E-News Update Articles

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) last week issued proposed revised rates for services provided by temporary nursing to licensed hospitals and nursing facilities -- 101 CMR 345/Temporary Nursing Services . The proposed amendments would establish the rate limits for temporary nursing agency services for each geographic region as purchased by hospitals and nursing facilities effective March 1, 2019. EOHHS estimates that the proposed rate limits—if all purchasers utilized the maximum rate—will result in an increase of

The Green House Project is sponsoring a workshop, to learn about the model's higher measurable quality outcomes, strong consumer demand, proven and effective tools and resources, and the ROI behind the movement to transform elder care. The workshop will take place at the Leonard Florence Center for Living Green House community in Chelsea, Mass., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please click here for more information.

Did you know that the number of people with Legionnaires’ disease grew 5.5 times from 2000 to 2017 and is deadly for 25% of people who get it from a health care facility? Ninety percent of the problems that cause Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks could have been prevented with more effective water management. Help prevent outbreaks by taking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) new online training: Preventing Legionnaires' Disease: A Training on Legionella Water Management Programs . Learn

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

On February 5, 2019 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted on its MDS 3.0 Technical Information Webpage a new version (V3.00.0) of the MDS 3.0 Data Specifications was posted. This version is scheduled to become effective October 1, 2019. Note that there are many significant changes, including the removal of eight item sets (NS, NSD, NO, NOD, SS, SSD, SO, SOD), the addition of two new item sets (IPA and OSA), and item additions in Sections A

EOHHS will hold a webinar on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, from noon to 1pm, on Connecting to Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Services and Recovery. This webinar will explore the continuum of MassHealth substance use disorder (SUD) services in One Care, including newly added residential services, support navigators, and recovery coaches, available to improve health and increase rates of long-term recovery among individuals with SUD. Presenters from the MassHealth Office of Behavioral Health, Behavioral Health directors from the One Care plans

On January 22, 2019, CMS published a memo summarizing the inflation adjustments to the CMP amounts that may be imposed for noncompliance by nursing centers. The new CMP amounts and ranges can be found in the Appendix of the memo. The adjusted amounts apply to CMPs assessed on or after October 11, 2018, which is when the rule was published that finalized the adjustments. The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 required CMS to make annual

The FY 2020 budget is now being considered by the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In a hand-delivered letter to legislators Mass Senior Care urged lawmakers to make nursing home funding a priority in the state budget. In order to support the impact of this letter, we need the collective voice of the nursing home community to please contact your local legislators to ask for their support. Please click here to participate in this important Action Alert. Mass Senior Care members

Mass Senior Care has long advocated that greater transparency is critical as it will better ensure improved consumer and provider protections, including the establishment of standards to ensure nursing home options are available to allow beneficiaries have maximum choice and access to timely quality care in a given service area. It would also allow CMMI to better ensure that ACOs avoid any unnecessary, budget-driven reductions in utilization of services, as well as to promote, if possible, that care is directed

Final Reminder! The 2019 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Application Deadline is January 31 Don't miss out on the opportunity to be recognized for your commitment to quality care with this national honor. The deadline to apply is quickly approaching on January 31, 2019 at 8 p.m. EST! Log on to the Quality Award portal to submit today. For more information on the Quality Award Program, visit www.ahcancal.org/qualityaward or email AHCA staff at qualityaward@ahca.org.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has given the Harvard Chan School of Public Health Center for Work, Health, and Well-being a grant to study health, safety, and wellness in the nursing home industry. Harvard is collaborating with Massachusetts Senior Care on the study, Enterprise Outcomes, in Massachusetts. The first part of Enterprise Outcomes is a survey of Directors of Nursing. Please consider participating in the survey when you are invited. The study will look at policies, practices

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released updated versions of the Nursing Home Staff Competency Assessment, and they are now available to download for free on the CMS Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program (CMPRP) website. Download the assessment by visiting Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/Surv… . This toolkit is part of CMS’s effort to improve patient safety and quality of nursing home care under the CMPRP. This three-year initiative aims to improve residents' quality of life

