Member Resources

A patient safety program has helped nursing homes cut rates of urinary tract infections among patients with catheters, according to new results published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality gave funding to more than 400 nursing homes and long-term care facilities to implement a comprehensive safety program developed to reduce infections among patients with catheters. The program includes training for staff on how to care for and remove catheters and how to improve communication with

The presentation for the June 15 th National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care and QAPI MLN Connects call has been changed. The call will now focus on learning about appropriate assessment and evaluation for the accurate diagnosis of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Also, find out about the work of the Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIOs) and how their efforts align with the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes and Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI)

The majority of patients in LTC settings fall each year and the costs related to medical care and human suffering are prohibitive. A team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Partners HealthCare developed the Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) program for use in acute care hospitals and demonstrated a 25% reduction in falls. The team is now looking for skilled nursing facilities to participate in a fall prevention project that aims to collaborate with skilled nursing staff and

The Massachusetts Council of Activity Professionals (MassCAP) is hosting a workshop on Wednesday, June 14th, "Activities: Not Just Fun and Games, A Look At Our Interdisciplinary Role to Resident Care." The workshop will be held at Pines Edge Health Center at North Hill in Needham and is open to all activity professionals. Discounted seminar fees are available for MassCAP members, please click here to view the registration flyer. For more information about MassCAP, please visit their website at www.themasscap.org.

The Requirements of Participation under 42 CFR 483.10 (g) (4) and (5) Information and Communication require nursing homes to inform residents of their rights including providing them with the name, address (mail and email) and telephone number of the protection and advocacy agency for the state, posting this information within the facility and providing it on the Notice of Intent to Transfer and Discharge. The Disability Law Center which is the protection and advocacy agency of individuals with disabilities in

As the legislature prepares to reconcile the differences in their SFY 2018 budget recommendations, Beacon Hill leaders are working diligently to address an immediate SFY 2017 budget shortfall due to tax revenue shortfalls. Mass Senior Care is urging Governor Baker to avoid cuts in MassHealth funding for nursing home care. The Baker Administration has identified in financial disclosure forms that it now expects tax collections for fiscal 2017, which ends June 30, to fall between $375 million and $575 million

On May 1, 2017 the Massachusetts State Fire Marshall issued a Memorandum that in accordance with 780 CMR 1008.1 and 527 CMR 1.00: 14.4.2.1 egress doors must not be obscured by decorations, mirrors, or other means of concealment or disguise. Egress doors must be readily distinguishable from the adjacent construction and finishes and must be easily recognizable as doors. Joanne Murphy, DPH LSC Unit Supervisor confirmed that in both the 2012 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code and 105CMR 150.000 that

At the May 10, 2017 Board of Registration in Nursing (Board) meeting, the Board revised Advisory Ruling (AR) 0901: Management of Pain to ensure compliance with current statutes, regulations and scope of practice standards. The AR guides the practice of the LPN, RN and APRN in promoting patient access to appropriate, therapeutic and effective assessment, diagnosis and management of acute and chronic pain; improving communication about benefits and risks of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain; promote safe, effective multimodal

Webster Park Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, a member of Marquis Health Services and Mass Senior Care Association, recently unveiled the completion of an $8 million expansion and renovation – a transformational project that brings a dedicated, modernized Post-Acute Care Unit (PACU), an advanced therapy gym, and enhanced cardiac and pulmonary care services to the South Shore community. The new, 12,500-square-foot sub-acute care unit includes 23 beds in 11 private rooms and six semi-private rooms. The renovation added a 2,300-square-foot therapy

Nursing facilities across the Commonwealth celebrated National Nursing Home Week, which recognizes the role of skilled nursing care centers in caring for America’s seniors and individuals with disabilities. This year’s theme, “ The Spirit of America,” honored the bond shared among staff and residents through special events and activities that capture the American spirit. For additional photos, please visit Mass Senior Care’s Facebook. Residents renewed their wedding vows at Queen Anne Nursing Home in Hingham Michael and Mary Corrente celebrating

