UPDATE Weekly

A recently announced training opportunity for healthcare partners, particularly ones that are affected by the new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) emergency preparedness rules, will be offered across the state next month.

The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Alabama has developed a one day (8 hour) course that is intended to help providers understand the CMS emergency preparedness rule and to assist them to working towards satisfactory completion. The course is free and instructors are provided by CDP.

The syllabus overview can be read by clicking here.

The trainings will be offered on the following dates and locations.

• January 17, 2018: MAHPC Warehouse, Flat Rock
• January 19, 2018: CMPD & CFD Training Academy, Charlotte
• January 22, 2018: JFHQ/SEOC, Raleigh
• January 23, 2018: Wake County Commons, Raleigh

Click on the various training sessions for registration information specific to the training.

[Return to top]

Register today to attend the NCHCFA Annual Convention and Expo January 28 – 31, 2018 at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons/Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC! Call the Sheraton at (800) 242-6556 to make your room reservation. Identify that you are with “NC Health Care Facilities Association 2018 Convention” to receive the group discounted rate. Don’t miss the opportunity to earn up to 16.5 hours of educational credit for North Carolina Nursing Home Administrators, as well as up to 15.5 hours of Nursing CE credit! The advanced registration deadline is Friday, January 12th. Click here to register.

[Return to top]

Make plans today to attend the NCHCFA Annual Convention and Expo January 28 – 31, 2018. The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons/Joseph S. Koury Convention Center, Greensboro, NC. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Cindy Deporter’s informative program, Preparing for Requirements of Participation Phase 2 & the New Survey Process, Monday, January 29th at 8:30 am.

On November 28, 2017, Phase 2 of the Requirements of Participation (RoP) was implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These included new F-Tags associated with all requirements, new interpretive guidance, and a new survey process. The policies in this final rule are targeted at reducing unnecessary hospital readmissions and infections, improving the quality of care, and strengthening safety measures for residents in these facilities.

During this session, Cindy Deporter, MSSW, State Survey Agency Director, Division of Health Service Regulations (DHSR), will provide an update on the implementation of the new and revised sections of the RoP for Skilled Nursing Facilities. Learning objectives include (1) explain how the F-tags have changed and the impact these changes will have in the survey process, (2) review the new survey process and how to be prepared for the changes that were implemented in November 2017, and (3) discuss the interpretive guidance for numerous F-tags and understand what to expect when surveyors conduct their review of these tags during the annual certification survey.

The content of this informative program will continue to evolve as CMS makes additional changes to implementation dates for some rules.

[Return to top]

The North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association would like to thank our 2018 Gold Convention Hosts for supporting the upcoming Annual Convention & Expo. Be sure to visit them on Tuesday, January 30th during EXPO 2018 – NCHCFA National Best Bowl: Equinox Ventures Group, Medipack Pharmacy, NH Med Services, Poyner Spruill LLP, Remedi SeniorCare, and Southern Pharmacy Services.

[Return to top]

On December 12th, American Health Care Association (AHCA) LTC Trend Tracker users received their latest Your Top-Line publication, produced by LTC Trend Tracker, by e-mail. The report was sent with the subject line, “LTC Trend Tracker Quarter 4 Publication”. This resource highlights metrics and graphics outlining your facility’s progress on Five-Star performance, the AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative, and other necessary data to help you achieve your desired goals. The 2017 Quarter 4 edition of Your Top-Line publication also includes each facility’s current Quality Award status, and information regarding the eligibility criteria for all levels of the Quality Award journey. If you have questions or need additional details about LTC Trend Tracker contact help@ltctrendtracker.com.

[Return to top]

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that the Medicare Prior Authorization Model for Repetitive, Scheduled Non-Emergent Ambulance Transport is being extended for one additional year to allow for additional evaluation of the model. The model is currently being tested in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. The model will now end in all states on December 1, 2018.

Under this model, an ambulance supplier or beneficiary is encouraged to submit to their Medicare Administrative Contractors (MAC) a request for prior authorization along with all relevant documentation to support Medicare coverage of a repetitive scheduled non-emergent ambulance transport. Repetitive transportation services may be needed by beneficiaries residing in AHCA/NCAL member facilities in the model test states. For example, residents receiving dialysis or cancer treatment may require these services.

CMS states that submitting a prior authorization request under the demonstration is voluntary. However, if prior authorization has not been requested by the fourth round trip, the claims will be stopped for pre-payment review. The prior authorization does not create new clinical documentation requirements for beneficiaries or providers, but it does require the information necessary to support Medicare payment earlier in the process. CMS believes using a prior authorization process will help ensure services are provided in compliance with applicable Medicare coverage, coding, and payment rules before services are rendered and claims are paid.

[Return to top]

In 2018, classes will be held each quarter in Marion and Raleigh. Two classes will be offered in Pitt County in February and September. Each class is one full day. Dates for the trainings can be found at: https://www2.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/nhlcs/training.html Click on a date to make a reservation.