Over the last week, two op-ed columns by Mass Senior Care Board Members were published calling on the Governor and state Legislature to make nursing home funding a priority in FY 2020, to address an unprecedented crisis that threatens the nursing home provider community’s viability to provide access to quality care. The MetroWest Daily News published an op-ed, “McCarthy: Addressing the crisis facing long-term nursing care” authored by Sister Jacquelyn M. McCarthy, CSJ R.N., CEO/Administrator at Bethany Health Care Center

Executive Office of Health & Human Services (EOHHS) Secretary Marylou Sudders has appointed Robin Lipson to serve as Acting Secretary of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA). Lipson was Chief of Staff to former EOEA Secretary Alice Bonner since 2015 and later also took on responsibilities of Chief Strategy Officer. She has been the lead staff person supporting the Governor’s Council to Address Aging in Massachusetts and led the effort that resulted in the Commonwealth becoming the 2nd state

The Department of Family and Medical Leave has issued draft Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) regulations. The regulations are posted on the Department’s website . In addition, the website now outlines further information on the contribution split . The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will be holding public listening sessions throughout the Commonwealth with respect to the draft regulations beginning next week. Please click here for details on the time and location of the listening sessions. Additional

The SFY 2019 budget act authorizes the Direct Care Staff Payment at $38.5 million, a $2.8 million increase from the prior fiscal year. Please note that EOHHS plans to issue the second payment by the end of January. The agency has also updated its Nursing Facility Direct Care Program Compliance Filing FAQ for 2019 . The 2019 compliance period covers July 2018 through June 2019, and the baseline period remains the same at January 2016 through June 2016. Facilities will

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 December 2018. 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

Please join Mass Senior Care and the Department of Public Health for a complimentary webinar to discuss best practices in reporting incidents through the Health Care Facility Reporting System (HCRFS). This webinar will provide facilities with guidance on information that should be included on an initial and follow up incident report submitted through the HCFRS. This webinar is available to Mass Senior Care members only. Webinar Information Title: Best Practices when Reporting through the Health Care Facility Reporting System (HCRFS)

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences and Bureau of Healthcare Safety and Quality invites staff from non-acute hospitals, dialysis centers, ambulatory surgical centers, clinics, nursing homes, rest homes and adult day health programs to participate in an educational webinar which will provide a summary of the epidemiology of this flu season to date as well as provide guidance for reporting healthcare personnel influenza vaccination data. The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, January 23

The American Health Care Association’s (AHCA) Survey/Regulatory Committee has developed tools to assist nursing homes in addressing adverse and potential adverse events. These tools will assist nursing homes in documenting and tracking the steps that have been taken, and identification of best practices for ongoing improvement. Use of these tools does not guarantee regulatory compliance nor mitigate potential liability. Providers should adapt their tools, policies, and processes as needed to ensure compliance with current federal and state requirements and use

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) has adopted the second component of the FY 2019 Medicaid nursing facility rate regulation, focusing on (1) quality achievement and (2) PASRR add-ons. The two new add-ons are effective on January 1, 2019. In combination with the October 1, 2018 Medicaid rate increases, these actions total $31 million and represent EOHHS Secretary Marylou Sudders' first step in a short-term stabilization package. The Secretary has also committed to work with Mass Senior

Peg Stearns celebrated her 108th birthday on January 5th at Life Care Center of Wilbraham. Joining in Peg’s festivities were special guests U.S. Congressman Richard Neal, State Senator Eric Lesser and State Representative Angelo Puppolo. Peg has been a resident at Life Care Center of Wilbraham for the last ten years. Her favorite hobbies include gardening and giving back to her church, community and fellow citizens. Pictured at left: Dennis Lopata, Senior Executive Director at Life Care Center of Wilbraham

The National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes will host a call on March 12, 2019 from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm on a Dementia Care & Psychotropic Medication Tracking Tool. This tool is a free, publicly available electronic tool that facilitates a structured approach to tracking preference-based care and psychotropic medication use among residents living with dementia. Also, learn about a recently released Nursing Home Staff Competency Assessment toolkit. Additionally, CMS will provide updates on the Phase

Take Action and Call Governor Baker at 617-804-5028 Today!

