E-News Update Articles

MASStrong, in collaboration with the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety, is offering online support groups for nursing home aides, home health workers and personal care attendants working in Massachusetts.

Honoring Choices has a new video that highlights the Step-by-Step Health Care Planning Process, which enables health care professionals and adults to engage in planning conversations- from simple to serious illness- to decide for good care over a person's lifetime.

Member Update: House Introduces Health Care Market Reform Bill to Control Costs; REMINDER: Reporting of Healthcare Personnel Influenza Vaccinations; MassHealth POSC Users - Virtual Gateway Multifactor Authentication Implementation

Member Update: Steward Health Care Files for Bankruptcy

As a reminder with this year’s annual nursing home administrator’s license renewal, all nursing home administrators must have completed a minimum of 40 contact hours of continuing education activities that meet the applicable requirements.

The May 2, 2024, 2pm-3pm Skilled Nursing Facilities/Long Term Care Open Door Forum has been rescheduled to May 16, 2:00pm-3:00pm ET.

Congratulations to the graduates of the third CNA Training Program at West Side House of Worcester, a member of the Essex Group Management company!

Next week is National Nurses Week! The theme for this year is “Nurses Make the Difference” and we look forward to honoring the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in the long term care community.

CMS-certified skilled nursing facilities are required to report annual Healthcare Personnel influenza vaccination summary data through the NHSN HPS Component annually.

The supplemental budget signed into law by Governor Maura Healey also includes a provision extending for another year through March 31, 2025 the COVID-19 pandemic policy allowing Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA)-certified Assisted Living Residences (ALRs) to provide limited skilled nursing care, retain residents who require skilled care for more than 90 consecutive days, waives the EOEA ALR staffing requirements provided that an ALR ensures that it has sufficient staffing at all times to meet the needs of the residents, and waives training requirements as long as the ALR procures staff with adequate experience and provides on-the-job training to safely perform their duties as set out in the EOEA guidance issued on April 2, 2020.

Member Update: Governor Healey Signs Into Law FY2024 Supplemental Budget Bill; FY2024 Supplemental Budget Bill Also Extends Provision for Nurses to Provide Skilled Care in an ALR; DOL Finalizes Overtime Rule; FTC Releases Final Non-Compete Rule; Skilled Nursing Facilities/Long Term Care Open Door Forum on May 2 Rescheduled

Join the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) and the MassCyberCenter on May 9th at 10am for the monthly health care provider cybersecurity call.

Mass Senior Care members are invited to join us for the AHCA/NCAL Congressional Briefing on June 3-4, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

We are pleased to report that in an ongoing effort to address acute workforce challenges in healthcare, Governor Maura Healey signed into law the Fiscal Year 2024 Supplemental Budget Act that makes permanent the state’s COVID-19 pandemic policy of allowing nursing school graduates and students in their final semester to practice nursing at in-patient health care settings for a limited time.

Member Update: MOLST to POLST Transition Informational Meeting; Reminder: Reporting of Healthcare Personnel Influenza; Updated Process for Adding of Temporary Beds in Alternate Inpatient Care Space in Hospitals

The 2024 spring sale on AHCA/NCAL’s Gero Nurse Prep course starts next Wednesday, May 1 and runs through June 15.

CMS-certified skilled nursing facilities are required to report annual Healthcare Personnel influenza vaccination summary data through the NHSN HPS Component annually.

This month, CMS released information regarding the testing of a risk-based survey (RBS) approach that allows consistently higher-quality facilities to receive a more focused survey that takes less time and resources than the traditional standard recertification survey.

Administrative, clinical, and operations staff from nursing facilities across the state attended Mass Senior Care’s April 25th Spring Conference & Trade Show at the DCU Center in Worcester.

AHCA has developed a consolidated list of all currently available regulatory resources on AHCA website.

The DPH released guidance on Organizational Policies and Procedures for Mitigating Respiratory Illness after the expiration of the PHE.

AHCA/NCAL members now have access to detailed summaries of the three final rules released by CMS earlier this week.

Join Zimmet Healthcare Services Group at their annual conference, Bon Voyage Reimbursement, from July 16 to 18 at the Mohegan Sun Resort in Connecticut.

The DPH and Mass Senior Care continue to encourage nursing facilities to vaccinate residents and staff with the most up to date COVID-19 vaccine.

The Legislature today approved and sent to Governor Healey a Fiscal Year 2024 Supplemental Budget that contains statutory language making permanent the state’s COVID-19 pandemic policies of allowing any nursing school graduates and students in their final semester of nursing education to practice nursing in in-patient health care settings for a limited time, as determined by DPH.

