Member Resources

Governor Baker and his Administration are now finalizing their FY 2018 budget proposal which will be released on January 25, 2017. We request that you continue working with staff, residents and their family members to call Governor Baker's office to respectfully urge his continued support of the Nursing Home Quality Jobs Initiative, which would provide funding to increase wages for our hardworking and dedicated caregivers. Our goal is for each member facility to make at least 100 calls to the

Representatives from the Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Developmental Services (DDS), Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA), and the MassHealth Office of Long Term Services and Supports (OLTSS) recently completed a general PASRR overview training. The training covered the Level 1 PASRR form and the Level 2 process for both DMH and DDS. If you were unable to attend the December PASRR trainings, MassHealth will be holding an additional PASRR Training Overview Webinar on January 18th, 2017, 10am-11:30am

We are saddened to share the news of the unexpected death of Jim Morris, Administrator at BayPointe Rehab and Skilled Care Center in Brockton since 2007. Jim passed away after a long-fought and courageous battle with cancer. Jim dedicated his life to providing service to elders and individuals with disabilities. He was also an active and passionate member of the Brockton Rotary Club. Widely respected in the long term care community, Jim served as an Ambassador for the Association’s grassroots

In March 2016, Governor Baker, through Executive Order 561, created a Task Force to recommend solutions to help end persistent economic disparities for certain populations. At the time of the Task Force report, these populations, which include African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, persons with disabilities, and Gulf War Era II Veterans, experienced rates of unemployment from 7-20%. The Task Force found that individuals within these populations experience complex needs and barriers that require intensive interventions. The Task Force made several

Our national affiliate, the American Health Care Association (AHCA), recently issued the following note in regard to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issuing a work-around to correct edit errors for new 2017 PT and OT evaluation codes. In early December, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the quarterly National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits tables that apply to Medicare Part B and some state Medicaid agency claims for the period of January 1 through

EOHHS, via emergency regulation, on December 30, 2016 adopted amendments to the Medicaid nursing facility rate regulation eliminating the provision for incentive payments to nursing facilities under the Pay for Performance Program (P4P) for FY2017. In response to a state budgetary shortfall totaling an estimated $98 million in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2017, Governor Baker last month used his authority to begin implementing Chapter 9C spending cuts, including this year’s nursing facility P4P program. The Governor did not impose cuts

As we reported in the December 21, 2016 edition of the newsletter, Mass Senior Care has identified a number of issues of concern to the nursing home provider community regarding recently proposed Department of Public Health regulatory amendments, including: (1) the proposed repeal of the regulatory provision that allow facilities built prior to 1968 to meet construction standards in effect at the time of construction, (2) decreasing the number of beds permitted in bedrooms in nursing units from no more

Mass Senior Care will convene a meeting on Tuesday, January 24th from 10am to 12pm at the Mass Senior Care Office in Waltham for long term care facility members potentially affected by DPH’s proposal to eliminate a licensure ‘grandfathering’ provision for facilities constructed on or prior to March 19, 1968. At the meeting, Mass Senior Care will provide an update for members on MSCA’s current efforts to oppose DPH’s proposed removal of the current 'grandfathering' provision contained in 105 CMR

The Massachusetts Senior Care Association (MSCA) recently announced the retirement of Ned Morse who has led the Association for more than 30 years, effective December 31, 2016. MSCA Board Members unanimously elected Senior Vice-President of the Association, Tara Gregorio, as President, effective January 1, 2017. Gregorio has worked in the area of healthcare policy for nearly 20 years. “Ned has been a champion of senior care excellence in the Commonwealth for decades,” said Bill Bogdanovich, Chairman of the Board. “He

Russell Phillips & Associates, LLC, a Mass Senior Care Associate Member, hosted a complimentary webinar on CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule for Nursing Homes. The webinar presentation and questions and answers asked during the program are now available. To access the webinar recording, please click here. To view the webinar slides, please click here. To access the Q&A document, please click here.

Representatives from the Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Developmental Services (DDS), Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA), and the MassHealth Office of Long Term Services and Supports (OLTSS) recently completed a general PASRR overview training. The training covered the Level 1 PASRR form and the Level 2 process for both DMH and DDS. If you were unable to attend the December PASRR trainings, MassHealth we will be holding an additional PASRR Training Overview Webinar on January 18th, 2017

A public hearing will be held on Monday, January 9, 2017, at 10:00 am in Room 417A/B (4th Floor), 239 Causeway Street, Boston on the proposed revisions to the following regulations: 244 CMR 5.00 Continuing Education; 244 CMR 8.00 Licensure Requirements; and 244 CMR 9.00 Standards of Conduct. These regulations set forth continuing education requirements (5.00), requirements and procedures for initial licensure by examination and reciprocity for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, as well as provisions for license renewal