Staff completing any portions of the MDS should always have access to a current Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual for guidance and attendees may want to bring an electronic or hard copy of the manual to the training. The RAI Manual version 1.15 October 2017 is available at: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/MDS30RAIManual.html

Other helpful training can be found at:
http://surveyortraining.cms.hhs.gov/index.aspx Click on “I AM A PROVIDER” and then click “WEBCASTS”

Session Information: North Carolina MDS 3.0 Coding Classes

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This training is for long term care facilities (SNF/NF) or Swing Bed hospital personnel who are actively involved with the completion of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) as well as Directors of Nursing (DON) and Administrators. Space is limited so reservations are limited to two individuals per facility per quarter.

OVERVIEW: Although this is a MDS Coding class, participants who have participated in coding at least one assessment will glean the most from these training sessions. Participants will be provided with practical knowledge that will enable them to implement the MDS 3.0 as part of the RAI and correctly code each section of the MDS 3.0 assessments. Manual updates will also be reviewed.

COST: These training sessions are free of charge. Coffee and water are provided throughout the training. Directions to local restaurants will be provided where attendees can purchase lunch.

For Questions contact Mary Maas, RN, MSN, RAI Clinical Coordinator, Division of Health Service Regulation, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

(919) 855-4554 office
(919) 733-8274 fax
Mary.Maas@dhhs.nc.gov

[Return to top]

Since the inception of AHCA/NCAL’s National Quality Award Program, more than 4,700 centers across the country have been recognized for their dedication and commitment to quality improvement.

The program, which is based on the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, is known for its focus on excellence and its rigorous and demanding set of criteria. The journey to quality improvement and performance excellence is challenging – but it can be done.

AHCA/NCAL has made available the story of Mountain Valley through a new six-part Webinar series for members on AHCA’s education platform, ahcancalED, to showcase the center’s successful journey to performance excellence.

In this series, Mountain Valley leaders share how their small, 68-bed rural center in Kellogg, Idaho achieved all three levels of the Quality Award Program, and then went on to receive the nation’s highest award for performance excellence, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Mountain Valley was the first and only long term care center ever to be recognized with this honor.

AHCA/NCAL members can access this series through ahcancalED here. Questions may be submitted to qualityaward@ahca.org.

[Return to top]

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) 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.

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 Leighann Sauls at Leighann.Sauls@area-F.hcqis.org or call (919) 745-4730.

[Return to top]

Alliant Quality, the Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) for North Carolina is seeking central North Carolina skilled nursing facilities interested in collaborating on the Special Innovation Project (SIP) Improving Access to Palliative Care in the Long Term Care Facility.

Palliative care focuses on comfort and improving quality of life. A team of professionals helps residents and families navigate through the health care system and make health care decisions that are right for them. Goals of this project not only include providing quality of life and satisfaction for residents of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), but also provision of services that minimize risks of potentially avoidable transfers to acute care.

Often, nursing home residents lack advance directives that would assist them at the end of life. When a resident, without an advanced directive, suffers a worsening of their clinical condition, a cascade of care is put into motion and can trigger unwanted emergency room visits and admissions, which can lead to other complications. The provision of palliative care services for SNF residents supports person-directed care in a proactive way to honor the patient and their choices.

Alliant Quality, in partnership with SNFs and palliative care organizations, will develop customized education and learning sessions for SNF leaders to better understand palliative care and its beneficial role for the residents whom they are caring for each day. This educational offering will be pilot-tested in central North Carolina with SNFs who are interested in this Special Innovation Project offered through the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services.

Participating SNFs will have the opportunity to:

• Receive free training programs designed to improve their SNF staff competency and knowledge related to end-of-life care
• Join a learning network with experts on palliative care in the SNF setting
• Partner with palliative care providers in order to improve the quality of life of their residents
• Implement low-burden measurement strategies that monitor resident and family satisfaction with end-of-life care
• Improve rates of avoidable acute care transfers and hospital admission and readmission rates

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Judson RN, BSN
Project Lead, Palliative Care
Office: (678) 527-3473
Jennifer.Judson@alliantquality.org

[Return to top]

This book will show you the true financial consequences of unchecked resident readmission and provide you with the tools to do something about it! It delivers several practical strategies your facility can employ, such as enhanced resident assessment and documentation policies, provider partnerships that improve transitions of care, staff education tools, and methods to achieve resident and staff involvement. You will learn how to ensure smooth care transitions through resident education and effective communication with staff and other care providers, reduce costs associated with rehospitalizations, and maintain or improve the resident’s 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 # 8238
AHCA Members (on-line price) $129.00

[Return to top]

If you were unable to attend one of our sessions on the Requirements of Participation Phase 2 and the New Survey Process, the notebook used in the training is now available for purchase. Email Donna Snyder to order a notebook for your facility at donnas@nchcfa.org. The cost is $25.00 plus tax and shipping.

[Return to top]

Emerging Millennial Healthcare Leadership: Views and Reflections from the New Generation

Witt Kieffer (PDF)

[Return to top]

The quickest cold snap in history took place in Rapid City, South Dakota on January 10, 1911. The day started out at a pleasant 55°F, then over the course of 15 minutes a wicked cold front brought the temperature down to 8 degrees.

[Return to top]