MassHealth has issued two documents providing additional information on its MassHealth Third Party Administrator (TPA) Vendor for Long Term Services and Supports(LTSS) Fee-for-Service (FFS) Program: • MassHealth All Provider Bulletin 270 (May 2018) - Third-Party Administrator Implementation for Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) • MassHealth Long-Term Services and Supports Third-Party Administrator FAQ Effective May 31, 2017, the MassHealth LTSS Provider Service Center will begin answering phone calls and LTSS provider questions, including resolving issues with claims submission, conducting provider enrollment

On May 22, 2017 the Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly announced his decision to extend—for an additional six months—the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haiti. This extension is effective July 23, 2017 through January 22, 2018. The agency’s press release indicates that this extension may end after six months as it states that “The Department of Homeland Security urges Haitian TPS recipients who do not have another immigration status to use the time before Jan. 22, 2018

As a reminder, MassHealth has notified nursing facility providers via a message text that it will delay by approximately two weeks processing nursing facility claims for May 2017 dates of service. This effectively means that nursing facility payment for May 2017 claims received by MassHealth in May or June will be pushed from late June to July 10, 2017. As you may recall, MassHealth has applied this temporary cash management delay for the last seven fiscal years. As in the

The state Senate completed its version of the State Fiscal Year 2018 (SFY 2018) budget late Thursday evening. We are pleased to report that Senator Bruce Tarr’s amendment providing statutory protection for residents living in skilled nursing facilities built before 1968 and residents living in rooms with more than two roommates was adopted. The amendment passed on a voice vote and had widespread bi-partisan support. Senators Tarr and Julian Cyr spoke on the floor in support of the amendment and

The Massachusetts Council of Activity Professionals (MassCAP) is hosting a workshop on Wednesday, June 14th, "Activities: Not Just Fun and Games, A Look At Our Interdisciplinary Role to Resident Care." The workshop will be held at Pines Edge Health Center at North Hill in Needham and is open to all activity professionals. Discounted seminar fees are available for MassCAP members, please click here to view the registration flyer. For more information about MassCAP, please visit their website at www.themasscap.org.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome our new Associate Members. Our Associate Members have demonstrated their commitment to the senior care provider community by joining Mass Senior Care and participating as exhibitors and sponsors for events and educational conferences. Mass Senior Care members are encouraged to contact Associate Members when they are in need of long term care products and services. Facility Member: Savoy Nursing and Rehab Center, of New Bedford, MA, a 39 bed skilled nursing facility. Contact

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has released a Situation Awareness Alert on the drug Carfentanil. Massachusetts does not currently have any reported cases, but the Situation Awareness Alert is being distributed by DPH due to the significant safety risk Carfentanil poses to the public, healthcare providers, and emergency response personnel. Included in this Alert is an overview of the drug and its current impact in the New England region, as well as treatment and response guidance and resources. In

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last week issued a notice extending the reporting deadline for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting (QRP) Federal Fiscal Year 2018 payment determination from May 15, 2017 to June 1, 2017, due to extenuating circumstances. The MDS assessment data for October-December (Q4) of calendar year 2016 are due with this submission deadline. In addition, the CMS contractor (CORMAC) or the QTSO help desk sent notices last week to many SNF providers that

Mass Senior Care President Tara Gregorio has sent a letter to the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security regarding the potential elimination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the estimated 4,300 Haitians affected by Haiti’s 2010 earthquake who are currently living and working in Massachusetts under this program. Gregorio requested that the Department extend the designation of Haiti for TPS for at least an additional 18 months. The TPS is scheduled to end on July 22, 2017. The Secretary has

Earlier this week a number of Mass Senior Care members today informed us that their MassHealth remittance advice for April 2017 dates of service indicated that some portion or all of their billed claims were being pended and would not be paid next Monday, May 22nd. We raised this issue with MassHealth and MassHealth indicated that this resulted from a glitch in the claims processing system for April 2017 dates of service and that it would re-run the payroll to

