News In Brief - March 5, 2014

Our response to the OIG report on adverse events in skilled nursing facilities
This week the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report indicating that one in five Medicare patients suffers an adverse event while receiving care in a skilled nursing facility, and the majority of the events are preventable. The report gives all aging services providers the opportunity to examine what additional steps we can take to create a culture of safety within our organizations. We encourage LeadingAge Oregon members to read a LeadingAge summary of the OIG report as well as responses to the report by both LeadingAge and LeadingAge Oregon. Access the summary and responses.

Nursing facilities: Are you meeting the Oregon Patient Safety Commission reporting targets?
One of the recommendations of the OIG report is the development of Patient Safety organizations, where tracking of safety-related events can occur without the hammer of punishment and citation. We are fortunate that Oregon has established the Oregon Patient Safety Commission to do just that. In order to learn about adverse events in nursing homes and how to avoid them, however, nursing homes have to report their adverse events. So far, only a minority of Oregon nursing homes are meeting the current Patient Safety Commission goal of four adverse event reports per year. Read more about the reporting program and how to report.

OGEC offers free training on Alzheimer’s care April 3
The Oregon Geriatric Education Center (OGEC) is presenting a free educational program on Alzheimer’s Care April 3 at the OSU LaSells Stewart Center in Corvallis. The program, scheduled from 1:15 to 4:45 p.m., will include presentations on behaviors and palliative care. General admission is free, but there is a charge for CEU credits. Registration is required.

CMS administrator: Don’t expect delay in October 1 ICD-10 transition date
CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said last week that the October 1 transition date to ICD-10 is firm, according to news reports from the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society convention in Orlando. The new International Classification of Diseases codes greatly expands the current set of codes. Hospitals, nursing homes and all providers covered by HIPAA must transition to the new codes. CMS has posted ICD-10 resources on its eHealth University webpage.

In addition, LeadingAge Oregon is sponsoring two educational opportunities about ICD-10 in April and May for Oregon nursing homes, including a two-day training in Wilsonville. Please see more information under LeadingAge Oregon news below.

President’s 2015 budget includes nursing facility rate cuts, increase in 202 funding
Yesterday the White House delivered Part I of the President’s 2015 budget. Part II will come out next Tuesday. A preliminary scan provided by LeadingAge indicates the budget contains cuts to nursing facility Medicare reimbursements as well as $20 million for a senior housing with services demonstration and an increase in funding for Section 202 housing programs. Access the budget documents on the Office of Management and Budget website.

LeadingAge is interested in your feedback on proposed changes to Section 8 Renewal Guide
HUD has released proposed changes to the Section 8 Renewal Guide. LeadingAge is encouraging members to review the 8-page introduction and any areas of interest/concern and provide feedback to Colleen Bloom, [email protected]. Among other changes, the revisions include additional requirements if a Rent Comparability Study (RCS) exceeds 110 percent of the median gross rent by zip code. Download the draft guide on HUD’s Section 8 web page (under What’s New, right side of the page).

CMS revises nursing home emergency preparedness checklist tool
CMS has revised the current emergency preparedness checklist tool for nursing homes to provide more detailed guidance about patient/resident tracking, supplies and collaboration. The tool outlines topics that should be covered in emergency preparedness planning. Changes are highlighted in areas such as the amount of water to be transported during an evacuation, and procedures if a resident turns up missing during an evacuation. Access the revised checklist.

Writers shine at Creative Writing luncheon
A special thank you to all of the LeadingAge Oregon member staff and residents who contributed to the success of our Creative Writing Luncheon last week! Special kudos to Friendsview Retirement Community for hosting and providing a delicious lunch. Check out a few photos on our Facebook page (you don’t have to join Facebook to view them), and, if you have a Facebook account, don’t forget to “like” LeadingAge Oregon so you can follow our Facebook posts!

New Community-based Care Manager joins ALF/RCF Networking meeting
LeadingAge Oregon ALF/RCF members enjoyed meeting this week with the state’s new Community-based Care Program (CBC) Manager, Cory Oace (who refers to himself as the “new Dennett Taber.”) During an extended discussion about ALF/RCF issues, Oace reported that CBC policy, corrective action and survey staff have resumed regular meetings so they are on the same page when it comes to their expectations of ALF/RCF operations. ALF/RCF surveys are running pretty much on schedule, although the state has just 12 CBC surveyors for 473 facilities. They hope to have a full team of 14 soon. The next networking meeting for ALF/RCF providers is scheduled June 3 at the LeadingAge Oregon office.

Nursing facilities: Have you registered your staff for ICD-10 training?
With the announcement that the ICD-10 implementation date will stay October 1, 2014, it is more imperative than ever that nursing home staff know what they must do to prepare. There aren’t many trainings available specifically focusing on long-term care (rather than hospitals), so we encourage member nursing homes to register as soon as possible for the following educational programs (please note that seating is limited for the May two-day class!)

April 10 – Webinar, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.: ICD-10: A Long-term Care Operator’s Guide for Compliance. This webinar will help administrators, your leadership team and business office understand the overall impact of the ICD-10 transition, and what you should be doing to prepare.
May 8-9 – Two-day training, Wilsonville: ICD-10 Essentials for Long-term Care. This is a hands-on training for medical records, billing staff, business office, MDS coordinators, nurse managers, Directors of Nursing, corporate nurses.