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Tribal girls complete nursing course

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Who is eligible to apply for a loan for bad credit?

Anyone with a low credit rating (lower than 600) is eligible to apply for loans with low credit scores from lenders that accept low credit scores. Anything less than 300-400 will not be taken into consideration. Documents, debts, income, and other information will be considered prior to the approval of the loan. Don’t however seek a loan with a low credit score if it’s more than a temporary loan. https://greendayonline.com/

HYDERABAD  

Students from the 2019-20 classes of the NMDC BalikaShiksha Yojana received their B.Sc and GNM (nurses) certificates in Hyderabad today. The total number of participants from the 2 classes were honored on their graduation ceremonies held on the premises of Secunderabad which was which was attended by top NMDC officials.

It is the NMDC has been running its B. Shiksha Yojana program since 2011 to 2012, to provide female tribal women in the Division of Chhattisgarh to enroll in a nursing school within the ApolloInstitute of Nursing. Through this program, every year, fourty students with low incomes from poor backgrounds have been given the opportunity to continue their nursing education for more than 10 years now.

The initiative has helped around four hundred tribal female students from socio-economically marginalized sections of the communities that are located within NMDC activities within Bastar, Chhattisgarh. When the course, the students are enrolled in a variety of hospital facilities, both private and public, across the nation.

The program did not just create roles models for the young women who reside in Bastar as well as aided the efforts of the government to improve health services in the challenging district within the BastarDivision.

The CSR efforts of NMDC’s in the education field and skill development have brought dreams real for students living in the most remote regions in the United States.

We wish the students a prosperous career ahead Deb, Shri Sumit, CMD, NMDC stated, “It’s just a matter of pride for the NMDC to play a role in the progress of female tribal students in being health experts in the nation. I am hoping that the girls will become the change agents within their communities, much like their parents.

Significant Kansas closures reflect broader nursing home staffing issues across the United States

Chelsey W. Vogt
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The recent Kansas nursing home closures and downsizing represent a microcosm of major issues facing nursing homes nationwide.

During the pandemic, 35 long-term care facilities across the state either closed or reduced admissions and capacity, according to LeadingAge Kansas.

Nationally, pre-pandemic staffing shortages intensified during the public health emergency and continue today. Meanwhile, federal and state funds to help with staffing are dwindling, facilities are competing more intensely for workers, and recruiting agencies continue to cost more than regular staff.

Kansas, like the rest of the United States, expects its aging population to increase by multiples over the next few decades. By 2036, the number of Kansans aged 65 and over is expected to increase by more than 40%, according to a local report this week.

A nursing home administrator said his facility closed a quarter of its residential capacity because it couldn’t find enough workers. She added that over the past year, about 20 of the 51 licensed practical nurse positions have remained vacant.

“For every person we hire, it seems like two leave,” she told the Pratt Tribune.

Research shows residents suffer when staffing levels are insufficient, lose weight and gain pressure sores and a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

When nursing homes turn to recruitment agencies for help, it creates three problems: agencies cost more than full-time staff, successful agencies attract nurses for higher pay and therefore far of the facility’s labor pool, and residents receive care from workers who are not as familiar.

“It’s really hard to have a different person looking after you all the time,” Dana Weaver, chief operating officer of LeadingAge Kansas, told the Pratt Tribune. “It produces anxiety for the individual, and the individual actually has to teach the agency staff how to take care of them.”

Along the Way: Local Lions Serve Treats to Nursing Home Residents | Communities

Chelsey W. Vogt
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All about “The County of Presidents”

Did you know that Norfolk County was the birthplace of four US presidents? Record of Deeds William O’Donnell explains all this and more when he presents “The County of Presidents” at the next meeting of the Foxboro Historical Society – 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 27, in the Library’s Community Meeting Room Boyden, 10 Bird St. O’Donnell’s presentation will include background information on the four presidents: John Adams, second president; John Quincy Adams, the sixth; John F. Kennedy, the 37th; and George H. Bush, the 41st.

Lions serve treats to nursing home residents

Members of the South Attleboro Village Lions Club recently visited Attleboro Healthcare to serve sundaes to residents of the retirement home. Club President Pat Allard and Connie Fedelia, member and resident of the home, served ice cream with Cheryl Olson, Norma Kimmell, Karen Smith and Karen Leclerc. Residents received vanilla ice cream with a variety of toppings available. The special treat was followed by a musical program from the Activities Director. The Lions hope to repeat this program at other facilities in the future.

“Community Preparation Night” in Foxboro

The Foxboro Fire Department is hosting a “Community Preparedness Night” from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, along with Foxboro Social Services, Veterans Services, the Department of Health and SEMRECC. The event will include demonstrations on hands-only CPR, stopping bleeding, applying a tourniquet, Narcan awareness, fire detection tips, using fire extinguishers, preventing falls, senior safety and how to build an emergency kit. Social Services staff and the Veterans Services Officer will be on hand to speak to individuals, especially seniors and veterans, and families, about available resources and programs. The event will take place at the Public Safety Building, 8 Chestnut St.

Have you ever heard of the Saturday Night Girls Club?

