UPDATE Weekly

Under the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program (VBP), claims for services furnished on or after Oct. 1, 2018, will be subject to a 2 percent withhold. Providers will have the opportunity to get some or all of this money back depending on their rated hospital readmissions and meeting or exceeding performance standards.

Earlier this week, Provider Magazine published an informative article on how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is trying to clarify this complicated system by providing new information and resources for providers. This article, including links to other VBP resources can be accessed by clicking here.

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The article is based on research and initiatives conducted in NC Nursing Homes. Infection Management and Antibiotic Stewardship in Nursing Homes, a quality improvement program of the Program on Aging, Disability, and Long-Term Care of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is codirected by Drs. Philip Sloane and Sheryl Zimmerman and has received funding from the US Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality. The North Carolina Statewide Program on Infection Control and Epidemiology is funded by the State of North Carolina to conduct educational programs for nursing homes around infection control issues. You are encouraged to share this article not only with persons with administrative responsibilities but also, with key staff and unit nurses.

You may access this article from North Carolina Medical Journal September-October 2016 77:324-329; doi:10.18043/ncm.77.5.324 at http://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/content/current.

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The brochure for potential trade associate members and exhibitors at EXPO 2017 is now available. Do you have a favorite supplier you think might be interested in participating? If so, now is the time to have them contact Donna Snyder at donnas@nchcfa.org or by phone at (919) 782-3827 to get on the mailing list. The trade show will be held on Tuesday, February 28th during our Annual Convention and Expo in Greensboro, NC.

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It is time once again to acknowledge front line, unlicensed personnel who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in the long term care profession. This awards program honors individuals who are the backbone in our facilities because of the support they provide to our residents. A panel of judges from the Education and Programs Committee will select a Nurse Aide winner from each of NCHCFA’s five districts. In addition, one recipient in a non-nursing discipline will receive the Riley W. Clapp Outstanding Service Award. Each of the award recipients will be honored at the Annual Awards Gala during the Annual Convention and Expo on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 in Greensboro, NC.

To fill out nomination forms online, visit the Member Center of the Association Web site at http://www.NursingHomesNC.com. Click on “News & Updates”, select “2017 NCHCFA Annual Awards Nomination Packet” and choose “Survey Monkey”. If you have any questions, call the Association office at (919) 782-3827. Pictures for nominations submitted online may be e-mailed to karenl@nchcfa.org or mailed to the Association office. Click here to download and print the nomination packet. Nominations received in the Association office after Friday, October 21, 2016 will not be considered.

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If you missed the advance registration period, you may register on-site in Nashville, Sunday, October 16th. Registration will be open at 6:45 AM.

Obtain all of the information you need on-line, including: speakers, education sessions, Expo Hall hours and exhibitors, along with the full schedule of networking opportunities and events.

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District III has scheduled their next meeting for October 26th at Clapp’s Convalescent Nursing Home, in Asheboro. The meeting will begin at 10:00AM and end at 2:00PM. The presenter, Judy Wilhide from Brandt Consulting, will discuss utilizing chart reviews to verify accurate coding and scheduling to ensure your Quality Measure (QM) stars are accurate. Judy can predict QM rating, offer tips for strategic planning to balance Resource Utilization Group (RUG) and QM implications of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) and Prospective Payment System (PPS) Minimum Data Set (MDS) schedule. Several providers have used her several times and found her service very beneficial.

District meetings are designed to allow participants to feel more interactive and create a comfortable atmosphere, promoting valuable and productive conversation. The District III session will be held at Clapp’s Convalescent Nursing Home, 450 Mountain Top Drive, Asheboro 27203.

Due to size considerations, we will be limiting the number of attendees to 50 individuals but, unlike the previous district meeting, this will be open to any employees of your facility who may benefit from attending. Please complete the registration information and survey, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LMNBWJX, to list your top three Quality Indicator areas of concern (outliers). This will give Ms. Wilhide a direction as to how to lead the discussion. If you have any other regional ideas, i.e. district education sessions, please include those comments in your survey response.

This program offers 3.5 contact hours for nursing home administrators. The North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association is a Registered Sponsor of continuing education with the NC State Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators. Comments regarding the Registered Sponsor Course may be addressed to: NCBENHA, 3733 National Drive, Suite 110, Raleigh, NC 27612.

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The AHCA Quality Award program has three progressive step levels. This seminar will cover the first level, Bronze – Commitment to Quality. Bronze Award applicants begin their quality journey by developing an organizational profile including vision and mission statements, an awareness of their environment and customers’ expectations, and a demonstration of their ability to improve a process.

