CMS Implements Enhanced Barrier Precautions Effective April 1, 2024
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued QSO-24-08-NH regarding the implementation of enhanced barrier precautions (EBPs) in nursing homes to prevent the spread of multi-drug...
View ArticleDiscover the Power of AI Innovation at the Population Health Management Summit
Are you ready to revolutionize your approach to innovation and explore the full potential of AI as a catalyst for transformative change? If so, then join us at the PHM Summit , to get inspired by...
View ArticleCheck Out NCAL’s Affordable Infection Prevention and Control Course for...
With emerging communicable diseases, including multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs), it is important for assisted living team members to understand standard, contact, and airborne precautions....
View ArticleThis Affordable Course Unravels Facility Assessment Challenges
Facility assessments are mentioned more than 100 times in the CMS State Operations Manual and F838 – Facility Assessment – specifically outlines facility assessment requirements. Is your team...
View ArticleReminder: CDC NHSN Open Office Hours for Annual Health Care Personnel...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has scheduled upcoming open office hours for reporting the annual Healthcare Personnel Influenza Vaccination Data (registration is required)....
View ArticleCDC Adds Resources and Information to Implement Enhanced Barrier Precautions
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) has a suite of tools and resources to assist nursing homes with implementing Enhanced Barrier Precautions (EBP) as outlined in CMS’ recent memo...
View ArticleOSHA Regulation of Infectious Disease in Long Term Care
While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not currently have a specific infection prevention standard tailored for long term care facilities, it regulates employee exposure to...
View ArticleUpcoming Webinars - Understanding Changes in COVID-19 Vaccine Reporting...
The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) will host a webinar on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. ET , providing an overview of important updates to the definition of long term care...
View ArticleAHCA/NCAL’s Mark Parkinson and Clif Porter Honored at McKnight's Pinnacle Awards
Mark Parkinson, AHCA/NCAL President and CEO, and Clifton J. Porter II, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, were recognized as recipients of the 2nd annual McKnight's Pinnacle Awards last...
View ArticleNCAL Endorses SENIOR Act Bill
The Safeguarding Elderly Needs for Innovation and Occupational Resources (SENIOR) Act ( H.R. 7605 ) was recently introduced by House of Representatives members Lori Trahan (D-MA) and Brian...
View ArticleChange Healthcare Update: Payer Contacts and Resources
On Monday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response...
View Article2024 HCS Salary & Benefits Studies Deadline Extended
Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) is conducting its annual Continuing Care Retirement Community ( CCRC) Salary & Benefits study and requests your participation. CCRC providers...
View ArticleCMS Issues FY 2025 SNF Proposed Payment Rule
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the proposed rule for the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Highlights...
View Article2024 AHCA/NCAL Awards Program Now Open!
Nominations for the 2024 ACHA/NCAL Awards Program are now open! AHCA/NCAL members are strongly encouraged to nominate those in their community who go above and beyond to provide exceptional service in...
View ArticleNYU Study Seeks Nursing Homes for Dementia Care Research
AHCA has been informed about a research study that may interest our members, called IN-HOME: I dentifying N eeds to H elp O lder adults M aintain E veryday community living . Researchers at New York...
View ArticleNominate a 2024 Champion of Quality in Long Term Care
Nominations for the 2024 Mary K. Ousley Champion of Quality Award are now open! AHCA/NCAL members are encouraged to nominate an individual that has made significant national contributions to advancing...
View ArticleQuality Assurance Performance Improvement “101” for Assisted Living
Assisted living exists out of a desire to serve and support residents by offering care and services that deliver a high quality of life. Quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) programs...
View ArticleFree Workforce Webinar Focuses on Effective Interviewing Techniques
Healthcare Academy® is hosting a free webinar titled Mastering Behavioral-Based and Peer Interviewing on Wednesday, May 8 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. CDT. The webinar will feature Todd Hendricks, MBA from...
View ArticleBe Survey Ready: Train for the 9 F-Tags Covering Trauma Informed Care
T rauma Informed Care (TIC) is a regulatory requirement for all skilled nursing facilities. Nine CMS F-Tags (F699, F656, F659, F740, F741, F742, F743, F745, F949) cover various aspects of TIC...
View ArticleCMS Releases Medicare Advantage Payment Rates for 2025
On April 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the CY 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) Rate Announcement . The Rate Announcement is the finalized policies by which CMS calculates...
View ArticleCMS Publishes Updated Critical Element Pathways to Address Enhanced Barrier...
On April 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) updated the following survey critical element pathways (CEPs) due to the enforcement of enhanced barrier precautions (EBP) outlined in...
View ArticleFDA Updates Safety Recommendations Regarding Plastic Syringes Made in China
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated recommendations for U.S. suppliers of plastic syringes, consumers, health care providers, and facilities. It notes until further notice...
View ArticleCDC Updates Ventilation Guidance for Communities
Following the updates and simplification of the respiratory virus recommendations for community settings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its ventilation...
View ArticleNew AHCA Resource: Preparing Before Your Survey
A new survey tip has been posted to the AHCA Survey Regulatory page to help when preparing before a survey. In the new Survey Tip section of the Survey Regulatory page, you will find tips related to...
View ArticleLTC Best Practices for Compliance with OSHA's Employee-Centric Infection...
The previous article Infectious Disease in LTC Part 1 looked at the regulatory landscape surrounding the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) oversight of infectious disease...