The Saturday Night Girls’ Club is the subject of a free presentation hosted by the Seekonk Public Library from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday. The club was a social group for young immigrant women living in Boston’s North End that produced Paul Revere Pottery. Rick Hamelin, a master potter, will present on the group and their pottery, including a demonstration of their materials, techniques and products. The program will take place in the Library’s Great Meeting Room, 410 Newman Ave. Sign up at bit.ly/3UbGVuZ. Entrants are also encouraged to view a copy of the library’s historical fiction novel “The Saturday Evening Girls Club” for more information.

Do you have interesting news that you would like to see mentioned in the On the Way column? Email it to Natasha Connolly at news@thesunchronicle.com.

UAE: More than 1,600 scholarships awarded to Emirati students in the health sector

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Dubai: Nafis, a federal program that supports Emiratis in the private sector, has signed five memorandums of understanding with higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates to expand Emirati involvement in the health sector through of Nafis’ “National Health Care Program” initiative.

The new initiative, which opened for registration in late July, received applications from 3,721 Emirati students through the Higher Colleges of Technology, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Fujairah University, University of Sharjah, University of Ajman, Gulf Medical University and Ras Al Khaimah University of Medical and Health Sciences.

As many as 1,621 Emirati students have been accepted and started their studies, while those who have not met the initiative’s eligibility criteria will be listed for the initiative’s development program.

Scholarships paid

According to the MoUs, NAFIS will work closely with the five academic institutions: Higher Colleges of Technology, University of Sharjah, University of Ajman, Gulf Medical University and University of Science Medical and Health Services of Ras Al-Khaimah, to provide paid scholarships. It will also provide the training, labs and workshops needed to develop the skills of students and equip them with the qualifications they need to thrive in the health sector.

Academic programs included in the “National Health Care Curriculum” include the Health Care Assistant Program, Diploma/Higher Diploma in Emergency Medicine, and Bachelor of Nursing, in addition to a number of other practical and specialized health care and health assistant programs, which will be implemented in the future to enhance the participation of Emiratis in this vital sector.

Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary General of the Emirates Talent Competitiveness Council (ETCC), the federal entity overseeing Nafis, said: “As the UAE moves to expand its national healthcare system to meet the growing needs of their population, we hope we see a greater presence of UAE nationals in this vital sector. Starting at the source of the health sector, the educational institutions, is a crucial step in the country’s ambitious health plans.

Estimates

Al Mazrouei added that these partnerships align with the aspirations of the leaders to cooperate with all governmental and private entities to achieve Nafis’ objectives and support the implementation of its initiatives and programs, stressing that Nafis will strive to provide the budget necessary to cover the expenses of the study programs offered by these educational institutions to Emirati students in the field of health.

Saif Ahmed Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization for Emiratization, said: “The importance of the health sector has increased significantly over the past few years, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which healthcare personnel have become the first line of defense against the pandemic. We have also seen significant interest in joining the healthcare sector thanks to the generous support of the UAE government. »

He added, “In recognition of the government’s efforts to develop this sector, it is a priority to increase the presence of UAE nationals in healthcare and provide them with all the qualifications and skills they need.”

Registration methods and other program membership details will be announced at a later date.

Nursing home residents will keep more family home rental income to free up homes under new Fair Deal plan

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Residents of nursing homes under the Fair Deal program will be able to keep more of the rental income generated by their family home, which could lead to around 1,200 additional homes on the market over time.

Currently, people benefiting from the Fair Deal program can only keep 20% of the money generated from the rent.

The rest is part of their HSE revenue assessment, which decides their contribution to the cost of their care, with the state paying the rest.

The change means that the amount that forms part of their assessed income will drop from 80% to 40%.

The Department of Health has confirmed that the proposal, which was approved by Cabinet earlier this year, will be rolled out “immediately”.

A report by the Ministry of Health analyzed different options to encourage more nursing home residents to rent their homes.

It reveals that there are currently over 22,000 nursing home residents in the Fair Deal program.

The report revealed that the number of properties that could be available for rent through them is 3,115, which would represent a maximum of 2,345 additional homes on top of those already rented.

However, he calculated that the figures for letting would likely range from 427 to 1,973 properties – with “a central estimate of 1,200”. Factors such as the state of repair of the houses are unknown.

The HSE worked on the operational aspects of the change before it was fully implemented. A Department of Health spokeswoman said: ‘The rental property assessment rate will be reduced from 80% to 40% for income from all primary residences.’

This will be reviewed after six months of operation, with the possibility of further amendment after this point.

This policy change responds to the commitments made under action 19.8 housing for all.

“The change was made through a committee amendment to the Regulation of Contractors of Construction and Building Controls (Amendment) Bill 2022. The bill was approved by the Oireachtas on June 30 and signed into law by President (Michael D) Higgins in July. .

“At the foot of the legislation and in consultation with the department, the HSE is currently working to make the necessary administrative, technical and operational changes to the scheme which will allow the imminent deployment of this measure.

The report looked at various options, including letting the resident keep all income. But he said the measure decided upon was a “balanced approach aimed at mitigating perverse incentives that would impact the protection and care of residents”.

He pointed out that “the generation of excessive additional income is considered a significant risk factor for poor resident outcomes in terms of inducing premature entry into care and exposing residents to protective risks” .

The higher the adoption, the more revenue it would generate for the program while generating more revenue for the resident, he said.

Only one property per person will benefit from the change – the property the resident lived in before moving into the house.

The analysis suggests it may be a slow burner and it may take two to three years for the full impacts to materialize.