Mass Senior Care has been made aware of a recent change made by the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure to the regulations for allied health professionals as it relates to signatures on documentation. Please see the applicable changes below with a link to the full regulations. 259 CMR 3.00: Occupational Therapists – Section 3.03: Documentation - Timely and accurate documentation is necessary whenever occupational therapy services are provided, regardless of payer source. The client’s record must be signed with the

In March 2016, Governor Baker, through Executive Order 561, created a Task Force to recommend solutions to help end persistent economic disparities for certain populations. At the time of the Task Force report, these populations, which include African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, persons with disabilities, and Gulf War Era II Veterans, experienced rates of unemployment from 7-20%. The Task Force found that individuals within these populations experience complex needs and barriers that require intensive interventions. The Task Force made several

On December 16, 2016, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Office of Medicaid (“MassHealth”) announced its intention to post a bid solicitation and to require online proposal submission via COMMBUYS in order to procure Long-Term Services and Supports Community Partners (LTSS CPs) to perform care coordination and other administrative support activities for identified members with LTSS needs. EOHHS anticipates conducting this procurement for LTSS CPs in the winter of 2017 for a contract start date in

The Department of Public Health will hold a Supportive Planning and Operations Team (SPOT) Stakeholder Presentation on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm at the Department of Public Health’s office at 250 Washington Street in Boston. The objective of the SPOT Stakeholder meeting is to share the findings from quality assurance and performance improvement assessments at the 40 nursing homes that participated and subsequent interventions that were developed to address identified opportunities for improvement. Please click

The Department of Public Health (DPH) has proposed regulatory changes that could impact the licensing and construction standards certain long term care facilities would be required to meet. In particular, DPH is proposing to eliminate the construction standard grandfather provision for potentially more than 130 nursing homes constructed prior to March 19, 1968. It appears these homes would need to meet current construction standards or apply to the Department of Public Health for annual waivers under yet to be determined

“My job is rewarding and continues to provide me with opportunities to teach, ensure quality and provide direct care to residents.” Pamela Gelardi was only a high school student when she began working with older adults through a job at the local VNA. After graduating from Middlesex Community College with an Associate Degree in Nursing, she gained additional experience working with the mentally challenged adult population. She began her career ladder in long term care nursing 15 years ago at

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome our new Members. 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 also find all of our Associate Members on our website, www.maseniorcare.org. New Facility Member: Taunton Nursing Home

On December 9, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released Survey & Certification Memorandum: 17-12-NH Long-Term Care (LTC) Regulation: Enforcement of Rule Prohibiting Use of Pre-Dispute Binding Arbitration Agreements is Suspended so Long as Court Ordered Injunction Remains in Effect. In this memorandum, CMS indicates that enforcement of the prohibition of the use of pre-dispute arbitration agreements is suspended until and unless the injunction is lifted. CMS will not enforce the new rule prohibiting skilled nursing facilities

The Department of Public Health (DPH) will be holding a Public Hearing in regard to proposed amendments to 105 CMR 150.000, Licensing of Long-Term Care Facilities and 105 CMR 153.00, Licensure Procedure and Suitability Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities. The public hearing will also concern the proposed rescission of 105 CMR 151.000, General Standards of Construction for Long-Term Care Facilities in Massachusetts. Mass Senior Care will be presenting both oral and written testimony at the upcoming hearing. It is important

Marian Mensah-Agyemang was born in Ghana and raised by her aunt, a nurse who cared for adults with mental disabilities. Witnessing the love and compassion that her aunt and other staff showed to their residents, Marian was inspired to pursue her education and a career in caring for older adults. She started out in community health nursing after high school, before moving to the United States where she was a volunteer on an Alzheimer’s unit. The rapport she had with

The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database file, which reflects all OIG exclusions and reinstatement actions up to, and including, those taken in October 2016. 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

A video presentation is now available from CMS for the September 14 MLN Connects Webcast on SNF Quality Reporting Program. Learn about the reporting requirements for the new Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP), effective October 1, 2016. The Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act) established the SNF QRP and requires the submission of standardized data. This video does not include the question and answer session that took place during the webcast. The audio

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report recommending changes to the Nursing Home Compare websites to give consumers better information on the cost and quality of their health care. Please click here to access the GAO report. Source: GAO

The Northeast Division of the Consortium for Quality Improvement and Survey and Certification Operations will host a webinar on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm on Changes to LTC Infection Control Regulations: What Facilities Should Consider When Developing Infection Control Programs. This webinar will provide information on how facilities should be begin to examine their practice on unnecessary antibiotic use, risk of MDRO and best practices with antibiotics. In addition, it will discuss interdisciplinary communication, how

