Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
On September 1, CMS announced in a memo the release of the emergency preparedness (EP) online training course for surveyors, who will begin surveying for requirements on November 15, 2017. All surveyors are required to take this course; newly hired surveyors will take the course during their State Survey Agency orientation; and providers are encouraged […]
Many long-term care and senior living facilities are putting their disaster preparedness plans to the test this week as Hurricane Harvey causes what’s being referred to as severe, never-before-experienced flooding in Texas. One skilled nursing facility (SNF) is being recognized in the news for their life-saving evacuation plan. Last Thursday, 90 seniors from Gulf Point […]
In today’s rapidly changing environment, no organization is immune from violence. It’s an unfortunate truth, but one that facilities should keep in mind as they revise their emergency preparedness plans to be compliant with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new standard before surveys begin in November. Those plans likely include policies and […]
On June 2, CMS published an Advanced Copy of Interpretive Guidelines for the Emergency Preparedness Final Rule. The memo states the agency’s plan to release a new Appendix Z of the State Operations Manual (SOM), which contains the interpretive guidelines and survey procedures for this final rule. Surveys are scheduled to begin in November of […]
Several emergency preparedness experts shared their concerns regarding providers’ ability to meet compliance with emergency preparedness (EP) requirements during a May 17 interview with Modern Healthcare’s Steven Ross Johnson. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule on September 16, 2016, mandating that facilities—including skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, home health […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) training call for emergency preparedness requirements is scheduled for this Thursday April 27, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM ET. Is your facility prepared to meet the new emergency preparedness requirements by the November 15, 2017, compliance date? During this call, learn about implementation of the final rule, […]
Surveys begin November 15, 2017 for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) recent updates to emergency preparedness (EP) requirements for long-term care. Industry expert and long-term care consultant Bonnie Foster, RN, BSN, Med says her biggest concern is always planning for a potential resident evacuation. She offers several strategies for planning a potential […]