“It is expected that increasing returns will be seen over time as measurement becomes embedded in the system and behavior change takes hold.

“In addition, new entrants to the program may have more capacity and cash flow to take on a rental than longer-term residents.”

Its estimate of 1,200 properties for rent would bring a net benefit to the Fair Deal program of €2.6 million.

“This does not take into account any financial or non-financial benefit to the state in terms of additional housing stock being brought to market – such as reduced demand for social housing.”

Age Action highlighted the need to ensure that any backup issues that may arise for residents as a result of the changes are resolved. He also pointed out that the income would be paid directly to the resident, which would cover additional needs not met by Fair Deal.

Eastern Plumas Health Care to build a new therapy and wellness center on the Portola campus

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Lauren Westmoreland, Writer

[email protected]

Eastern Plumas Health Care continues to grow in a way that benefits the community, and the next phases of growth are no exception. In a recent chat with EPHC Director of Rehabilitation Services, Jim Burson, Plumas News learned about current Eastern Plumas Health Care (EPHC) offerings, as well as some exciting news about additions and upgrades. coming. “We are excited about the changes that have and are happening here – there are great things to come,” Burson said with a smile.

Current offers of rehabilitation services

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Currently, there are a total of 14 employees in the rehabilitation services department. “This whole department only came into being about three and a half years ago. Among these staffing positions, the EPHC has five physical therapy positions, three occupational therapy positions, including a certified hand therapist and a speech therapist or speech therapist. The rest of the staff are supportive with me,” Burson said.

Something Burson really wants the community to be aware of is that Eastern Plumas Health Care understands the difficulties many have had in finding therapy services covered by MediCal insurance. “Most people in the area with MediCal need to know that our hospital offers therapy and takes out MediCal insurance,” Burson explained. About a quarter of all patients seen at the EPHC are currently using MediCal insurance. “This will hopefully help those who still travel to Truckee or Reno for these services, especially with gas prices so high!” Burson added.

In addition to other therapeutic modalities, the center on the Portola campus currently offers the services of a clinician named Amanda Ferraro, PT DPT, who has worked at EPHC for just over a year and focuses her practice on the balance and vestibular vertigo. , troubles. “There was a very strong community response,” Burson said. “We found that there are a number of people who have problems in this area.”

The EPHC has purchased special equipment such as vestibular goggles, which work much like virtual reality goggles with a computer in a set of goggles that helps identify problems and train the patient with clinician guidance.

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“It’s just one of many tools that are used here,” Burson said. “Each budget year, we buy equipment. We use commercial grade Matrix equipment in our gym.

“Between the four physiotherapy staff at the outpatient center, we can treat virtually any physiotherapy-related condition or diagnosis. We have a lot of breadth in terms of experience and skills, and that includes orthopedics and neurology, as well as general conditioning,” Burson noted.

The department quickly outgrew its temporary 1,900 square foot space in the building that served as the education center on the Portola campus, as it is able to serve more members of the community. Burson said he and other members of the department are looking forward to the new therapy and wellness center that will be built on campus.

New building of the therapy and wellness center

Burson explained the exciting plans for the future at Eastern Plumas Health Care’s Portola campus, with final designs for a large new therapy and wellness center building undergoing final engineering stages before to obtain permits.

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“The new center will be located between the Portola Medical Clinic and the Skilled Nursing Facility. Our patients will have a great view of the forest and the city park,” Burson said.

The new center will be located between the Portola Medical Clinic and the Skilled Nursing Facility. Our patients will have a beautiful view overlooking the forest and the city park. The EPHC expects to obtain the necessary permits by October this year and have shovels in the ground by spring 2023. The EPHC expects construction to take about a year and hopes to move the department into the new facility by early summer. 2024.

“We expect to obtain the necessary permits by October this year and have shovels in the ground by spring 2023.” The EPHC expects construction to take about a year and hopes to move the department to the new facility by early summer 2024.

The new center will expand the EPHC from its current 1,900 square feet to 8,400 square feet. “There’s so much potential, think about what we can offer with that kind of space,” smiled Burson.

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The wellness center will include numerous programs, with Burson planning to collaborate with area talent such as yoga instructors, massage therapists, tai chi instructors and more.

The wellness center, located on the lower floor with separate parking and entrance, will have a therapeutic pool. Variable speed currents in the pool will allow swimming and walking on a treadmill built into the pool. The latter will provide some buoyancy for those who need to practice walking, but without the full effects of gravity. “It allows people with painful joints or neurological issues to work on their strength safely,” Burson said.

It will be large enough to accommodate up to five people at a time, allowing for future community classes, in addition to individual therapy.

Burson went on to say that the wellness center will focus on just that, and that wellness is much more than just exercise. “For example, an out-of-the-box program is a follow-up program. The aftercare program is very popular in many clinics – the patient graduating from therapy will be one of many to go there, in a separate gymnasium downstairs. Follow-up will include former patients who need supervised qualified counseling to advance their practice. This can be done in the gym, pool, or meditation room adjacent to the gym, which will be a room for quieter floor exercises, such as yoga or Pilates. “The meditation suite will be enclosed in the quietest part of the building and will have an adjoining terrace overlooking the forest,” Burson said.

