As we reported at our regional member meetings, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services is actively working to convert to an MDS payment system for MassHealth nursing facility residents. MMQ/MDS conversion has long been a priority of the Association and MassHealth is working rapidly to develop both the policy and coding technology necessary to implement the conversion as early as the Fall of 2018. As a result of the coding work being performed, members will receive a notice

The April 15, 2018 reporting deadline of healthcare personnel influenza vaccination data is quickly approaching. Beginning with the 2017-2018 flu season, all licensed adult day health programs, non-ambulatory surgical center clinics, nursing homes, and rest homes must submit influenza vaccination reports through the web-based application SurveyMonkey. Click here to access the SurveyMonkey application to submit the data for your facility. The vaccination reporting questions can be accessed here so that you may keep a copy of your facility-specific submission. You

Please join us for informative presentations and the opportunity to network with colleagues at Mass Senior Care Association’s Human Resources Committee meeting on Friday, April 20, 2018 from 10am-12 noon at Mass Senior Care’s office in Waltham (click here for directions). Please confirm your attendance at this meeting with Denise DeSimone, at ddesimone@maseniorcare.orgor 617.558.0202. Note: Mass Senior Care HR meetings are open to Mass Senior Care facility members only. If you have any questions, please contact Carolyn Blanks at cblanks@maseniorcare.org.

At the April 11, 2018 Board of Registration in Nursing (Board) meeting, the Board revised Advisory Ruling 9324: Accepting, Verifying, Transcribing and Implementing Medication Orders to ensure compliance with current statutes, regulations and scope of practice standards. The revisions include: a) Requiring range orders specify specific, objective measures that must be collected and assessed prior to administering the correct dosing. Range orders that do not contain these elements involve diagnosing and prescribing; activities that are outside the scope of RN

On April 6, 2018, the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality/Quality, Safety and Oversight Group at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memorandum, "Transition to Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Staffing Measures on the Nursing Home Compare tool on Medicare.gov and the Five-Star Quality Rating System." Our national association, AHCA, has issued this full summary regarding the technical information in the CMS memorandum. AHCA has also provided below this brief summary of the information included in the CMS

Massachusetts is not a NAB (National Association of LTC Administrator Boards) mandated state for continuing education. Continuing education for Administrators in the state of Massachusetts is approved by the Board of Registration of Nursing Home Administrators. However, if you plan to receive continuing education credit for classes that you attend that are put on by NAB certified sponsors (outside the state of MA), you will need to have a registry ID# with NAB. Please click on this link to get

Honoring Choices Massachusetts is a consumer oriented non-profit organization focused on the rights of every adult to direct their health care choices and make a plan to receive the best possible care that honors their values and choices, all through their lives. Every adult can access free information and tools on the Honoring Choices website to make his/her own health care plan.