Mass Senior Care has received notification from several of our members that during both Standard and Complaint surveys, facilities are being cited for failing to report alleged violations involving abuse, neglect or mistreatment, including injuries of unknown source and misappropriation of resident property, immediately, but not later than 2 hours after the allegation is made, if the events that cause the allegation involve abuse or result in serious bodily injury. These citations are specifically for “not reporting within 2 hours”

MassHealth has notified nursing facility providers via a message text that it will delay by approximately two weeks processing nursing facility claims for May 2017 dates of service. This effectively means that nursing facility payment for May 2017 claims received by MassHealth in May or June will be pushed from late June to July 10, 2017. As you may recall, MassHealth has applied this temporary cash management delay for the last seven fiscal years. As in the past, MassHealth has

On May 16th, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means released its state FY 2018 budget recommendation. The Committee’s recommendation includes level funding for the current year $35.5 million direct care add on and would establish a temporary employer health contribution that would generate $180 million, while providing the Governor’s Administration broad authority to execute the program including allowing an exception for nursing facilities. We urge members to continue participating in the Legislative Action Alert asking their senators to co-sponsor

Mass Senior Care’s Human Resource Committee will meet on Friday, June 2 nd from 10 am – 12 noon at the Educational Bridge Center on the Notre Dame campus in Worcester. Please click here for directions and parking instructions. Meeting Agenda: Introductions/Announcements Update on Mass Senior Care’s 2017 Legislative Agenda Featured presentations on strategies that have positively impacted the recruitment, retention and professional development of CNAs. Legal update on employer compliance with federal and state law regarding meal break waivers

The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated list, which reflects all OIG exclusions and reinstatement actions up to, and including, those taken in April 2017. This new file is meant to replace the updated LEIE database file available for download last month. Individuals and entities that have been reinstated to the federal health care programs are not included in this file. https://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/exclusions_list.asp The updated files are posted on the OIG’s

The National Nursing Home Quality Improvement Campaign has scheduled a special all-stakeholder call on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm highlighting an innovative quality improvement training program, QAPI Push. QAPI Push is an intensive 6-week instructional series that joins forces with state survey agencies to assist nursing home staff with mastering the principles of Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) while temporarily placing state surveys on hold. Telligen Nursing Home Quality Program Specialist Linda Savage, RN, BSN

The Massachusetts Council of Activity Professionals (MassCAP) is hosting a workshop on Wednesday, June 14th, "Activities: Not Just Fun and Games, A Look At Our Interdisciplinary Role to Resident Care." The workshop will be held at Pines Edge Health Center at North Hill in Needham and is open to all activity professionals. Discounted seminar fees are available for MassCAP members, please click here to view the registration flyer. For more information about MassCAP, please visit their website at www.themasscap.org.

Every year in honor of National Nurses Week, The Boston Globe recognizes Massachusetts nurses in all practice settings who have been nominated by patients, family members and colleagues for its Salute to Nurses. Numerous staff members from Mass Senior Care member facilities were nominated for this year’s salute, which honors individuals for their outstanding work in the nursing profession. Mass Senior Care would like to congratulate all of the nominees and thank the nursing staff in the long term care

Beginning Sunday, May 14, and continuing through Saturday, May 20, skilled nursing facilities across the Commonwealth and the country will celebrate National Nursing Home Week (NNHW). Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has presented Mass Senior Care Association with a proclamation recognizing NNHW and the valuable services provided by nursing home staff in Massachusetts. Established by the American Health Care Association in 1967, NNHW recognizes the role of skilled nursing care centers in caring for America’s seniors and individuals with disabilities. This

The next National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care and QAPI MLN Connects® Call is scheduled for Thursday, June 15, 2017 from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm. During this call, participants will learn about appropriate assessment and evaluation for the accurate diagnosis of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Also, find out about the DICE Approach™ - Describe, Investigate, Create, and Evaluate, a simple but comprehensive method to understand and support individuals living with dementia. Additionally, CMS experts will share updates on

