E-News Update Articles

Marquis Health Services celebrated the completion of renovations to Chestnut Woods Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Saugus with a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. Pictured from left: Marquis Health Services CEO Norman Rokeach; State Representative Donald Wong (R-Saugus); Chestnut Woods administrator Kyle Lussier;Sharon Donaghue, Marquis Health's regional senior vice president of operations; Marlene Sheehy, vice president of business development; Dr. Yogesh Viroja, chief medical officer; and Samantha McHugh, Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Conference Committee members continue to reconcile the House of Representatives' and Senate's versions of the FY 2020 budget. The state is currently operating on an interim budget to keep state government programs and services running through the month of July.

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) yesterday informed nursing facility registered users that the FY19 MassHealth Direct Care Webform is now operational at https://www.uenter.org/nf/. The due date for submission is Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Please note that users now have the ability to view prior year filings by selecting the year on the webform's home page. If you have difficulty logging into your account or have other questions, please email NFDirectCare@umassmed.edu. EOHHS has also asked us to

As of Monday, July 1, the new address for the Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality (BHCSQ), including the Division of Health Care Facility Licensure and Certification (DHCFLC) and the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) will be: Department of Public Health Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality 67 Forest Street Marlborough, MA 01752 The Bureau's main phone number will remain 617-753-8000.

Mass Senior Care invites staff at member facilities to participate in various committees designed to share information on the topics of clinical quality, regulatory, human resources and finance and reimbursement. This information and feedback will assist MSCA staff with developing policy positions and prioritizing strategic initiatives. Committee meetings are held in Mass Senior Care's office in Waltham. Facility members are invited to participate. If you are interested in attending one of the upcoming committee meetings, please contact Jennifer Chen. Upcoming

Nine Mass Senior Care member facilities are being recognized with a 2019 Silver – Achievement in Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).

We are saddened to share the passing of William E. Ring, Jr., Administrator of Bear Hill Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Stoneham and Hillside Rest Home in Amesbury. For over 26 years, Bill was a tireless advocate on behalf of his residents, their families, employees and the profession. Bill served as a Mass Senior Care Advocacy Ambassador advocating and was a frequent and compelling visitor to the Massachusetts State House. Bill's dedication and compassion will be sorely be missed by

The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave has issued an update on the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program: Final Regulations - a copy of the regulations filed with the Secretary of State's office is available on the DFML website. Bond Form and Instructions – If an employer is seeking an exemption from making PFML contributions as a self-insured employer, the employer must complete an exemption application and furnish a bond running to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in

Mass Senior Care Association today testified at the Department of Public Health's public hearing urging the Commissioner to exempt skilled nursing facilities from the proposed amendments to 105 CMR 721.000 – Standards for Prescription Format and Security in Massachusetts.

The deadline to return Mass Senior Care Association's 2019 Nursing Facility Employment Survey has been extended to Friday, July 12th. We are asking members to complete the survey based on data collected for the week beginning May 20, 2019. The survey is a fillable form that should be returned to Mass Senior Care by postal mail, fax (617-558-3546) or email to ddesimone@maseniorcare.org. Please note that, based on feedback from members, we have reduced the number of questions on this year's

Seacoast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Gloucester hosted their Annual Community Breakfast last week. This annual event is held to thank and show appreciation for the organizations and individuals who provide long term care services and support to seniors in the surrounding community. At the event, Seacoast awarded Martha Rappoli, Director of the Day by Day, a local adult day health program the "Service to Seniors" award. Photo (L-R): Gloucester Council President Paul Lundberg; State Senator Bruce Tarr; Friends of

As the FY 2020 Conference Committee continues to work to finalize the state budget, Mass Senior Care urges the nursing facility community to keep up the momentum and please continue to call your state legislators .

This week's Boston Globe's article, "Losing money and struggling to find workers, a nursing home operator feels the squeeze", presented in human terms a compelling picture of the ongoing financial and workforce crisis the Massachusetts nursing facility sector is experiencing.

