Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Federal Register will publish a proposed OSHA rule designed to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses on March 30, 2022.  That proposed rule is Docket No. OSHA-2021-0006. The unpublished, public inspection copy of the proposed rule, all 108 pages, can be viewed here. SUMMARY:…… Continue reading OSHA to Issue Proposed Rule to Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare “Today, on the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a new report highlighting data on the record-setting 2022 Open Enrollment Period and key health care coverage gains made under the Biden-Harris Administration. The “State…… Continue reading On 12-Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, New HHS Report Shows Ways the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan Investments Are Lowering Health Care Costs and Expanding Coverage

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare There’s a lot of data entry and data reporting these days – all are important.  Don’t forget to look at your facility’s PEPPER report! PEPPER is an educational tool that summarizes provider-specific data statistics for Medicare services that may be at risk for improper payments. Providers…… Continue reading Have You Accessed Your PEPPER Report?

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Project Firstline is excited to announce the availability of our newest suite of infection control educational resources and training materials! These new resources are designed to help all healthcare workers gain a foundational understanding of infection control, so they can recognize the risk for germs to…… Continue reading Project Firstline 2022 Launch of New Resources: Risk Recognition and Infection Control in Health Care

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On Monday, March 21, 2022, the White House issued this Fact Sheet (note also the call this afternoon – Tuesday, March 22, 2022, details at end of this blog): “The Biden-Harris Administration has warned repeatedly about the potential for Russia to engage in malicious cyber activity…… Continue reading Act Now to Protect Against Potential Cyberattacks

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is publishing the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF-PAI) Quarterly Q&As, March 2022, Consolidated June 2020 to March 2022 document so that all IRF providers have the benefit of the clarifications to existing guidance. Through inquiries to…… Continue reading Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF-PAI) Quarterly Q&As, March 2022, Consolidated June 2020 to March 2022

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare                                                                                                       It’s here! I wait every year for the Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. This year the 122-page report also includes a special report: More Than Normal Aging: Understanding Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures is a statistical resource for U.S. data related…… Continue reading 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Washington, DC, March 15, 2022—Today, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) releases its March 2022 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy. The report includes MedPAC’s analyses of payment adequacy in traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare and reviews the status of Medicare Advantage (MA) and the prescription…… Continue reading MedPAC Releases March 2022 Report on Medicare Payment Policy

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The 2022 Q1 newsletter is now available on the NHSN website at https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/newsletters/index.html. Inside this issue – Patient Safety updates and Training Announcement, Healthcare Personnel Safety Module information, Quarterly Data Checks for NHSN Dialysis Event, first quarter General NHSN information, and more.  The newsletter is 18…… Continue reading 2022 NHSN Q1 Newsletter Available

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Patient Safety Awareness Week is an annual recognition event intended to encourage everyone to learn more about health care safety. During this week, IHI (Institute of Healthcare Improvement) seeks to advance important discussions locally and globally, and inspire action to improve the safety of the health…… Continue reading National Patient Safety Awareness Week: March 13 – 19, 2022