New Front Line Forces Module Available

MDS Coding, Diagnosis Reconciliation and Adverse Drug Events

Superior Health Quality Alliance (Superior Health) released a new Front Line Forces module. This module will help nurses and minimum data set (MDS) staff who are responsible for ensuring that diagnoses for residents returning to a nursing home after a hospital or emergency department (ED) visit are accurate and reflect the residents’ current condition. Diagnoses from these visits can appear to be adverse drug reactions when they are not. An algorithm is available to help reconcile diagnoses and ensure documentation supports the current plan of care.

Occupational and Physical Therapist Enhanced Barrier Precaution Audit Tool

Superior Health provides a new tool, Audit Tool: Occupational and Physical Therapist Enhanced Barrier Precaution (EBP), to assist infection preventionists and therapy managers with evaluating and assessing the compliance levels of staff while engaging with residents about EBP.

Recording Available

Supporting Residents in Skilled Nursing Facilities with an Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)

Access the YouTube playlist for this four-part learning series for licensed nursing staff. It provides an overview of key considerations in caring for and supporting individuals with OUD. The series includes information on basic pathophysiology, pharmacological and behavioral treatment considerations, how to recognize signs/symptoms of an overdose and withdrawal, naloxone administration and person-centered care planning.

AHRQ Seeks Nursing Homes for Pilot Test of Surveys on Patient Safety Culture

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) seeks nursing homes to participate in a pilot test of an update to the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture® (SOPS®) Nursing Home Survey (Version 2.0) with supplemental items assessing staff workplace safety. The 2.0 survey is shorter than the current 1.0 survey and includes revised and new items based on user feedback. Participating nursing homes will receive:

• Up to $1,000: $500 for participation and an additional $500 for sites that achieve at least a 50% response rate.
• Free survey administration to nursing home staff of the 2.0 survey with workplace safety supplemental items in August or September 2024.
• Feedback reports comparing their results to those of other pilot sites.

Sign up or learn more about participating in this pilot.

Events

MDH Multidrug-Resistant Organisms Webinar Series

Wednesday, September 18 | 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 20 | 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Learn more and register.

Just in time for Antibiotic Awareness Week (November 18-24), the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will present a series of webinars on multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) including carbapenemase-producing organisms and Candida auris. Discussion and topics will vary by webinar and will include containment strategy, organism information, annual case counts, case studies, EBPs and discussions of MDRO screening. Webinars aim to be highly interactive and will provide time for questions. The intended audience includes congregate settings such as long-term care and assisted living providers, including infection preventionists, directors of nursing and interested health care staff. Nursing CEUs will be provided to those who attend the webinar.

State-Specific Information

Michigan Only

Nursing Facility Infection Control Grant

The Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI), on behalf of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), is offering skilled nursing facilities in Michigan the opportunity to apply for an Infection Control Grant. The purpose of this grant is to support structural and operational improvements to skilled nursing facilities to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. These grants can be used to pay for all or a portion of the costs of infection control improvements. Any skilled nursing facility in the State of Michigan is eligible to apply for this grant, including any facility that received an award in 2022-2023. The maximum amount for the 2024 Infection Control Grant will be $250,000.

Additional Education & Resources

Approaches to Pain: Shared Decision-Making Guide for Pain Management

Superior Health Quality Alliance (Superior Health) developed this guide to help patients and providers discuss pain relief options. In this shared decision-making (SDM) approach, patients and providers use three treatment option tiers to develop a pain management plan.

CMS Releases Updated Appendix PP

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an updated version of Appendix PP to incorporate the revised facility assessment rule and guidance previously released in QSO-24-13-NH. Other minor technical revisions were also made, including updated regulatory references and locations. CMS also released an updated Critical Element Pathway for Infection Control and Prevention and Extended Surveys. The updates to these pathways are minimal and only note the new location of the Facility Assessment rule. Finally, CMS updated the list of revised F-tags. You can find all these resources in the Survey Resources folder (this link will download a .zip file) or on the CMS Nursing Home site.

Limited Space Available: Pilot Test of the SOPS Nursing Home 2.0

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) seeks nursing homes to participate in a pilot test of an update to the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture® (SOPS®) Nursing Home Survey (Version 2.0) with supplemental items assessing staff workplace safety. The 2.0 survey is shorter than the current 1.0 survey and includes revised and new items based on user feedback.

Participating nursing homes will receive:

• Up to $1,000: $500 for participation and an additional $500 for sites that achieve at least a 50% response rate.
• Free survey administration to nursing home staff of the 2.0 survey with workplace safety supplemental items in August or September 2024.
• Feedback reports comparing their results to those of other pilot sites.

Sign up or learn more about participating in this pilot.

SafeClean Training Series

Nursing home environmental service workers can learn how to help keep staff and residents safe and healthy by watching the eight modules in the SafeClean Series. Topics include cleaning resident rooms, handling laundry, transmission precautions and more. Each module includes a pre-test and a post-test, as well as a certificate of completion once confirmed and processed. Download the SafeClean Series poster to make copies for your staff or post in the staff lounge.

September is National Recovery Month

Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those in recovery, in the same way we celebrate those managing other chronic health conditions. The observance of Recovery Month reinforces the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective and people do recover. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) site to access a toolkit with information on how your organization can participate.

Section GG Web-Based Training Series

CMS is offering an updated series of web-based training courses that provide an overview of the assessment and guidance to promote accurate coding of the post-acute care (PAC) cross-setting Section GG data elements. Each course contains interactive exercises to test your understanding. ​

• Course 1: Section GG Data Accuracy and Quality Measures.
• Course 2: Prior Functioning and Prior Device Use Items.
• Course 3: Accurate Coding for GG0130 and GG0170 Items.
• Course 4: Understanding Admission and Discharge Performance for GG0130: Self-Care Items.
• Course 5: Understanding Admission and Discharge Performance for GG0170: Mobility Items.

If you have questions about accessing resources or feedback regarding trainings, please email the PAC Training Mailbox. Content-related questions should be submitted to the SNF QRP Help Desk.

Survey Opportunity

Costs and benefits of vaccinating in skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities

The Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (Paltmed) is offering $100 to administrators who complete a seminal survey on the costs and benefits of vaccinating in skilled nursing facilities or assisted living communities. Paltmed is conducting this survey under a cooperative agreement funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in order to comprehend the operational value proposition of immunizing residents and staff beyond the favorable clinical outcomes. If your organization serves both assisted living and skilled nursing, please complete the survey for whichever has more beds.

• Skilled nursing administrators, please complete this survey.
• Assisted living administrators, please complete this survey

If you have any questions, please contact Paltmed.