The wellness center will include numerous programs, with Burson planning to collaborate with area talent such as yoga instructors, massage therapists, tai chi instructors and more. “We will give them a new place where they can make their own offerings,” Burson said. “Rather than the public perception that we will be competing with local practitioners, we want to make it clear that we are providing another venue for people with these certifications and talents to achieve.

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There will also be a classroom that can accommodate 64 people in the new wellness center, which will provide space for gatherings such as nutrition classes, diabetes education and workshops on many related topics. to health and well-being. “It’s basically a public building,” Burson said. “It will be a way to share and receive wellness on many levels.”

For those interested in joining the therapy and wellness team at EPHC, there is currently an opening for a Speech-Language Pathologist. The position is full-time and offers a bonus and benefits of $5,000. Those who may be interested in joining the EPHC in this role are invited to visit ephc.org for more information.

Nursing home understaffing during pandemic hurt residents, House panel finds

Chelsey W. Vogt
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A special House panel investigating the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic said it found anecdotal evidence of understaffing in nursing homes that led to patient neglect and harm.

At a hearing on Wednesday, the select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis plans to discuss some of its findings, including how big care home chains have responded to complaints from staff and families.

“Many nursing facilities were severely understaffed during the early months of the pandemic, resulting in deficient care, neglect and negative health outcomes for residents,” the committee said in a statement Wednesday. press before the hearing.

Earlier this year, President Biden instructed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS] develop minimum staffing standards for nursing homes. By highlighting issues during the pandemic, Wednesday’s House hearing increases pressure on nursing homes and the Biden administration as CMS’s work continues. The agency recently said it plans to study staffing levels over the winter.

The nursing home industry, represented by the powerful American Health Care Association, said proposed minimum staffing regulations would cost $10 billion a year. In addition, he says up to 187,000 new workers would need to be hired, what he calls an “impossible” task amid a severe nationwide shortage of healthcare workers. It says reaching higher staffing levels would force further reductions in bed availability.

But critics have long cited the poor staffing of for-profit nursing home chains as contributing to neglect and poor health outcomes for residents. The House panel on Wednesday released transcripts from the complaints hotline during the covid crisis. The subcommittee is chaired by Representative James E. Clyburn (DS.C.).

“For example, a former resident reported that a Sava facility in Nevada had only one nurse covering two entire floors on April 7, 2020, and that a resident of that facility vomited on himself and hadn’t been changed or showered for at least two days. later, while another resident had to wait four hours for water,” the committee reported.

SavaSeniorCare did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The committee released a compilation of complaints, without any identifying information from the complainants, which were directed to three major nursing home chains, SavaSeniorCare, Ensign Group and Consulate Health Care.

The committee also released the organizational charts of five companies it investigated. Critics said the convoluted structure of nursing home chains – with hundreds of separate companies owning individual facilities and several related businesses that provide services to the homes – prevented accurate scrutiny of their profits, operations and of their safety records.

The American Health Care Association said the subcommittee’s focus on staffing and other issues in the early months of the pandemic predictably painted a picture for nursing homes. who were in shock. Hospitals were prioritized over nursing homes for government support in the early stages, the AHCA said, including personal protective equipment and testing supplies.

At that time, “every long-term care provider in the country was imploring public health agencies and policy makers to send help to the front lines and put our nation’s most vulnerable population first,” he said. said AHCA President and CEO Mark Parkinson. “It’s unfortunate that we have to remind lawmakers what those early days were like.”

Skilled Nursing Facility Revenue Cycle Streamlining – Market Experts

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Jill Liila

As a qualified nursing care provider, billing and reimbursement are important considerations in ensuring quality patient care and adequate compensation. Skilled nursing organizations are at a tipping point with facilities operating on wafer-thin margins, not optimizing their current collections and now facing a $320 million cut proposal from Medicare in 2023.

Maximizing your revenue requires a coordinated team that understands the coding process and is committed to delivering optimal patient care. Maintaining consistent schedules and communication among team members can ensure that your facility is properly compensated for the high-quality care you provide.

Simplify your billing process for faster reimbursement

Nursing home administrators are always looking for ways to improve their facility’s bottom line. Nurses play a critical role in the Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) process. Understanding the process and staying abreast of coding and billing changes can ensure your facility is reimbursed accurately and efficiently.

Accurate and timely revenue cycle management requires constant interdisciplinary team coordination and communication with a shared vision for accurate coding and optimal patient care. Creating and adhering to an interdisciplinary team schedule results in a high level of teamwork and the highest standard of care. This will prevent important tasks from slipping through the cracks, leading to care delays and billing errors. Additionally, developing a consistent schedule for performing aging reviews and claim follow-ups will help identify potential issues so they can be resolved.

Use technology to your advantage to improve efficiency and accuracy

Technology can be a powerful ally in streamlining the revenue cycle for skilled nursing facilities. By automating workflows and leveraging analytics, SNFs can improve efficiency and accuracy while reducing errors and maximizing reimbursement.

Using analytics to regularly review the health of your revenue cycle, while tracking and trending progress will identify areas for improvement to streamline the billing process for faster reimbursement. Having a fully integrated Electronic Health Record (EHR) allows clinical data to seamlessly integrate into the billing cycle and save time and money by reducing errors and improving workflow. ‘efficiency.