On December 1, 2016, MassHealth issued Eligibility Operations Memo 16-08, December 1, 2016 regarding a change in its Asset Verification capacity for Medicaid applicants. Federal law requires states to implement an electronic, asset-verification system to obtain information regarding the financial resources of Medicaid applicants, including those seeking Medicaid coverage for long term care. MassHealth has contracted with Public Consulting Group, Inc., (PCG) to electronically verify the assets of applicants for MassHealth Buy-In (only), Long-Term Care (LTC), Community Traditional, and Home-

The Department of Public Health has issued a Notice of Public Hearing in regard to proposed amendments to 105 CMR 150.000, Licensing of Long-Term Care Facilities and 105 CMR 153.00, Licensure Procedure and Suitability Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities. The public hearing will also concern the proposed rescission of 105 CMR 151.000, General Standards of Construction for Long-Term Care Facilities in Massachusetts. Mass Senior Care has identified a number of issues of concern to the nursing home provider community, including

In response to a state budgetary shortfall totaling an estimated $98 million in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2017, Governor Baker plans to use his authority to begin implementing Chapter 9C spending cuts. The Governor’s 9C cuts include the elimination of this year’s $2.8 nursing facility Pay for Performance (P4P) program. The Governor did not impose cuts on the October 1, 2016 Medicaid nursing home rates, which include the $35.5 million direct care add on. Please contact Senior Vice President Tara

“I learned that becoming a lawyer was not what I wanted at all. I learned that I got a real joy in helping people.” As a high school student, Kerry Medeiros envisioned living a glamourous life, ideally in a tropical location with a high paying job as a lawyer. On the advice of a friend, she instead enrolled in CNA training, and within a year, was accepted into the Diman School of Practical Nursing while working as a CNA. Kerri

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Work Plan for fiscal year (FY) 2017 summarizes new and ongoing reviews and activities that the OIG plans to pursue with respect to HHS programs and operations during the current fiscal year and beyond. Work planning is an ongoing and evolving process, and the Work Plan is updated throughout the year. For nursing homes, the OIG plans to focus on: Nursing Home Complaint Investigation Data Brief

Our national affiliate, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) has developed several new resources to assist members with implementing the Requirements of Participation. The newly posted materials include: Action Briefs which provide highlights of regulatory sections along with implementation strategies and tips, timelines, and related resources. New topics posted include Infection Prevention & Control, Pharmacy Services, and Policies & Procedures on Taking Photos or Videos. Tools including detailed implementation checklists on a variety of topics. New tools posted include several

CMS has released training which contains information regarding Phase 1 of the New Nursing Home Regulations that will became effective starting November 28, 2016. This information addresses the new language included in the New Nursing Home Regulations, and how Phase 1 will be implemented via the State Operations Manual, F-Tags, and survey process. This training also address how the survey process will be used to address the regulatory requirements, please click here to access the CMS training. Source: CMS

An issue has been identified with MDS 3.0 assessment records submitted to the ASAP (Assessment Submission and Processing) system beginning October 1, 2016, through November 4, 2016. This issue impacts all NO and SO (Nursing Home and Swing Bed OMRA Other) assessment records with a target date on or after October 1, 2016 and may have resulted in an incorrect ASAP system-calculated RUG code for these assessments. No other assessment record types were affected by this issue. This issue involves

The Department of Public Health presented the proposed revisions to 105 CMR 150.000 Licensure of Long Term Care Facilities to the Public Health Council on November 9, 2016. Mass Senior Care provided the DPH with recommendations for revision and/or deletion of specific regulatory requirements for these regulations last year. Mass Senior Care will convene a meeting on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Mass Senior Care office to review the proposed revisions and prepare

On November 22, 2016, a federal district court in Texas granted an emergency motion for a preliminary injunction barring the Department of Labor (DoL) from enforcing its revised overtime rule, scheduled to take effect December 1, 2016. The federal rule would require employers to start paying overtime to eligible workers earning salaries of less than $47,476 a year (an increase from $23,600 the last time it was set in 2004), making millions more workers eligible for time-and-a-half pay. The final

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) today issued its Compliance Form Worksheet and Compliance Form Instructions in regard to the $35.5M Direct Care Add On program included in the SFY 2017 budget act. • SFY2017 Nursing Facility Direct Care Add-on Compliance Form Instructions [NF-DCACF-I] Please note that EOHHS previously issued an Administrative Bulletin setting forth the compliance criteria and reporting procedures for the Direct Care Add On program. EOHHS has scheduled three Nursing Facility Direct Care Add-On

Joyann (Joy) Morin’s passion for the elderly was sparked as a child, when she and her sister loved spending time visiting and making cards for residents at the nursing home where her mother worked as a CNA. An integral member of the staff at Mount Carmel Care Center for 27 years, she began her career in long term care as a housekeeper, working her way up to become a Certified Activity Director and Certified Dementia Practitioner.

