in SIRs among acute care hospitals from 2020 to 2021 include:  14%…… Continue reading 2021 National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report Shows Increases in Some HAIs

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The observance of Veterans Day is more than free food, a paid holiday for some, sales in stores (and an infamous blizzard if you’re old enough to remember or have heard about it through family). The above was the 1st sentence in my blog exactly 1…… Continue reading Veterans Day – 2022

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On November 3, 2022, iQIES posted an updated Manage User Information and Quick Checklist Job Aid v2.0.  The direct link to this 11-page document is here.  V2.0 is dated October 25, 2022.

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On November 8, 2022, CMS recommunicated Transmittal 11626 – Change Request 12923.