Using technology to its fullest potential is key to optimizing the revenue cycle for skilled nursing facilities. Built-in RCM workflows help skilled nursing facilities maximize reimbursement while streamlining the billing process. By leveraging analytics to regularly review the health of your revenue cycle, you can identify areas for improvement and track progress over time. By automating workflows, leveraging analytics, and integrating clinical data, SNFs can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and maximize reimbursement.

Another factor is to-do lists without work, so that all tasks are completed accurately and on time. This allows providers to focus on areas needing attention and not issues already in progress, saving time that can be spent on residents.

Keep an open line of communication with payers and patients

Verifying insurance and coverage information for each patient is critical and should be done early and be an ongoing process throughout the patient’s stay. Knowing the correct payer to bill and the payer’s billing requirements ensures that your institution receives payment for your services.

Sharing this information with patients and their families is essential, so that they are aware of changes in eligibility and their responsibility for costs. All billing policies, payer coverage responsibilities, and schedules should be documented and communicated to patients, responsible parties, and families, as appropriate.

Set improvement goals and engage in continuous evaluation

Your goals should align with increasing positive patient outcomes that can be measured and tracked with analytics. Setting and meeting accounts receivable targets by payer, planning and performing aging reviews, and tracking claims will eliminate unnecessary problems. Survey your staff, patients and their families. When these groups all agree that the care provided is the best, a provider will be proud of their hard work and dedication.

Regularly monitor and review patient outcomes with analytics to ensure you are meeting your goals and making progress. Look for opportunities to improve patient care while reducing costs. Staying focused on the goals means you’ll provide quality care and generate the revenue needed to sustain and grow your organization. Critical thinking and creativity are key to developing new approaches and solutions.

Make sure your organization’s EHR experts keep up to date with new features and functionality to improve employee job satisfaction and quality of care, improve reimbursement, and provide training to all new employees after each release.

The financial and regulatory aspects of skilled nursing are becoming increasingly complex. Having a team dedicated to optimizing an organization’s revenue cycle can also be difficult to sustain amid the current staff shortage. Without the right people, the right processes, and the right technologies, skilled nursing organizations will grapple with impending financial challenges.

It’s important to remember that expert help is available outside of internal resources to help you identify issues in managing your revenue cycle, improve your cash flow and operate more efficiently. Outsourcing RCM services is an augmented approach that many are beginning to adopt to help streamline the revenue cycle and maximize current recoveries.

By following these tips, you can be sure to provide the best possible care to your clients and streamline your skilled nursing facility’s revenue cycle.

Jill Liila is Revenue Cycle Product Manager for MatrixCare Skilled Nursing, where she is responsible for the design and development of product features that comply with regulatory standards, optimize cash flow, increase productivity and reduce errors. She has has been a key revenue cycle player for MatrixCare Skilled Nursing since 2000 and has owned numerous positions, including Senior Business Analyst, working closely with clients at every stage of the path.

The opinions expressed in McKnight Long Term Care News guest submissions are those of the author and not necessarily those of McKnight Long Term Care News or its editors.

Most Assisted Living Employees Excluded From NYS Healthcare Worker Bonus Program

Chelsey W. Vogt
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ROCHESTER, NY — For the past few weeks, News10NBC has been reporting on the fine print of the state’s healthcare worker bonus program. Most healthcare workers who are employed by private medical and dental practices are excluded, as are home healthcare and direct care workers and now most of those who work in assisted living facilities have discovered that neither did they receive any money.

Many healthcare workers are excluded based on the requirement that the facility or agency where they work serve at least 20% of the Medicaid population for them to be eligible. This excludes about two-thirds of assisted living facilities in the state and they are not happy with it. “Why should it be about whether the government paid these workers or whether it was paid by the resident, they were doing the exact same thing,” says Lisa Newcomb, executive director of the Empire State Association of Assisted Living. .

Assisted living facilities that accept Medicaid are further limited in who they can claim the bonus for because of another line in state rules that reads: “support staff are only eligible bonus if he works in a patient care unit of a hospital or other institutional medical setting. Assisted living facilities are not considered institutional. “These employees provide the same services, it’s the same, the Nursing home residents may be more fragile,” says Newcomb.

Newcomb says his organization, which represents hundreds of facilities across the state, has repeatedly sought clarification from the New York State Department of Health. “We need to be sure that the department actually sees them as eligible, because what we fear or fear is that if we go ahead without them providing this clarification and potentially submitting it for a year or two later, the department might come back to the assisted living provider and say your workers weren’t eligible, you have to pay that back,” Newcomb says.

News10NBC contacted both NYSDOH and Governor Kathy Hochul’s office. A spokesperson for the Executive Chamber said, “Governor Hochul is proud to have worked with the Legislature to provide bounties to hundreds of thousands of healthcare heroes across New York State, including a large range of employees in front-line health and mental hygiene professions. Governor Hochul remains committed to building on continued efforts to retain, rebuild and grow our healthcare workforce and ensure we provide the highest quality care to all New Yorkers.

The spokesperson also clarified that to be eligible for the bonuses, those employed in areas listed under “all other healthcare support workers” must be employed by a facility that provides ongoing medical or nursing services, such than the type provided in acute care hospitals, inpatient psychiatric facilities, skilled nursing homes, or other health-related facilities.