Life Care Centers of America's Northeast Division recently held its annual Rewarding Excellence Banquet with associates from skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania The event celebrates each Center's Certified Nursing Assistants of the Year and Team Spirit Award winners. Zo Long, Division Vice President, noted, "It is wonderful to be able to celebrate all these Servant Leaders who care for our patients and resident. We are blessed to have so many wonderful leaders." Attendees represented the Patriot

The FY 2020 Conference Committee continues to work aggressively to reconcile the House of Representatives and Senate's FY 2020 budget recommendations before the June 30th deadline.

The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave has issued an update on the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program in the wake of enactment of legislation to delay the start of employer and employee contributions by three months to October 1, 2019. Please click here to read how this delay will affect the employer responsibilities under the law, including an adjustment in the contribution rate to offset the shorter period for collections that will result from the three-month

The Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) has issued a letter to nursing facilities announcing the availability of the new electronic Management Company cost report, the MGT – CR. The MGT-CR form replaces the HCF-3 form. CHIA has adjusted the due dates of all 2018 cost reports (HCF-1, HCF-2 and MGT-CR) to August 15, 2019 to allow facilities not less than 60 days following the release of the new electronic MGT-CR form CHIA will host a webinar to review

Staff and family members from the 15 CareOne Centers in Massachusetts recently participated in the American Lung Association's fundraiser, helping to raise more than $50,000. CareOne at Millbury hosted "You've Been Served", a cookoff event featuring chefs from CareOne facilities across Massachusetts including Brookline, Lexington, Millbury, Randolph, Redstone, Northampton and Weymouth. Pictured above are the judges of the event: Dale LePage, local talk show host and vocalist; Lew Evangelidis, Worcester County Sheriff; Joseph Early, Worcester District Attorney and State Senator

Mass Senior Care leaders met with the Massachusetts Congressional delegation to discuss the critical need to protect and preserve Medicare funding.

In response to the Trump Administration's immigration proposal to limit the number of lower-skilled immigrants, Sister Jacquelyn McCarthy, CEO/administrator at Bethany Health Care Center in Framingham and a Board Member of the Mass Senior Care was recently featured in an article published in CNN, Why Trump's immigration plans are bad for America's elderly and disabled. Sister McCarthy states "For me, I would be lost without immigrants," noting at least 60% of her staff are immigrants, "They are the backbone of

Governor Baker today signed into law legislation enacting a three-month delay in the start date of the required contribution for the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). The required contribution start date is now October 1. This action follows an agreement earlier this week between the Governor, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo to adopt legislation that would delay the start date and clarify program design to ensure successful implementation of the PFML program this fall.

As Mass Senior Care continues to work with the Baker Administration to ensure that nursing home Medicaid payments are made on June 24 th, we urge members to utilize MassHealth's hardship payment program by following the 3-step process below and be sure to request at least 50% of your anticipated monthly payment: 1) Complete this brief MassHealth form 2) Email the completed form to Optum at support@masshealthltss.com 3) Call Optum at 844-368-5184 to confirm receipt of the form Earlier this

If you missed Mass Senior Care Association‘s in-person PDPM training earlier this year, you can now take AHCA’s Virtual PDPM Training . This on-line training mirrors the in-person training and can also be taken by those who feel like they could benefit from taking the PDPM course again. The virtual training allows AHCA SNF members to learn about the critical steps necessary on the pathway to success under PDPM. Included with the virtual training is access to all materials on

The Massachusetts Legislature has appointed a six-member conference committee which has begun deliberations on reconciling the differences between the House and Senate's FY 2020 budget recommendations.