MassHealth requires that nursing facilities and chronic disease and rehabilitation inpatient hospitals account for the balances of personal needs allowance (PNA) account funds. MassHealth has issued its annual LTC Bulletin for the accounting of balances of personal needs allowances (PNA) for residents in LTC facilities. For 2016, if a provider does not submit the PNA form by May 31, 2017, or if the filing is incomplete and not reconciled to the bank statement, the provider may be subject to administrative

The Massachusetts Council of Activity Professionals (MassCAP) is hosting a workshop on Wednesday, June 14th, "Activities: Not Just Fun and Games, A Look At Our Interdisciplinary Role to Resident Care." The workshop will be held at Pines Edge Health Center at North Hill in Needham and is open to all activity professionals. Discounted seminar fees are available for MassCAP members, please click here to view the registration flyer. For more information about MassCAP, please visit their website at www.themasscap.org.

On Thursday, April 27, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed rule for the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) governing Medicare rates for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2018 (October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018). Below are the highlights of the proposed rule: Market basket (i.e. cost-of-living) adjustment of 1.0% beginning October 1, 2017. The proposed rule for FFY 2018 establishes a net market basket increase of 1.0 percent. Specifically, for FFY

In response to concerns raised by Mass Senior Care to the MassHealth Commissioner, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services has extended the Direct Care Add On Interim Filing Date deadline to May 5, 2017 at 5 pm. On May 1, 2017 EOHHS posted on MassHealth Provider Forms webpage its official notice extending the deadline for filing the FY17 Interim Direct Care Add-on Compliance data. EOHHS has also included with the Notice instructions for completing the Interim Direct Care

Today the House of Representatives, on a 217-213 vote, passed an amended version of the “American Health Care Act”, the bill that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Our national association, AHCA, reports that while the legislation has been modified from the original bill, the “substantial reforms to Medicaid funding still exist in the bill and will seriously affect AHCA/NCAL membership if it becomes law.” The bill will now go to the Senate, where a final vote

Mass Senior Care is currently displaying artwork from the talented residents at Island Terrace Nursing Homein Lakeville at our office in Waltham. The artwork is borrowed from the Art Gallery of Island Terrace Artists. Click here to visit their Facebook page and to view their entire gallery. Mass Senior Care invites members to participate and submit your facility’s artwork for display. Please contact Jennifer Chen, Director of Membership & Engagement, for additional information.

The LTC Trend Tracker Team is hosting a webinar for LTC Trend Tracker account administrators to discuss the administration screens and also a live tutorial on new features that only account administrators have access to. This webinar will be hosted by Gautami Inamdar & Lonnita Belk, managers of LTC Trend Tracker, on Thursday, May 11th at 2:00 PM. Please click here to register for the webinar. Please visit the Resource Center for helpful documents and how-to videos on all other

The submission deadline for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) is approaching. Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment data for October-December (Q4) of calendar year (CY) 2016 are due with this submission deadline. All data must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on May 15, 2017. View the list of measures required for this deadline on the SNF Quality Reporting Program Measures and Technical Information webpage. As a reminder, it is recommended that providers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is hosting a live webcast on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. ET. The focus of this training will be to assist providers from Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, Long-Term Care Hospitals, and Skilled Nursing Facilities in better understanding how Review and Correct Reports fit within the overall Quality Reporting Program. Additionally, the training will provide information about re-submitting data to correct errors prior to the quarterly submission deadlines to ensure

On Thursday, May 4th, Carolyn Blanks, Mass Senior Care Foundation Executive Director, will present a webinar, Meeting the Challenge: Successful Strategies to Boost Nurse Recruitment and Retention, for McKnight's Long-Term Care News. Providers may feel as if they are going "back to the future" in facing a nursing shortage in long-term care. Carolyn will use her background in workforce development to provide background and strategies for skilled nursing facilities. As National Nurses Week prepares to kick off May 6, attendees