The HHS Office of Civil Rights published a final rule May 18, 2016, broadening the nondiscrimination requirements applicable to all health programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance from HHS, those administered by HHS, and Health Insurance Marketplaces. This final rule has largely flown under the radar since its publication, begging the question: are you prepared to comply with the new requirements? Join AHCA for a webinar on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET to

The Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction November 2016 Patient Safety Report highlighted the issue of health care worker flu vaccination. The Lehman article notes that the 2015 - 2016 influenza season show a slight rise in the vaccination rate of Massachusetts health care workers but a substantial number of health care facilities failed to reach the 90% vaccination level recommended by state and federal health authorities. Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Regulation requires long

An audio recording and transcript are now available for the October 27th call on Long-Term Care Facilities: Reform of Requirements. Learn about the changes included in the final rule; implementation and survey process; and provider training and resources. Source: CMS

AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program is pleased to announce that the 2017 application packets are now available online. In addition, the 2017 program calendar and submission checklist have been posted to each award level page. Please visit the Bronze, Silver or Gold application pages to download application materials specific to your respective award level to see how your center should begin preparing. Important Dates to Remember November 17 - Intent to Apply Deadline December 1 - Applications are accepted online

Representatives from the Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Developmental Services (DDS), Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA), and the MassHealth Office of Long Term Services and Supports (OLTSS) will be providing a general PASRR overview training in December – December 5 at Lawrence Public Library, December 12 at Shrewsbury Commonwealth Medicine Amphitheater, and December 19, 2016 in Springfield at the Central Library Community Room. This training will cover the Level 1 PASRR form and the Level 2 process

The Department of Public Health presented the proposed revisions to 105 CMR 150.000 Licensure of Long Term Care Facilities to the Public Health Council on November 9, 2016. Mass Senior Care provided the DPH with recommendations for revision and/or deletion of specific regulatory requirements for these regulations last year. Mass Senior Care will convene a meeting on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Mass Senior Care office to review the proposed revisions and prepare

Last week the Department of Public Health, Bureau of Healthcare Quality, Division of Facility Licensure and Certification, presented a webinar on Substance Use Disorders (SUD) in Long Term Care Facilities. Please click here for a copy of the presentation. Massachusetts Senior Care Association (MSCA) has been receiving reports from members of significant compliance issues with regard to the care of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) patients in nursing facilities. Patients are increasingly presenting with unforeseen issues and needs which have sometimes

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) has scheduled three Nursing Facility Direct Care Add-On Training Sessions: Boston/December 1, Shrewsbury/December 7 and Springfield/December 9. This will be an opportunity for nursing facilities to obtain clarification on the spending test rules. As noted in MSCA’s November 16, 2016 E-News Update, EOHHS has issued an Administrative Bulletin and will soon be posting the Compliance Form worksheets on its website. EOHHS is requesting that individuals register for one training session only

JGS Lifecare recently celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Sosin Center for Rehabilitation in Longmeadow. Nearly 200 people attended the ceremony, including Congressman Richard Neal, JGS Lifecare’s staff, residents, board members, business and community leaders. JGS Lifecare partnered with The Green House Project to develop Sosin Center, which is a state-of-the-art, patient-centered model of care that aims to reduce medication and hospitalizations while affording greater socialization and interaction with caregivers. Due to open later in the year, Sosin

Bridges by EPOCH, an assisted living residence in Hingham, has a "Bus Stop to Nowhere" which was recently showcased at the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living’s 67th Annual Convention and Expo in Nashville and Mass Senior Care's recent Annual Meeting. The idea serves as an example of person-centered, life enrichment programming aimed at improving the quality of life for assisted living residents living with dementia. Please click here to view.

On November 10, 2016 CMS, through its Quality Technical Support Office, e-mailed a notice to all providers related to PBJ submissions. CMS has addressed several technical questions related to the PBJ submission process and, most notably, has indicated they will accept data submission past the deadline and will not impose penalties for providers that have not met the deadline at this time. Please click here access the CMS message in its entirety.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Survey and Certification Group is providing general information regarding the implementation plans for the new Emergency Preparedness Rule. The information addresses the implementation date for providers and suppliers, the development of Interpretive Guidelines (IGs), surveyor training and resources available to assist in the implementation of this regulation. The regulation affects all 17 providers and suppliers and must be fully implemented by November 15, 2017.