June 2017 38 6 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
June 2017 edition of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
Where are they now?
Where are they now: Alverno Health Care
While it's too soon to know for sure, Alverno Health Care in Clinton, IA, expects it will decrease hospital admissions this year through telemedicine.
News
Suit filed over false background checks
An Indiana-based healthcare management group has been hit with a class-action lawsuit after one job applicant claimed she was denied a position at the company ...
Therapy docs lacking: expert
Untimely certifications, missed or incorrectly billed Change of Therapy documentation, and lack of documentation supporting a signed physician order for skilled therapy are among the ...
Arbitration rules get two major victories
The use of arbitration agreements in nursing homes may be bouncing back after it was banned in last year's final rule for long-term care providers.
Paltry pay raise not unexpected
Nursing home operators will receive a $390 million Medicare pay increase in fiscal 2018, the Centers for the Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in a ...
Hospital visits drop by 25%
Potentially avoidable hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries have dropped 25% since 2013, according to the "America's Health Ranking Senior Report" from the United Health Foundation.
$2.4 million to settle breach
A Texas health system agreed to pay $2.4 million in May to settle potential HIPAA violations stemming from an incident where it named a patient ...
Senators search for Medicaid agreement
Senators sought middle ground in May over an Obamacare replacement bill and its ability to expand and fund Medicaid.
Class-action OK'd for lawsuit
The Arkansas Supreme Court has agreed with a circuit court that a wrongful death complaint claiming understaffing by a nursing home may proceed as a ...
SCOTUS grants provider win in arbitration clause dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court in May sided with a Kentucky nursing home in a case involving power of attorney and arbitration that could have wider ...
McKnight's wins ASHPE, Hermes awards
McKnight's Long-Term Care News was recently honored with several sets of national awards.
State News
State News for June 2017
State drafting measures to create universal, single payer healthcare program after Canada's example
Features
Ulcers: closing the gaps
Lower-extremity diabetes wounds cost Medicare $9 billion annually — and providers still have a lot to learn about them and their care
Bugs and drugs
The focus shifts to infection control and medication management processes as preparations for Phase II of the new Final Rule ramp up for concerned providers
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds with... Steve Carr, Centers Health Care Chief sales officer
Q: As someone who has worked with several health systems and ACOs. What do you find is skilled nursing facilities' best appeal to hospitals?
Ask the care expert
Ask The Care Expert: Sherri Dornberger
With all of the talk about infection prevention, I was wondering is there any literature or information on storing our updraft and oxygen tubing?
Resident care
Many carrying noxious bacteria within
More than a quarter of skilled nursing facility residents have multidrug-resistant bacteria — including E. coli — lurking within them, Columbia University researchers found.
Supportive design, high staff levels promote activity in LTC
Building design, a sense of security, dedicated activity spaces and high staffing levels are all critical to encouraging physical activity among nursing home residents.
Ask the treatment expert
Wound care
Statin use is linked to fewer foot infections in new study
Prior therapy with atorvastatin considerably reduces the onset of diabetic foot infections and may be useful in preventing them, according to Iranian researchers.
Crustaceans feed new wound dressing
A novel compression dressing made from an antibacterial substance formed from the shells of crustaceans may prevent infections in wounds.
Ask the nursing expert
Ask the Nursing Expert about ... dealing with adverse events
It's 3 a.m. and the death last week of a resident who failed despite CPR is still keeping me up. The staff members acted appropriately, ...
Nursing
SNF aides rated among the unhealthiest eaters in U.S.
Nurses and doctors may be the healthiest workers in the U.S. labor force. But no field other than firefighters and law enforcement has worse health ...
Nurses are called unsung health heroes
The vast majority of American nurses promote a culture of health in their communities but rarely get credit for their efforts, according to a recent ...
Ask the payment expert
Ask The Payment Expert: Patricia Boyer
Can you clear up confusion over quality measures and how long people remain on the report?
Payment & policy
Court: Medicaid may collect SNF room-and-board outlays
In a ruling that could create ripple effects on state Medicaid programs around the country, Nebraska's highest court decreed that the state may pursue payment ...
ACOs cut costs, not quality
Post-acute care spending dropped by 9% — or about $106 per beneficiary — without a drop in quality, a study of accountable care organizations in ...
Ask the legal expert
Ask the Legal Expert about ... wage and overtime laws
Because this is an ongoing issue for us, could you re-emphasize how we can insulate ourselves from problems if we have diligent workers who might ...
Legal Matters
Workers fired before union vote to be reinstated: NLRB
Employees who were terminated from a California skilled nursing facility one week ahead of a union election must be reinstated and compensated for back pay, ...
Design
Design Decisions: Atrium Post Acute Care
Converting a golf course property into a full-scale post-acute care center fulfilled a need in the community while preserving area history.
How to do it…
How to do it ... Resident medication management
"The more the merrier" might be apropos for many situations, but a senior's medication regime is not necessarily one of them. On this page, we ...
A day in the life
The cat's meow
One of St. Augustine Health Ministries' most popular employees never had a job interview, or submitted an application — she simply showed up in the ...
Technology
Price wants more tech and less government meddling
Physicians need to be more patient-facing, not computer-facing, according to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price, M.D.
Opinion
Reader Poll: Who is your best friend at work?
"My boss is my best friend at work. She's given me an opportunity to travel and to seek out continuing education opportunities. I can ask ...
Saved by the bad apples
Personal phone technology is creating headaches for long-term care facilities, as a few dumb staff with the judgment and moral clarity of hamsters continue to ...
Company news
Chain-tied entrants are not disrupting local competition
The number of nursing homes affiliated with a chain provider has increased in recent years, with independent facilities becoming less common. But chains' growth typically ...
Kindred may be eyeing sale
Kindred Healthcare Inc. may be exploring a full sale along with its exit from the skilled nursing sector, Reuters reported in April.
Vendor news
Zillion Health partners with Vidyo service
Zillion Health, which focuses on patient engagement, and Vidyo, a video collaboration technology company, recently announced a partnership geared to providing more telehealth options.
Guardian Pharmacy expands as market conditions change
If it seems as if Guardian Pharmacy Services is consistently adding locations, it's because that's what's happening.
The big picture
Earn some extra credit
It wasn't long ago that this sector described itself as high-touch, but not high-tech.
Editor’s desk
20 dos and don'ts that will boost career success
As a believer in starting the day bright and early, I often hit the McKnight's office by 7:30 a.m. That's why I was glad to ...
Profile
Profile: Susan Hildebrandt
When Susan Hildebrandt discusses the challenges facing many working parents in the long-term care workforce, empathy comes up a lot.