This session, held November 30th at the NCHCFA office, includes a full day of training and consultation on how to complete the AHCA/NCAL Bronze Quality Award Application led by the Administrator of the Quality Award Program and a trained Quality Award Examiner and award recipient. This training will decipher the criteria, answer questions, clarify concepts, and guide participants through the process of writing an organizational quality award application. Using interactive technology, participants will leave the workshop with their applications complete or with few areas to fill in.

Objectives:

• Gain knowledge on the AHCA/NCAL Bronze National Quality Award Application Process
• Understand the technical requirements of the application process and recertification policy of the Awards Program
• Review and learn the Bronze Quality Award Criteria
• Develop the framework of a Quality Award Application

It is never too early to begin thinking about and planning your quality award application. This is an opportunity for you and your team to begin your quality journey by working together through the writing process. Get your application ready early and have plenty of time to fine tune it before the deadline.

For the complete brochure and registration information, click here.

SPACE IS LIMITED TO 22 REGISTRATIONS!

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Alliant Quality, the Quality Innovation Network – Quality Improvement Organization for Georgia and North Carolina, is pleased to support North Carolina facilities in meeting the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) enrollment deadline to confer rights. All facilities participating in the National Nursing Home Quality Care Collaborative for C. Difficile, must meet the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) requirement by October 30. Alliant highly encourages facilities to start this process as soon as possible, to ensure meeting the deadline! For hands-on, technical assistance, please contact: Nickie Graves RN, BA, MPA, CIC – Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention at (678) 527-3679 or sonya.graves@alliantquality.org.

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Alliant Quality wants to encourage SNFs to keep signing up for the National Collaborative – or SPACE. Alliant recommends having as much time as possible to get started on Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) improvement work and improving facility quality measures in a systems approach to improve their five star and composite scores.

Alliant Quality is the Medicare Quality Innovation Network (QIN)-Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for North Carolina. Under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Alliant Quality invites your nursing home to participate in a collaborative designed to ensure that every nursing home resident receives the highest quality of care.

The Collaborative offers an exciting opportunity to learn from high performing nursing homes regarding their processes as they pertain to consistent/permanent staff assignment, teamwork and communications, leadership, regulatory compliance, clinical models, and quality of life indicators. The Collaborative aligns national nursing home quality initiatives and partnerships such as the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes Campaign, The Partnership to Improve Dementia Care, and QAPI. Targeted focus areas will include increasing mobility, decreasing unnecessary use of antipsychotics in residents with dementia, decreasing potentially avoidable hospitalizations and decreasing healthcare acquired infections and conditions.

When ready to register, click here for the Participation Agreement and fax or e-mail it back to Lisa Klemis, contact information is on the Participation Agreement. For more details, e-mail Jennifer Brock at Jennifer.Brock@area-F.hcqis.org or call (678) 527-3417.

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With more than 100 activities and care plans for long term care residents, there’s an activity that suits each resident’s distinct needs, no matter what the clinical condition or cognitive limitation.
Inside this book, you’ll find:

• Dozens of comprehensive activity plans for every type of resident
• Simple explanations of corresponding CMS regulations
• Chapters devoted to residents with unique activity needs, including Alzheimer’s and dementia residents, bariatric residents, short-term stay residents, non-ambulatory residents, and more.

Each activity provides concise and specific steps that will help make it a success. Several variations, adaptations, modifications, and hints for customizing the activity to your facility are also offered. Bonus CD-ROM included! Each of the activities, forms, and care plans found in this book can also be accessed on the companion CD-ROM. Take this CD-ROM with you to any location and provide your residents with meaningful activities to foster a higher quality of life.

To order, visit http://www.AHCApublications.org or call (800) 321-0343. Fax orders may also be placed at (800) 869-5605.

Product # 8131
AHCA Members (on-line price) $129.00

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This DVD, Mobility and Safe Movement of the Elderly, Improving Your Skills to Prevent Injuries and Reduce Falls, by Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L., FOTA, Dementia Care & Training Specialist, was developed in conjunction with Wake Allied Health Education Center, Durham Technical Community College and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Office of Information Systems. The content is formatted in separate segments in order to customize the delivery of content to your learning objective. Handouts developed by Teepa accompany each video and may be reproduced. To order, e-mail your request to Donna Snyder at donnas@nchcfa.org. The price is $35.00 (tax and shipping included).

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Let the government teach you a lesson about millennials

http://www.mcknights.com/daily-editors-notes/let-the-government-teach-you-a-lesson-about-millennials/article/526608

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More people have set foot on the moon than have scored on Yankee legend Mariano Rivera in the playoffs. Per USA Today, 12 people have walked on the moon — only 11 scored against the pinstriped pitcher throughout his storied postseason career.

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