Nominations for the 2022 ACHA/NCAL awards programs 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 the long term care profession.

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) updated its comprehensive quality strategy that reflects MassHealth’s quality goals and objectives, quality management framework and agency-wide quality activities. The quality strategy incorporates CMS guidance utilizing the updated Quality Strategy Toolkit, and also maintains adherence to the regulatory managed care rule requirements.

Amidst the flurry of activities happening in skilled nursing facilities this week, it was heartwarming to see the smiles on residents’ faces as they enjoyed a variety of events celebrating National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW).

The Senate Ways and Means (SWM) Committee this week released its FY 2023 budget recommendation totaling $49.7 billion, including $75 million for nursing facility direct care staff and patient quality supports to continue investments. The $75 million in Medicaid funding would be distributed as a rate add on for direct care staffing costs ($56.25 million) and for a supplemental payment to promote quality improvement ($18.75 million).

Yesterday, the DPH released a letter to providers urging them to ensure Paxlovid and other COVID-19 treatments are offered to all patients eligible to receive them, and join us for Putting Patients First Webinar.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to report that DPH has adopted MSCA’s recommendations to count RCA time worked towards CNA training requirements. DPH’s guidance on Nurse Aide Testing Requirements and On-Site Observation and Work Credit for Nurse Aide Training allows nursing homes to grant training credit to nurse aides working in their facility between the start of the State of Emergency in Massachusetts (March 10, 2020) through June 6, 2022.

Mass Senior Care is urging nursing facilities to administer the 2nd booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to residents as soon as they are eligible, the DPH will be holding a nursing home provider call on Wednesday, May 10, 2022, at 11:00 a.m, and register for - Putting Patients First Webinar.

The transcript and video of the April 26, 2022, CMS National Stakeholder call can be accessed at this link. The call featured CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and her leadership team providing updates on the CMS Strategic Vision and key accomplishments during the first quarter of 2022

Join the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) and the MassCyberCenter on May 12 at 10 am for their monthly health care provider cybersecurity call. The call will be joined by representatives of CISA New England and the Massachusetts State Police and Commonwealth Fusion Center who will provide updates on recent cyber threats and trends. The monthly topic for this call will be MITRE's Medical Device Cybersecurity Incident Response Playbook. These calls will continue to occur on the second Thursday of every