The National Nursing Home Quality Improvement Campaign (NNHQI) will host a free webinar on Incentivizing Consistent Assignment: A supported approach to quality improvement in nursing homes on Monday, January 8, 2018 from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm.

The Life Safety Code Unit of the Department of Public Health's Bureau of Healthcare Quality and Safety has been assigned the responsibility and has begun surveying long-term care facilities on the Emergency Preparedness regulations during a facility’s routine life safety code survey.

On Wednesday, December 13th, Mass Senior Care launched its redesigned website featuring improved functionality for members and enhanced consumer resources. The web address will remain the same, http://www.maseniorcare.org and members will need a user name and password to access Members Only information. If you have questions or need assistance logging in to the Members Only section, please email info@maseniorcare.org or call the office at 617-558-0202.

Due to the changes in the Requirements of Participation and the re-organizing and addition of new F tags, and the new survey process, the Department of Public Health has revised the Nursing Home Survey Performance Tool. The Department will hold an informational webinar to update nursing homes on how the changes to the survey process will be incorporated into the Nursing Home Survey Performance Tool, which provides consumers a searchable website to aid them in selecting and evaluating a nursing

On Wednesday, December 13th, Mass Senior Care launched its redesigned website featuring improved functionality for members and enhanced consumer resources. The web address will remain the same, http://www.maseniorcare.org and members will need a user name and password to access Members Only information. If you have questions or need assistance logging in to the Members Only section, please email info@maseniorcare.org or call the office at 617-558-0202.

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 November 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. The updated files are posted on the OIG’s website

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality (The Bureau) has extended an invitation to its “Strengthening Resident and Family Councils” Stakeholder Presentation on December 21, 2017.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a finalized version of the State Operations Manual Appendix PP - Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities, dated November 22, 2017. This version of Appendix PP replaces the Advance Copy that was released on June 30, 2017. It contains Interpretive Guidance (IG) for all Phase 1 and Phase 2 Requirements of Participation (RoP) and is effective as of November 28, 2017. Corrections and Revisions reflected in the Finalized

Mass Senior Care's recent letter to the editor at The Boston Globe was published in response to the Globe's article, “Nursing facilities, and their residents, will feel impact if Haitians’ status ends.” Tara Gregorio, Association President and Marva Serotkin, Foundation President say the repeal of the TPS designation will only worsen the impact on skilled nursing facilities and their residents who are already experiencing significant staff shortages, “We need to adopt immigration policies that help ensure that we can meet the care needs of our residents today and in the future and provide a living wage for our dedicated front-line staff.”