Since adult care and assisted living facilities are not permitted to provide the continuing medical or nursing services offered in acute care hospitals, inpatient psychiatric facilities, skilled nursing homes or other health-related facilities, generally speaking, adult care workers and assisted living facilities are not eligible to participate.

COVID rise linked to fair retirement home | Columbia County

Chelsey W. Vogt
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HUDSON – The Columbia County Department of Health attributes an increase in COVID-19 cases in the county to an outbreak at Grand Rehabilitation & Nursing in Barnwell in Valatie and the aftermath of the Columbia County Fair.

As of September 19, Barnwell Care Home had recorded 41 cases among residents and another 13 among staff. The latest figures represent a slight increase from Friday, when 40 residents and a dozen staff confirmed cases at Valatie nursing home.

“I think this is likely due to the highly contagious Omicron and BA.5 variants of the virus that made their way into the facility,” Columbia County Health Department Director Jack Mabb said in a statement. communicated. “Barnwell moved positive cases to a separate wing and dealt with it positively.”

The county recorded 28 new positive COVID cases as of the end of the weekend on Monday.

As of Friday afternoon, the county had 72 active virus cases, with 12 county residents hospitalized and a pair in intensive care with COVID-related illnesses.

Mabb said Monday that the Columbia County Health Department has five positive COVID cases among its staff, with four of those employees having worked at the department’s booth at the county fair. The health director said there appeared to be a clear line between the recent increase in cases and the county fair, which took place from August 31 to September 5. On August 31, the county had 33 active cases, a number that rose to 72 by September 16.

“There’s no real science here because we don’t know exactly where they got it, but the timing was such that there’s a good chance some of them were exposed while working on the stand,” Mabb said Monday. “There are events at the fair that can be natural spreaders. There is the parade of firefighters, where they then gather in a tent and spend a few hours there. Our stand is in the main fair house, which is an old and beautiful building, but there is no real modern air circulation and there are a lot of people passing by.

The Greene County Public Health Department on Friday confirmed the 137th death in the county since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The unidentified woman was in her 60s and had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at the time of her death. The woman also had unknown comorbidities and died in hospital.

The Columbia County Health Department will be offering COVID vaccination clinics at the AB Shaw Fire Department in Claverack on Thursdays from 3-5:30 p.m. throughout September. All vaccines will be available without an appointment.

The Columbia Health Agency will also be offering a monkeypox vaccination clinic on Sept. 29 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Professional Academic Center at Columbia-Greene Community College. The Columbia Department has vaccinated 179 people with the monkeypox vaccine to date, including the first and second doses of the vaccine.

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After failing in high school, nurse practitioner now champions equity and diversity in healthcare – InForum

Chelsey W. Vogt
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FARGO — Whitney Fear overheard a judgmental conversation between her fellow nurses in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that she couldn’t pass up.

Her fellow nurses were talking about a baby who was going to be brought to the unit at the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota. One of the nurses said dismissively that the child probably had fetal alcohol syndrome.

“I turned around and told them you had no idea what it was like growing up there,” she said.

Fear, now a psychiatric nurse practitioner, knows firsthand what it’s like to grow up on a reservation, where entrenched poverty and lack of opportunity are entrenched realities of life. She is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe and grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Experiences like the NICU conversation convinced Fear that the nursing profession needs more diversity. She believes that the more educated healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds are, the better the profession can provide comprehensive patient care.

“There really is a need for this,” said Fear, who works at the Family HealthCare clinic in downtown Fargo. There are only 12 Native American nurses with doctorate degrees in the United States, and 0.8% of nurses are Native American.

Yet Native Americans suffer from much higher rates of disease, including diabetes, heart disease, and alcoholism, than the general population.

Fear, which started talking about the need for more diversity in healthcare, is featured in a documentary film, ”

Who Cares: A Nurse’s Fight for Equity

which will be presented to an audience of nurses and nursing students in a special screening at the Fargo Theatre.

She hopes the film, which has been supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will help open people’s eyes. It includes candid discussions between Fear and his colleagues – one of whom jokes that Fear “talks like a sailor” – and includes comments from his grateful patients, including a former homeless Indigenous man who struggles with addiction.

Fear worked her way up, starting as a licensed practical nurse, then working as a registered nurse before becoming a nurse practitioner.

She has found herself drawn to mental health and psychiatric nursing, and also enjoys working with the diverse community of patients at Family HealthCare, a federally licensed health center.

Today, with a dozen years of nursing experience, Fear says, “I’ve worked with people with mental illness since birth.”

Whitney Fear, right, then a nurse case manager and shelter outreach nurse at Family HealthCare, speaks with community member Harlan Sylvester following a community meeting. Fear was one of six panelists during the discussion.

Picture from forum folder

* * *

Fear’s grades were so low in high school that she thought she had carved an academic hole for herself that she couldn’t escape.
“I kind of hit a wall in high school,” she said.

Her grades plummeted as she grew apathetic about her school work, driven by deep pessimism.

She saw that her father never seemed to get ahead despite years of hard work, including jobs on the family’s cattle ranch to pay the bills.

“Many times it was by the skin of his teeth to go on another year,” she said. “He was exhausted all the time. What’s even the point of working so hard? You can work hard all your life and have nothing.

Disheartened, Fear fell into a period of alcohol abuse.

“I was a teenage alcoholic,” she said, adding that she also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. “It feels good not to feel anything. Poverty is so high there.