Member Update: IMPORTANT INFORMATIONAL BULLETIN: Marsters vs. Healey Lawsuit: MassHealth Issues Notice that NFs Must Print and Provide Each Resident by Sunday; Legislature Enacts FY2024 Supplemental Bill: Includes Extensions Allowing (1) Nursing School Graduate Students to Practice Nursing and (2) Nurses to Provide Skilled Care in an ALR

Member Update: Biden Administration Announces Release of Final Minimum Staffing Rule; Join Us at the AHCA/NCAL Congressional Briefing; Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting This Wednesday, April 24th

Earlier this week, Attorney General Andrea Campbell issued an advisory to provide guidance to developers, suppliers, and users of AI regarding their obligations under the existing state consumer protection, anti-discrimination, and data security laws.

Join Mass Senior Care and infection control experts from Capsid Consulting for a one-hour webinar: The Dos and Don’ts of Enhanced Barrier Precautions: Understanding the New CMS Guidance. This webinar will be held on Tuesday, April 23 from 12 noon to 1:00pm via Zoom.

The House of Representatives will begin debating on the FY 2024 budget next week and we need your immediate help in urging your State Representative to support and co-sponsor Amendment #371 filed by Elder Affairs Committee Chairman Thomas Stanley.

Nominations for the 2024 AHCA/NCAL Awards Program are now open. AHCA/NCAL members are strongly encouraged to nominate those inspiring leaders and unsung colleagues who go above and beyond to provide exceptional service in the long term care profession.

Under a Settlement Agreement signed earlier this week by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (EOHHS) and the Center for Public Representation, Governor Healy has moved to settle the Marsters v. Healey lawsuit.

The 2024 Spring Conference is less than a week away! Please visit our website to register.

Member Update: State Reaches Court Settlement to Move 2,400 People from Nursing Homes to Community; AG Campbell Issues Advisory Addressing "Unfair And Deceptive" AI Activity

Member Update: RansomHub Hacking Group Leaks Patient Data Stolen From Change Healthcare; Register Now for Important Webinar on New CMS Guidance on Enhanced Barrier Precautions

Join us for a dynamic and informative program on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at the DCU Center in Worcester.

We are inviting you to join us next Tuesday in sharing the “Simple Step” campaign materials that were created through the Simple Step Coalition last year.

FINAL CHANCE TO REGISTER! Enhancing Resident Care and Reducing Unnecessary Resident Hospitalizations in Nursing Facilities: A 5-Part Virtual Interdisciplinary Hospice Education Series Jointly Sponsored by Mass Senior Care Association and the Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts

Nominations for the 2024 AHCA/NCAL Awards Program are now open. AHCA/NCAL members are strongly encouraged to nominate those inspiring leaders and unsung colleagues who go above and beyond to provide exceptional service in the long term care profession.

The House of Representatives will begin active debate on the FY 2025 budget during the week of April 22nd and we need your help in urging your State Representative to support Amendment #371 filed by Elder Affairs Committee Chairman Thomas Stanley.

Two back-to-back opportunities to host employee celebrations are rapidly approaching. The week of May 6th-12th is National Nurses Week, and May 12th-18th is National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW).

Mass Senior Care will once again be offering AHCA/NCAL Quality Award workshops to help members better understand how to complete the application from beginning to end with coaching support along the way from expert trainers.

At an event earlier this week to highlight Care Workers Recognition Month, President Biden noted that his Administration plans to finalize the CMS nursing home staffing rule in the coming weeks.

Member Update: House Ways and Means Committee Issues FY 2025 Budget Recommendation; Biden Administration Announces that Nursing Home Staffing Rule’s Release is Imminent; Register Now for Virtual Interdisciplinary Hospice Education Series; MassHealth Launches New Nursing Facility Provider Landing Page

Member Update: CNA to LPN Career Ladder Program Expands to Include all MA Community Colleges; CHIA Releases New Interactive Dashboard of Workforce Data; CMS Adopts FFY2025 Medicare Advantage Rule: Enhances MA Beneficiary Protections

Register Now! Enhancing Resident Care and Reducing Unnecessary Resident Hospitalizations in Nursing Facilities: A 5-Part Virtual Interdisciplinary Hospice Education Series Jointly Sponsored by Mass Senior Care Association and the Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts

On Friday, March 29, 2024, the amended 651 CMR 12.00: Certification procedures and standards for assisted living residences regulations were published by the Secretary of State’s office and became effective immediately.

Register Now: Provider Owned Networks: A Tool for LTC Providers to Succeed in Managed Care

The authorization allowing graduate nurses and students in their final semester of nursing education to practice nursing in in-patient health care settings and allowing nurses employed by an Assisted Living Residence (ALR) to provide skilled nursing care in accordance with valid medical orders expired March 31, 2024.

On April 3, 2024, Senator Ed Markey held a Congressional Subcommittee meeting to examine for-profit health systems, focusing on Steward Health Care and the role of private equity in health care.