The House of Representatives on Tuesday adopted its state FY 2018 budget recommendation, totaling $40.4 billion, representing a nearly 4% increase over the current SFY 2017 budget. The Committee's recommendation includes an additional $17.8 million dedicated to Medicaid nursing facility funding. We are pleased to report that the House also adopted House Majority Leader Ronald Mariano's amendment #377 that provides statutory protection to prevent the displacement of nursing facility residents living in the more than 130 nursing facilities constructed prior

Mass Senior Care’s fiscal year 2018 budget advocacy effort is well underway as the House of Representatives is set to begin debate on Monday, April 24 th. A critical component of our effort is to raise legislator’s and the public’s awareness of the chronic Medicaid funding shortfall that nursing facilities face which severely limits providers’ ability to increase wages for direct care staff. Recently, the Lowell Sun featured a front page article, “Lawmakers Back Medicaid changes to boost nursing home

On May 15, 2017, Mass Senior Care President Tara Gregorio will participate in a panel presentation at the 2017 Marcum Long-Term Care Symposium at Mohegan Sun Conference Center in Uncasville, CT. An Associate Member of Mass Senior Care Association, Marcum’s 2017 Symposium is dedicated to providing professionals with a glimpse of the future, both operationally and economically. Joined by colleagues from several other New England long term care associations and the American Health Care Association, the panel will respond to

Is your facility prepared to meet the new emergency preparedness requirements by the November 15, 2017, compliance date? The Medicare Learning Network has scheduled a training call on Thursday, April 27 from 2:30 to 3:30 pm ET. During this call, learn about implementation of the final rule, including an overview of the regulation and training and testing requirements. A question and answer session follows the presentation. To register or for more information, visit MLN Connects Event Registration.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to share the results of a newly published study conducted by Jennifer Tija, MD, Associate Professor, UMass Medical School, et al, that demonstrated the use of antipsychotic medications in nearly 100 Massachusetts nursing homes was significantly reduced after staff received Oasis training. In 2011, the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation oversaw implementation of Oasis in an 11-facility pilot project, with funding from Commonwealth Corporation. From 2012-2016, staff from 363 Massachusetts nursing facilities have participated in one

As part of its MassHealth program integrity efforts, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) has announced the selection of Optum as its Third Party Administrator (TPA) Vendor to manage certain functions of the MassHealth Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS). The TPA’s work will cover LTSS State Plan Fee-For-Services (not under the responsibility of a managed care entity) provided to members over and under 65, including members eligible for waiver programs. According to the agency, the TPA

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has released a memorandum updating skilled nursing facilities on the Supportive Planning and Operations Team (SPOT) which was implemented in April 2016. Beginning this month, the SPOT team will visit an additional 20 nursing homes to engage in an assessment of the quality assurance and performance improvement activities. Skilled nursing facilities will receive timely feedback after the assessment is completed. Based upon the findings of the assessment, the SPOT team will provide individualized

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services/UMass yesterday posted on its website the electronic Direct Care Add On Compliance Form worksheet that nursing facilities need to complete for the Interim Filing due Monday, May 1st at 5:00 p.m. To be able to access the electronic Direct Care Compliance Form worksheet on the state's website, EOHHS is requiring each nursing facility to first designate a contact person who will submit the data. To register for access to the Direct Care

Last week, the Committee on House Ways and Means released its state FY 2018 budget recommendation, totaling $40.3 billion, representing a 3.8% increase over the current SFY 2017 budget. The Committee’s recommendation includes $180 million more than Governor Baker’s House 1 recommendation, $17.8 million of which is dedicated to Medicaid nursing facility funding. Mass Senior Care is grateful to Chairman Brain Dempsey, Speaker Robert DeLeo and the House of Representatives for their support of qualify nursing home care. Please click

Strategic Health Solutions, LLC (SHS) is the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Supplemental Medical Review Contractor (SMRC) that is charged with conducting nationwide medical review as directed by CMS to address specific agency interests regarding coverage, coding, payment, and billing practices. Recently, the SHS website announced that on March 17, 2017, CMS directed the SMRC to conduct a post-pay audit of SNF PPS claims under project number Y4P0445. SNF providers selected for this audit may receive an Additional