Gov't
wants
SNF quality

April 29, 2022 -- This week, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule on a couple of topics dear to nurses: safety and quality in nursing homes (SNFs), and nurse staffing there.

Some statistics were provided: Medicare pays "over 15,000 nursing homes, serving more than 1.5 million people. Medicare spending to nursing homes is projected to be approximately $35 billion in FY 2022."

As we cannot manage what we do not measure, CMS proposes to add three important metrics to its value-based purchasing (VBP). VBP rewards facilities with incentive payments based on the quality of care they provide to people with Medicare. These are:

  1. Skilled Nursing Facility Healthcare Associated Infections Requiring Hospitalization (SNF HAI -- hospital-acquired infections) especially Covid;
  2. Total Nursing Hours per Resident Day -- more nursing care correlates with improved outcomes; and
  3. Discharge to Community (DTC) -- Post Acute Care Measure for SNFs counts successful discharges to community from SNF settings.

Our government is listening, and we are moving in the right direction. Indeed, Biden mentioned these things in his recent State of the Union Address. Here is his FACT SHEET: Protecting Seniors by Improving Safety and Quality of Care in the Nation's Nursing Homes.

Having worked in SNFs, I have seen the good and the bad and care deeply about these issues. So should you.

Go CMS! Go SNF nurses!

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