But then a high school counselor, who recognized his intelligence and saw his potential, was able to change Fear’s fatalistic attitude and help him find meaning in life.

“He was very direct about it,” she said. At the time, she was supposed to be in high school, but only had enough credits to be a sophomore. “I didn’t know how to fix it,” Fear said.

The counselor got her into an early entry program at the tribal college, Oglala Lakota College, where she attended classes two nights a week while attending high school.

“I basically kept myself busy as much as possible so I wouldn’t get lazy and give up again,” she said.

Encouragement from her teachers boosted her confidence and she entered a science competition. Inspiration also came from her family, especially her father, who is a role model.

“My family was very lucky in so many ways,” she said. “We had electricity and running water. We had enough to eat. »

She began her nursing education at a technical college, then attended North Dakota State University before earning a master’s degree in nursing from Maryville University in St. Louis. His clinical interests include disorders arising from trauma or stressors, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, personality disorders and substance use disorders.

Early in her nursing career, much of her exposure to mental health cases came through contact she had with patients in the emergency room.

Her early experiences with mental illness and her childhood in rural poverty helped her build relationships with patients. She is also the mother of 9-year-old twins, a boy and a girl.

“I am no longer in this place and it has been a long time,” but this dark chapter in his life gives him insight into the illnesses of his patients.

To heal his patients, Fear learned to pick up cues from their body language while bringing them out by confiding in his own struggles.

She learned “the power of really listening to people”.

SHIFT_WhoCares_Still_WhitneyPortrait.jpg
Psychiatric nurse practitioner Whitney Fear draws on her experiences, including early struggles with alcohol abuse and post-traumatic stress, to help treat her patients.

Courtesy of SHIFT Productions, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

* * *

A panel discussion will follow the special, invitation-only screening of the documentary “Who Cares: A Nurse’s Fight for Equity” at the Fargo Theatre.
Participants will discuss health equity, how nurses can best provide individualized care and integrate health justice acts into their practice, and reshape the nursing narrative. They will end with a discussion on how to inspire the next generation of nurses.

The story of Whitney Fear shows how nurses can help achieve health justice for their patients, said Beth Toner, nurse and spokesperson for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“We really believe that nurses can — they already do — play a role in health equity,” she said. Nurses are vital links because they play a central role in direct patient care. “They have the most contact with people wherever they work – hospitals, community clinics, schools.”

Fear’s story and example in overcoming difficulties in her life can also inspire other nurses, Toner said. “In some ways, it reminds nurses why they got into nursing,” she said. “We wanted health professionals and the public to be represented in the health professions. The nursing profession needs to be more diverse.

You can stream the documentary “Who Cares: A Nurse’s Fight for Equity”

online here

.

The film, made by SHIFT Productions and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, stars Whitney Fear, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Family HealthCare in Fargo.

SHIFT_WhoCares_TrailerCover (1).jpg

SHIFT Productions, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

A Snapshot of the Challenges Facing Nova Scotia’s Rural Health Care Teams – Halifax

Chelsey W. Vogt
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The front lines of health care in rural Nova Scotia communities remain passionate about patient care, even when faced with challenges beyond their control.

“When people come in and we’re closed, we have to deal with a range of emotions,” said Andrea van Hal, a registered nurse prescriber with more than 20 years of experience.

“We have empathy and understanding, but we also feel a lot of anger and frustration from people. And it all really stems from the fear of not being able to access it for themselves or their loved ones,” van Hal said.

The registered nurse is part of a tight-knit healthcare team at Twin Oaks Memorial Hospital in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia.

She says that even in the face of limited resources, staff often work 24-hour shifts to try to avoid having to temporarily close their emergency department doors.

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“Closing the emergency department is sort of the last, last resort. So what usually leads to that is staffing, whether it’s a lack of doctors or nurses,” she said.

Twin Oaks Memorial Hospital is located in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia


Alexa MacLean / Global Halifax


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While shortages of doctors and nurses are a province-wide problem, the result of these shortages in rural hospitals often leads to limitations in emergency care.

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“Even calling an ambulance could also be a long delay due to the pressures on them. So knowing that they don’t have access to these community hospitals creates a lot of fear in the community and a lot of stress,” van Hal said.

According to data from Nova Scotia Health, in 2018 the Twin Oak emergency department was closed for 159 hours.

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In 2019, it was closed for 560 hours, increasing to 1,059 closing hours in 2021.

When a temporary emergency department closure is in effect, van Hal says people are still being assessed at the door. If they need intensive care, she says the nurse’s only option is to call 911.

“Nothing about turning people away does any good from a health care perspective. It doesn’t feel good not being able to provide care,” she said.

Read more:

New President of Doctors NS on Burnout, Backlogs and Virtual Care Adoption

Van Hal recently completed a new provincial program that expands the scope of nurses to include the ability to prescribe medication.

She hopes these types of innovative solutions along with active recruitment efforts will lead to a stronger health care system for Nova Scotia.

“I truly believe that we can do better and that people deserve better access to care.”

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Estes introduces bill to ensure quality nursing care for seniors

Chelsey W. Vogt
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The nation’s significant shortage of certified practical nurses (CNAs) would be addressed under a bipartisan bill introduced Sept. 13 by U.S. Representative Ron Estes (R-KS) that seeks to ensure that older Americans receive quality care in nursing homes.

