Dementia Care in Nursing Homes (Upcoming Call)

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare When: Tuesday, September 22, 2020, from 1:30 to 3 pm ET Registration:  Register for Medicare Learning Network events. Event Materials: Presentation: Available prior to the event at CMS MLN EventsAudio recording and transcript: Available approximately 2 weeks after the event Description:National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care and Quality Assurance…… Continue reading Dementia Care in Nursing Homes (Upcoming Call)

New CDC Website – How to Select, Wear, and Clean Your Mask

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare How to Select, Wear, and Clean Your Mask is a new CDC website that is consumer-facing.  It speaks to wearing cloth masks – not PPE that is used in your facility (AL, SNF/NF) or home.  I’m providing information in this blog that you could post on…… Continue reading New CDC Website – How to Select, Wear, and Clean Your Mask

Letter to Vice President Pence re: PPE Supplies to Nursing Homes

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Two (2) Senators – Ron Wyden (Ranking Member, Finance Committee) and Robert Casey (Ranking Member, Committee on Aging) have addressed a 10-page letter to VP Pence to “reiterate our deep concern that the Trump Administration’s continued failure to secure and distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) leaves…… Continue reading Letter to Vice President Pence re: PPE Supplies to Nursing Homes

COVID-19 Testing Positivity Data Now Available

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Friday, August 28, 2020 CMS began posting information on COVID-19 testing.  The COVID-19 Nursing Home Data website is where this information will be made available along with the NHSN data.  This website is part of QSO-20-38-NH … Interim Final Rule issued August 26, 2020.  This QSO…… Continue reading COVID-19 Testing Positivity Data Now Available

COVID-19 Updates: August 25 – 28, 2020

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare COVID-19 Nursing Home Data for Week Ending August 16, 2020 is now available. As always, the Nursing Home Dataset is accessible further down beneath these and other graphs on that same website.  Check out the other resources and information available there as well. ______________________________________________________________________________ CMS-3401-IFC (Medicare…… Continue reading COVID-19 Updates: August 25 – 28, 2020

Five-Star Quality Rating System: Cut Point Table Updated

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Quality Rating System: Technical User’s Guide_State-Level Health Inspection Cut Point Table for August 2020 has been posted.  This is a 4-page document. “The cut points are recalibrated each month so that the distribution of star ratings within States remains relatively constant over…… Continue reading Five-Star Quality Rating System: Cut Point Table Updated

RAI User’s Manual – Appendix B Updated Again

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS updated Appendix B with revision date of August 27, 2020. Appendix B provides the names and email addresses of each of the State RAI Coordinators, State MDS Automation Coordinators, RAI Coordinator Panel Members and Regional Office Contacts.   These are folks that you can reach out…… Continue reading RAI User’s Manual – Appendix B Updated Again

Creating an Effective Hospice Plan of Care

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare MLN Connects has provided a Fact Sheet: Creating an Effective Hospice Plan of Care that hospice providers will want to review and share with their team. “The hospice Plan of Care (POC) maps out needs and services supplied for a Medicare patient facing a terminal illness,…… Continue reading Creating an Effective Hospice Plan of Care

COVID-19 Updates – Digest for Week of August 24, 2020 (To Date)

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare This work week is not quite over yet (I’m writing this on Thursday morning) however there are some items I want to be sure you’re aware of before more information is provided. Yesterday I posted QSO-20-37-CLIA, NH Issued – Interim Final Rule Guidance.  If you read…… Continue reading COVID-19 Updates – Digest for Week of August 24, 2020 (To Date)