The SNF PPS Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) relies on accurate coding of several MDS Section GG mobility and self-care items that impact the PT, OT, and Nursing component per-diem case-mix payment rates. On June 7, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a series of short videos to assist providers with coding select Section GG items on the OASIS, IRF-PAI, LTCH CARE Data Set, and the MDS. These videos, ranging from 4-12 minutes, are designed to

The Department of Public Health will hold a public hearing on amendments to the following regulations: 105 CMR 721.000 – Standards for Prescription Format and Security in Massachusetts.

The Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety earlier this week issued a new report medical errors entitled The Financial and Human Cost of Medical Error … and How Massachusetts Can Lead the Way on Patient Safety. The report details two sets of research findings and also proposes a coordinated response through which the Commonwealth’s providers, policymakers, and public can accelerate safety and quality improvement. The Betsy Lehman Center was launched in 2004 within the state’s Executive Office of Health and

EOHHS Secretary Mary Lou Sudders has announced a new initiative to create and improve access to ambulatory behavioral healthcare. Secretary Sudders states "there is no ambulatory behavioral health treatment system, no continuum of care for children, youth or adults. Ambulatory behavioral health treatment is fragmented and often insufficient to meet the specific treatment needs of patients and their families. We can and must do better for individuals and family members with addictions, mental illness and co-occurring illnesses." This summer, the

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 May 2019. This new file is meant to replace the updated List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (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

The Massachusetts Legislature has appointed a six-member conference committee which has begun deliberations on reconciling the differences between the House and Senate's FY 2020 budget recommendations. Members of the conference committee are Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport), Senator Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Senator Vinny deMacedo (R-Plymouth), House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), Representative Denise Garlick (D-Needham) and Representative Todd Smola (R-Palmer). Mass Senior Care urges member to contact their legislators to ask the conferees to support

U.S. Congresswoman Lori Trahan (Center) with Mass Senior Care Leaders Leaders of Mass Senior Care Association took to Capitol Hill to advocate during AHCA/NCAL's Annual Congressional Briefing this week. Matt Salmon, Mass Senior Care Chairman, Bill Bogdanovich, MSCA Board Member & Foundation President, Tom Lavalle, MSCA Board Member, Holly Jarek, MSCA Member, Tara Gregorio, MSCA President and Jennifer Chen MSCA Director of Membership met with the Massachusetts Congressional delegation to discuss the critical need to protect and preserve Medicare funding

The Department of Public Health's Determination of Need (DoN) program has issued a memorandum listing proposed guidelines for applications for new long term care beds, ending the longstanding moratorium that has been in place since March 1992. This action is a result of the Department's review following issuance of last December's Circular Letter in regard to the new process for Long-Term Care Facility Beds Out of Service (BOOS). At that time the Department indicated it would review the scope of

Mass Senior Care Member Sherrill House hosted State Representative Nika Elugardo (D-Boston) at their facility recently. Photo (L-R): Isabel Torres, Legislative Aide; Patrick Stapleton, CEO of Sherrill House; State Representative Nika Elugardo; Karen Soorian, Director of Community Outreach and Volunteer Services; and The Very Reverend Tom Kennedy, Board Chairman

Earlier this week the Senate Committee on Aging released a list of nursing facilities that are considered to be "candidates" for the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program. CMS has since indicated that the agency will be publishing an updated SFF "candidate" list monthly on the Nursing Home Compare website and is developing further transparency tools to be launched at a later date. AHCA has provided the following summary on how the candidate list is created for the SFF program: CMS

Twenty-four Mass Senior Care member facilities are being recognized with a 2019 Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made changes to the regional coverage by the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organizations (BFCC-QIOs). The BFCC-QIO in MA was previously Livanta but will now be covered by KEPRO. Effective June 8, 2019, KEPRO will be the BFCC-QIO in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota

House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz was the keynote speaker at South Cove Manor at Quincy Point's Annual Meeting and Dinner on May 21st.

