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BLTCR helps you negotiate the maze of regulations and reimbursement, staffing, and quality issues affecting the long-term care industry.

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Briefings on Long-Term Care

Issue 12, December 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• What's under the OIG microscope?

  The federal government's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has its eye on long-term care facilities...

• What risk assessors want to know before writing an insurance policy

  Now more than ever, it is important to understand risk exposure as the number of insurance carriers...

• Start preparing early for the HIPAA security rule

  With the compliance deadlines for the HIPAA privacy rule and the transactions and code sets...

• BLTCR Q&A

  This month's column was written by Julian Rich, president and chief executive officer of Penacook...

Issue 11, November 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Improve collection procedures to avoid future bad debt

  Although it's always important for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to keep their billing records...

• Get to know your facility better by taking an alternate look at OSCAR

  How can you double-check that the problem areas identified in your skilled nursing facility's (SNF...

• Survey monitor: How documentation and dedication equal 'deficiency free'

  Four surveyors entered a mid-sized skilled nursing facility (SNF) in Kansas this summer and stayed...

• SNFs dodge train wreck of HIPAA transactions rule

  Nursing homes that were not ready for the advent of HIPAA's transaction and code set rules on...

• BLTCR Q&A

  Editor's note: This month's column was written by Kitt Wakeley, MHA, CNHA, senior consultant with...

Issue 10, October 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Are you ready for LSC compliance?

  If your facility isn't up to date on the 2000 Life Safety Code® (LSC), it could be mean trouble at...

• Prepare your SNF for a power failure

  Nursing homes learned during an August 14 power outage that time spent on emergency planning is...

• Keep up on HIPAA privacy compliance

  April 14 came and went, but HIPAA privacy compliance efforts are far from over. Many facilities...

• BLTCR Q&A

  Editor's note: This month's column was written by Julian Rich, president and chief executive...

Issue 9, September 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Countdown to October 16th HIPAA deadline: Transactions and code sets

  The HIPAA data transactions and code sets regulation compliance deadline is right around the...

• What in the world of CMS . . .

  Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) will receive a 3% increase in Medicare payment rates under CMS...

• Six tips to improve your SNF's fall prevention program

  Accidents are among the top complaints reported to state ombudsmen, according to a July report from...

• BLTCR Q&A

  This month's column was written by Kitt Wakeley, MHA, CNHA, senior consultant with the Pinnacle...

Issue 8, August 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Watch out for excluded services

  When the prospective payment system (PPS) was instituted, CMS came up with a list of services that...

• What in the world of CMS . . .

  There are some changes on the horizon for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs)-including some changes...

• Electronic documentation may boost reimbursement and record accuracy

  As an administrator, you know documentation is the root of reimbursement. But do you know how to...

Issue 7, July 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Don't let quality indicator 13 become your unlucky number

  Do your staff know what to do if they notice a resident's weight is declining? Does your facility...

• Comprehending the quality measures

  You already know that because the Minimum Data Set (MDS) is so closely linked to the quality...

• Help your SNF face legal battles

  Liability is always going to be an issue in long-term care-even when you're confident that staff...

• Get started now on HIPAA security compliance

  Although your facility may still be struggling with privacy rule compliance, another set of...

• BLTCR Q&A

  This month's column was written by Kitt Wakeley, MHA, CNHA, senior consultant with the Pinnacle...

Issue 6, June 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Watch your back: Tips to reduce ergonomics injuries in SNFs

  Although workplace safety in nursing homes has long been a concern, many facilities haven't made...

• What in the world of CMS . . .

  Confused about what services a physician must perform in your facility and what a mid-level...

Issue 5, May 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Get a grip on the OSHA guidelines

  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) ergonomics guidelines for nursing homes...

• Fire safety must stress evacuation procedures and relocation sites

  Following a series of nursing home fires allegedly started by residents, long-term care facilities...

• CMS publishes draft of MDS Version 3.0

  The draft version of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 has finally hit the streets-and it's turning...

• Avoid deficiencies under Tag #F329

  While the selection of medication is generally not thought of as a nursing function, surveyors will...

• BLTCR Q&A

  This month's column was written by Kitt Wakeley, MHA, CNHA, senior consultant with the Pinnacle...

Issue 4, April 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Money-saving SNF strategies

  Though the Medicare cliff was not as drastic as it could have been, skilled nursing facilities...

• What in the world of CMS . . .

  What are the foremost issues buzzing around long-term care leaders' minds? Therapy caps, Minimum...

• Activities for cognitively impaired residents

  There are many facets of the caregiving process you need to be aware of when dealing with residents...

• Keep conflicts of interest out of your SNF

  Last month, "Legal Matters" noted a "paradigm shift" in the role of the corporate compliance...

• BLTCR Q&A

  This month's column was written by Julian Rich, president and chief executive officer of Penacook...

Issue 3, March 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

Issue 2, February 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

Issue 1, January 1, 2003 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Aquick lesson on medical reviews

  What to do when your claims go under the microscopeIt's not as though your job as administrator...

• BLTCR Q&A

  This month's column was written by Kitt Wakeley, MHA, CNHA, senior consultant with the Pinnacle...

• Is bathing residents awash-out at your facility?

  As a nursing home administrator, there are many daily activities that you oversee. That's why even...

• Whylong-term care providers need to brush up on the new corporate fraudlaw

  "Legal matters" is written by Ronald H. Levine, Esq., a partner at the Philadelphia-based law firm...

Issue 6, June 23, 2003

• Be a SMART employer

  Hiring quality staff is an important first step in providing quality care to your residents. Do you...

Issue 3, March 21, 2003

• Fend off lawsuits and please family members with a customer-service focus

  Avoiding the criticism of angry family members—even those who have complaints that are...

• Host a skills fair to ensure ongoing training for nursing staff

  Are you seeking a sure-fire method to revitalize your annual staff training programs? After all...

• Modernize your fire safety program

  SNFs will have to follow the 2002 Life Safety Code When it comes to fire prevention, is your...

• The role of the nursing home compliance officer in 2003: A new paradigm?

  “Legal Matters” is written by Ronald H. Levine, Esq., a partner at...

• What in the world of CMS . . . ?

  What’s the latest from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)? Because much...

Issue 2, February 21, 2003

• Achieving a physical restraint free facility

  This month’s article was written by guest columnist Jennifer Helfrich-Will, HFA...

• BLTCR Q&A

  This month’s column was written by Julian Rich, president and chief executive officer of...

• Getting better with Wellspring

  Imagine running a nursing home with a waiting list of possible hires, nurses, and certified...

• Nursing staffing ratios hit the wall—literally

  Though the staffing provision of the Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000...

• Why SNFs should stay on top of coinsurance

  Though coinsurance payments may seem like a drop in the bucket to administrators, skilled nursing...