Mass Senior Care will be offering a webinar on February 12th at 1:00pm, "What to Say When the News Is Bad: Crisis Communications Skills & Systems", presented by Irving Stackpole. This webinar will review how to develop a crisis communications plan and effective strategies to manage communications internally and externally. The webinar is offered complimentary to members in collaboration with American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) and Stackpole & Associates. For additional information and to register for this webinar

MassMAP will hold an orientation session on February 26, 2019 from 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm at the Mass Senior Care office in Waltham. This session is for new MassMAP members as well as staff from member facilities who are not familiar with the MassMAP website or plan. Please click here for registration information. This session is for MassMAP members only.

Nursing Homes and Rest Homes are required by regulation to report healthcare personnel (HCP) influenza data to the Department of Public Health by April 15, 2019. The Department of Public Health has provided guidance for facilities to fulfill the requirement. The Department of Public Health has also provided a Facility Health Care Personnel Flu Tracking Tool to assist facilities in documenting, monitoring, and tracking HCP influenza data throughout the flu season as well as Health Care Personnel Influenza Vaccination References

Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito were sworn-in for a second term this past Thursday and are actively working to finalize their FY 2020 budget recommendation, which is due on January 23rd. Mass Senior Care has launched a new grassroots platform urging all nursing facility members and stakeholders to email Governor Baker this week followed by a robust phone call campaign next week. To date, the nursing facility community has sent over 1,300 emails to the Governor asking

An audio recording and transcript are available for the December 11 call on the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS). On October 1, 2019, the new Patient Driven Payment Model is replacing Resource Utilization Group, Version IV. Learn about this new case-mix classification system for SNF Part A beneficiaries.

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will be holding seven public listening sessions on draft Department of Family and Medical Leave regulations. The Department has indicated that it intends to post draft regulations on its website on or before January 23. Please click here for details on the time and location of the listening sessions. Additional information on the Paid Family Medical Leave, including a Q &A for employers and employees can be found on The Department of

Take Action Today! We need your help to make ensure the voice of the nursing home community is heard.

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 2018. 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

MassHealth electronically collects nursing facility census data information quarterly, and is currently collecting census form filings for January 1, 2019. MassHealth issues an e-mail to an individual designated by the nursing facility to complete the form, typically to a contact person in the business office. If your facility has not yet filed the January 1, 2019 census form with MassHealth, we urge you to complete the census form and file electronically. The MassHealth census form (click here for a copy)

Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (MHV) has released a Request for Information (RFI) to identify potential partners. MVH is looking to relocate Windemere to another location on the island of Martha’s Vineyard and is most interested in having an innovative model of long term care. Responses are due by January 31, 2019. For more information, please see the full RFI here.

This week, Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and members of the 191st Massachusetts Legislature were sworn in to their respective terms in office at the State House on Beacon Hill. As one of their first actions, the Legislature and Governor Baker’s budget staff have agreed to develop their state fiscal year 2020 budget (FY 2020) recommendations with the expectation that state tax revenue will increase by 2.7 percent over the current fiscal year. Governor Baker’s House 1 FY

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

One-third of SNF residents experience an adverse or temporary harm event, and the majority of those are preventable. As part of CMS’s focus on raising awareness of nursing home safety and to support safer nursing home care across the nation, CMS and the Quality Innovation Network National Coordinating Center released a new resource: a Change Package to prevent all cause harm in nursing homes. The Change Package is a compendium of successful practices of high-performing nursing homes, illustrating how they

Please note that Mass Senior Care Association and American Health Care Association 2019 membership renewal notices will be mailed out next week. In addition, MassMAP dues renewal notices for skilled nursing facilities and rest homes will also be mailed next week. If you have any questions about these notices, please call the office at 617-558-0202. Thank you for your ongoing support and participation.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome new members to our Association. 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. You can find all of our Associate Members listed on our website, www.maseniorcare.org/preferred-vendors. Facility Member: Sunrise of

The Public Health Council last week adopted amendments to the Department of Public Health’s Determination of Need (DoN) regulations which were significantly revised in 2017. In operationalizing the 2017 DoN regulation, DPH identified areas that required clarification to improve implementation. In updating the regulations, DPH again affirmed that nursing facilities with DoN approvals prior to January 2017 will be permitted to implement the projects, as originally approved. In addition, the regulations update the so-called "Factor 4/Financial Feasibility" criteria to better

As part of an overall effort to review and modernize the longstanding moratorium on new long term care facility beds, the Department of Public Health on December 11, 2018 issued a Circular Letter indicating that the Department will no longer grant approvals for beds out of service (BOOS) in previously closed buildings.