Mass Senior Care Association's 2019 Nursing Facility Employment Survey has been electronically distributed to nursing facilities and corporate offices. We are asking members to complete the survey based on data collected for the week beginning May 20, 2019. The survey is a fillable form that should be returned to Mass Senior Care by postal mail, fax (617-558-3546) or email to ddesimone@maseniorcare.org by Friday, June 28, 2019. Please note that, based on feedback from members, we have reduced the number of

Mass Senior Care is grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues and the Senate for their continued leadership and support for individuals who live and work in the Commonwealth's nursing facilities.

Thursday, June 13th marks the beginning of "National Nursing Assistants Week." This annual celebration is an opportune time to formally recognize and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by members of your staff every day—especially the Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) who provide daily care to our residents. The Massachusetts Senior Care Association is pleased to again make available FREE Certificates of Appreciation to distribute to your CNAs. To download certificates, please click here. To obtain certificates by postal mail, please contact

Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester) and Mass Senior Care co-hosted a Nursing Home Roundtable at Stoneham Senior Center this week. The open forum featured a brief overview presentation by Tara Gregorio, President of Mass Senior Care followed by a robust discussion with Senator Lewis, representatives from the nursing facilities in the district and local councils on aging. We extend our gratitude to the members who participated in the event, including: Aberjona Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, Winchester Bear Hill Rehabilitation and Nursing

MassHealth will be holding a webinar on June 20, 2019 at 2 pm in regard to its Technical Refresh of the MassHealth Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) to replace its HIPAA compliance and translator tool. The tool is used to validate HIPAA compliance and translate the HIPAA compliant transactions to an XML format so that they can be processed within MassHealth's MMIS. All HIPAA transactions (inbound/outbound) processed through MassHealth's MMIS will be affected by this technical refresh. MassHealth will be

On May 20 th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officially posted on its website a draft version of the new RAI training guidance that will help transitioning to the Patient-Drive Payment Model. CMS notes that this early, preliminary release is being provided in response to stakeholder feedback. The MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.17 contains many updates including information related to the Patient Driven Payment Model. Questions regarding information presented in the manual should be directed to the

Massachusetts employers that offer approved private plans with paid leave benefits that are equal to or more generous than those provided under the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program may obtain an exemption from making family or medical leave contributions to the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML). In order help employers evaluate whether they want to apply for an exemption, the Department of Paid Family and Medical Leave is providing specific information about the exemption process requirements

AHCA’s Virtual PDPM Training prepares AHCA members for PDPM and will mirror the in-person trainings that have been held for AHCA members in almost every state in recent months.

Over 500 members of the nursing facility community including residents, their families, staff and vendors took to the State House on May 21st to rally for increased funding to protect quality nursing home care.

Implementation of the new Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) is now underway. Join us for an informative education program to learn all there is to know about this new law, presented by David Wilson, Founding Partner of the law firm Hirsch Roberts Weinstein, an Associate Member of Mass Senior Care Association. The Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law: What Long Term Care Employers Need to Know June 11, 2019 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Mass Senior

We look forward to hundreds of nursing home staff, residents and their families joining us at the Massachusetts State House for Mass Senior Care's Advocacy Day next Tuesday, May 21st at 10:00 a.m. Please click here for the flyer and directions/parking to the Massachusetts State House. The Massachusetts Senate is expected to debate the FY 2020 budget beginning next week, which coincides with Advocacy Day which is one of the Association's most important events of the year, when we show

Annually, the Boston Globe’s Salute to Nurses recognizes caregivers whose “dedication and caring have saved lives, soothed fears, and eased the pain of countless patients and families." We are proud to recognize Mass Senior Care Association members who were honored in this year’s tribute. Caroline Ambros, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Hebrew SeniorLife Peitra Baker, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Hebrew SeniorLife Tricia Beaudoin, Hancock Park Rehab & Nursing Center Ellen Borden, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Hebrew SeniorLife Kirsten Brady, Sutton Hill Center, Genesis HealthCare

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 2019. This new file is meant to replace the updated List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (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