View ArticleMake Your Voice Heard at Congressional Briefing
Join hundreds of long term care professionals to advocate for the profession in Washington, DC June 3-4, 2024 for AHCA/NCAL’s Congressional Briefing . Seize the opportunity to personally engage with...
View ArticleCMS Enhances MA Beneficiary Protections
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week released the Contract Year (CY) 2025 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule , which finalized revisions to policies governing Medicare...
View ArticleLearn the Ins and Outs of SNF Billing
AHCA’s online training titled Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) Academy delivers concrete strategies for skilled nursing facilities to secure earned dollars, minimize unnecessary losses, and stay paid....
View ArticleTeaching Staff Self-Care Can Help With Employee Retention
The workforce crisis and COVID-19 exacerbated the demands and pressures faced by staff creating even more stress for those who work in long term care. Self-care is an essential way to help reduce...
View ArticleUSCIS Increases Automatic Extension of Certain Employment Authorization...
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a temporary final rule (TFR) to increase the automatic extension period for certain employment authorization documents...
View ArticleOSHA Issues New Rule on Employee Representation During OSHA Inspection
Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its Final Rule “clarifying” that third-party, non-employees may accompany the OSHA Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO)...
View ArticleThe Center of Excellence Releases New April Education Events
The Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF) released new education events for the month of April that offer ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical...
View ArticleAHCA/NCAL's Mark Parkinson Honored with LTPAC Lifetime Impact Award
The accolades continue for AHCA/NCAL President and CEO Mark Parkinson, who yesterday received the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN) LTPAC Lifetime Impact Award. The award,...
View ArticleWATCH NCAL Executive Director LaShuan Bethea Encourage Members to Apply for a...
The deadline to submit a 2024 National Quality Award application is next week, Thursday, January 25 at 8 p.m. EST. In this video message, NCAL Executive Director LaShuan Bethea encourages members to...
View ArticleMeet Our New Associate Business Members
"We are thrilled to welcome new associate business members to AHCA/NCAL as we continue to grow and strengthen our community dedicated to advancing excellence in Senior Living," announced Bill...
View ArticleBe Survey Ready: Manage Your Risk of Accidents Citations
F689—Accidents remains one of the top three citations and CMS regulations require that nursing facilities be as free of accident hazards as possible. AHCA offers affordable training titled Accidents...
View ArticleSurvey Tip: Abuse, Neglect, and Misappropriation
AHCA has created a new survey tip that has been posted to the AHCA Survey Regulatory page pertaining to abuse, neglect, and misappropriation of resident property. This resource and other tip sheets...
View ArticleBetter Savings and Better Buying with the Incite GPO
Incite Strategic Partners is AHCA/NCAL’s exclusive Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) partner that saves long term care facilities money on food and other common purchases while raising the level...
View ArticleCMS Issues Correction to FY 2024 SNF PPS Final Rule PDPM ICD-10 Mapping
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a correction to the FY 2024 SNF PPS final rule (previously referred to as “Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and...
View ArticleCMS Announces Proposed Mandatory Episode-Based Model
Last week, following the release of the FY 2025 Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a mandatory episode-based,...
View ArticleCOVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody: New Codes for PEMGARDA
On March 22, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an emergency use authorization for the PEMGARDA (pemivibart) investigational monoclonal antibody product for pre-exposure...
View ArticleNominate Your Staff for the 2024 Jan Thayer Pioneer Award
Nominations for NCAL’s 2024 Jan Thayer Pioneer Award are now open. The award recognizes an individual who has moved the senior care profession forward, positively affecting the lives of those served...
View ArticleTake the Infection Preventionist Training Built for Long Term Care
AHCA/NCAL’s Infection Preventionist Specialized Training (IPCO) is recommended for individuals responsible for infection prevention and control in all long term care settings and is specifically...
View ArticleBoost Your Assisted Living Leadership Knowledge and Skills
Being a successful team leader in an assisted living community requires broad knowledge, technical skills, and the soft skills necessary to effectively lead others. Assisted Living Leadership – It’s...
View ArticleEmpowering Excellence-Leveraging Data for Quality Improvement
Data plays a pivotal role in driving operational excellence and continuous quality improvement efforts. Data is essential in identifying challenges and opportunities while also pinpointing how well...
View ArticleNavigating the New Medicaid Managed Care Final Rule: Implications for LTPAC...
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) earlier this week released the Medicaid Managed Care final rule , marking a substantial update in the framework governing Medicaid and the...
View ArticleCMS Releases Medicaid Access Final Rule–Summary and Implementation Timeline
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) earlier this week released the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services final rule. The rule supports ongoing initiatives to enhance health care...
View ArticleOIG Rolls Out Compliance Program Guidelines
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is overhauling their Compliance Program Guidance (CPG) as part of an initiative to modernize the accessibility and usability of their publicly available resources....
View ArticleNew Location for MDS Change Request Forms
There is a new location for accessing the Patient Assessment Change Request Forms for the Minimum Data Set (MDS), effective immediately. For easy access, the most used form is MDS 3.0 Manual Individual...
View ArticleNeed to Understand SNF Billing? Learning is Cheaper Through December 31
AHCA’s online training titled Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) Academy delivers concrete strategies for skilled nursing facilities to secure earned dollars, minimize unnecessary losses, and stay paid....
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