After three and half years as Secretary of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Alice Bonner is returning to her roots in healthcare and nursing education in late January. She will be joining the staff of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and will work in Massachusetts and other states on issues relevant to the long term care community, including creating and improving age friendly health systems, promoting dementia friendly communities and support for caregivers of individuals living with dementia

As part of CMS’s focus on raising awareness of nursing home safety and to support safer nursing home care across the nation, CMS and the Quality Innovation Network National Coordinating Center released a new resource: a Change Package to prevent all cause harm in nursing homes. The Change Package is a compendium of successful practices of high-performing nursing homes, illustrating how they prevent harm while honoring each resident’s rights and preferences. A webinar is scheduled for January 24, 2019 from

DPH is planning a system upgrade to the Massachusetts Health Professions License Verification Site beginning Friday, December 28, 2018 through Monday, January 7, 2019. During the system upgrade period, DPH does not anticipate any disruption in service for providers using the license verification site to check the status of a certified nurse aide (CNA). Also, please note that the maintenance will not impact the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) phone verification system. DPH is encouraging early renewals for CNAs. Please click

First Lady Lauren Baker visited Alliance Health at Abbott in Lynn to present a proclamation from Governor Charlie Baker for outstanding quality. Pictured in photo (L-R): Christopher Robbins, Alliance Board of Directors, Linda Corridan, Alliance Board Chair, First Lady Lauren Baker, Tom Lavallee, COO at Alliance, Frank Grady, CEO at Alliance, Jackie Censullo, Director of Nursing Alliance Health at Abbott, Bethany Beauregard, Executive Director Alliance Health at Abbott, Paul Kemp, CFO at Alliance.

In response to member questions regarding multi-drug-single-dose packaging of medications, Mass Senior Care staff met with the Department of Public Health's Associate Commissioner, Director of the Boards of Professional Licensure and DPH Legal Counsel to obtain clarification on this issue. The Department of Public Health confirmed that multi-drug,-single-dose packaging is not prohibited in the long-term care setting. Revisions to the Board of Pharmacy regulations for "Return and Repackaging of Multi-Drug-Single-Dose Packaging" are currently under review. In addition, an Automated Dispensing

Amidst the historic Carriage House at Gore Place in Waltham, the Mass Senior Care Foundation celebrated its 33rd Anniversary of supporting the long term care workforce with a wine tasting event hosted by Bob Griffin, Managing Partner, Krokidas & Bluestein, LLP. The southern Italian wines sampled at the tasting were generously donated by Bob, who along with his colleague Dave Gansler, shared their passion and expertise for the wines of this region. Mass Senior Care Foundation President Bill Bogdanovich acknowledged

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that they are taking steps to ensure that skilled nursing facilities are adequately staffed through three actions detailed below. First, CMS will utilize Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) data to identify providers that have a significant drop in staffing levels on weekends or have several days in a quarter without a registered nurse (RN) working. The names of these providers will be shared with state survey agencies so that some weekend surveys

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched its Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) education website. The website includes a variety of educational and training resources to assist with PDPM implementation: FAQs; Fact sheets; PDPM Training Presentation; and Implementation tools (including PDPM GROUPER logic in SAS). CMS will also host a Medicare Learning Network Provider SNF PPS Provider call on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at 1:30 ET on the new PDPM. A question and answer session follows the presentation

The SPOT Initiative launched in 2016 as a collaborative effort to support nursing home teams to develop effective quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) programs. Effective QAPI programs can prevent adverse events, promote safety and quality, and reduce risks to residents and caregivers. With funding from Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) Funds, the SPOT team engaged 60 nursing homes in quality improvement work over the course of the program. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is hosting two town hall presentations