Six months after a final rule created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is published in the Federal Register, healthcare facilities, including nursing, skilled nursing, and inpatient hospital facilities will face a number of changes when it comes to managing pharmaceuticals considered to be hazardous waste. NAHRI is currently seeking speakers to present at the 2019 Revenue Integrity Symposium (RIS), to be held October 15–16, 2019, at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. CMS announces that starting in March, the Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES), Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports (CASPER) and Automated Survey Processing Environment (ASPEN) will undergo a series of modernizing enhancements. The agency clarified that once updated, the new system, Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES), will not change how providers currently submit data to CMS. Source: Home Health Line While “Hospice and palliative care pain assessment” remains the most difficult individual measure for providers to earn high marks on when it comes to the Hospice Item Set (HIS), the hospice industry continues to improve significantly on it each quarter. Pressure injuries and their accompanying documentation are often among the most frequently cited survey deficiencies. Documentation that’s lacking or missing can result in citations under F686, or even lawsuits. In addition, since wound care is the subject of continual research, keeping current on best practices is vital. Source: Home Health Line Following a recent DecisionHealth webinar about the final interpretive guidelines for the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs), agencies asked questions of industry expert Diane Link, owner of Link Healthcare Advantage. Here are some of Link’s answers. New in the March issue of PPS Alert for Long-Term Care... Three things you can do to ensure you’re compliant with new drug regimen review requirement Because of the potential for serious complications caused by medication errors, including death, CMS initiated a patient assessment–based, cross-setting, process quality measure that assesses whether postacute care (PAC) providers were responsive to potential or actual clinically significant medication issues (PCSMI) when such issues were identified. This quality measure, titled Drug Reg-imen Review Conducted With Follow-Up for Identified Issues (DRR), was developed for the inpatient rehabilitation facility, SNF, and long-term care hospital quality reporting programs. Not a subscriber? Sign up here. Monthly In-Service: March issue of CNA Training Advisor Customer service Click here to receive a new lesson plan every month, including course materials, a 4-page in-service, and a quiz targeted to address the unique needs, interests, and concerns of CNAs. Education and Training Tools Requirements of Participation: Are You Ready for Phase 3? Withstand Surveys by Mastering Your Understanding of Newly Released Interpretive Guidelines Weather Any Disaster: Tighten Up Your Agency's Emergency Preparedness Avoiding F686: Preventing, Treating, and Assessing Pressure Injuries Through Documentation Home Health Administrator's Summit, May 15-17, 2019 - Las Vegas | | Product Spotlight We know senior living facilities don’t have as many resources as skilled nursing facilities to help ensure proper documentation, effective customer service, and the monitoring tools necessary for quality assurance. That’s why we’ve created Essential Policies and Procedures for Senior Living, your one-stop shop to getting your facility on track for quality assurance success. View a full table of contents including more than 100 customizable policies and procedures and downloadable tools, including job descriptions, ADL compliance checklists, and RN assessments. |
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