“Almost every business and industry is suffering from labor shortages, but perhaps some of the most significant shortages are those in facilities that provide care for others,” Rep. Estes said. “This bipartisan bill is critical right now to address the devastating CNA shortages, especially in rural areas, by allowing nursing homes to resume CNA education programs more quickly.”

Rep. Estes is the lead co-sponsor of ensuring seniors have access to quality care legislation, HR 8805, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) to allow nursing homes that have suspended CNA’s in-house education programs due to receive some level of penalties for resuming once quality standards are met, according to a summary of the bill provided by the lawmakers’ offices.

“The law guaranteeing seniors’ access to quality care ensures that nursing homes continue to meet high standards without losing the levels of staff necessary for quality care,” said Rep. Estes.

Under current law, nursing homes that receive a threshold number of penalties for quality defects face a mandatory two-year suspension from their in-house CNA certification programs, according to information provided by staff. of Representative Estes.

If passed, the measure would lift those suspensions on CNA’s internal education once deficiencies are corrected and would require additional monitoring of facilities that does not exceed the initial two years, according to the reports.

HR 8805 is complementary legislation to S. 4381 of the same name introduced on June 13 by US Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Mark Warner (D-VA).

The CFPB publishes a report and a circular on the recovery of EHPAD debts

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Whether you are collecting a debt for nursing home care, you may want to check who is responsible for the payment. Last week, alongside an on-the-ground hearing, the CFPB released a new consumer financial protection circular and an update on violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA ) in relation to the debt of retirement homes. The CFPB also released a letter sent jointly with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on third-party guarantees for nursing home debt.

Spotlight on the problem. Motivated by concern for the rising cost of nursing home care and the financial difficulties consumers face in paying for it, the report examines the efforts of nursing facilities to obtain payment from non-residents. The Nursing Home Reform Act (NHRA) prohibits a nursing facility that participates in Medicaid or Medicare from seeking or requiring a guarantee of third-party payment as a condition of admission, expedited admission, or continued stay in the nursing home. ‘establishment. Provided that a resident’s representative does not incur personal liability, the NHRA permits a nursing facility to require a representative with lawful access to a resident’s income or available resources to sign a contract to pay a payment to the establishment from the resident’s income or resources.

The report finds that some nursing homes include clauses in their admission contracts that attempt to hold a third party financially responsible for the costs of the resident’s nursing home and discusses the different forms these clauses can take. The report says many third parties are unaware that there are legal restrictions on nursing home admission contracts and may also lack the resources to properly respond to a lawsuit seeking to recover costs from a resident on the basis of these contractual conditions. As a result, courts can issue default judgments, allowing debt collection companies to use wage garnishment or garnishment to recover residents’ costs from third parties. The report also states that nursing homes and debt collectors may also report a resident’s debts to credit reporting companies as a personal debt of a third party in order to create pressure on the third party to pays these debts.

The report also addresses claims made in debt collection lawsuits that a third party engaged in financial wrongdoing, such as intentionally misusing, hiding or stealing resident funds. As an example, the report refers to boilerplate language used in numerous trials in New Yorks alleging that a third party had engaged in fraudulent transfers.

Circular. The circular addresses the risk of violations of the FDCPA and FCRA based on debt collection and consumer reporting practices relating to debts that are invalid under the NHRA or state laws analogous to the NHRAs that contain similar prohibitions.

The CFPB acknowledges that it does not enforce NHRA compliance and is not generally responsible for overseeing the operations of nursing facilities. However, he warns that a debt collector, including a litigation law firm, who states that a third party must personally pay a nursing facility resident’s debt may violate the prohibition on FDCPA on misrepresentation when the debt is based on a contractual provision that is unenforceable under the NHRA or analogous state law. The CFPB also warns that a debt collector can violate the FDCPA’s prohibition on misrepresentation by making baseless allegations in a lawsuit that a third party has engaged in financial wrongdoing.

With respect to FCRA liability, the CFPB warns that because it is inaccurate to report that a consumer has a debt based on an illegal contractual provision, a debt collector who provides information about the debts of a nursing home or consumer reporting agency (CRA) that includes such information in a consumer report may violate the FCRA’s accuracy requirements if the debts are not valid under the NHRA or a analogous state law. (The issue of whether a CRA can be held liable for violating the accuracy requirements of the FCRA when the accuracy of a debt reported by the CRA requires a legal determination as to the validity of the debt is raised in a case currently pending in the Second Circuit.) A provider or consumer reporting agency may also violate the FCRA by failing to meet its litigation obligations with respect to information about nursing home debts.

Joint letter. CMS, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, has issued rules implementing the NHRA and, together with DHHS, is responsible for enforcing the NHRA. Their joint letter addresses the potential violations of the FDCPA and FCRA outlined in the circular and sets out CFPB and CMS expectations for nursing facilities and their collectors to comply with the NHRA, FDCPA and the FCRA.

None of the three new nursing home debt collection articles mention the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which the CFPB discussed in a blog post about the connection between eligibility for financial assistance in under policies mandated by the ACA and Medical Recoveries. The ACA requires nonprofit hospitals to establish financial assistance policies for consumers who are unable to pay their medical bills. It also prohibits nonprofit hospitals from reporting medical debt as collections to credit reporting companies or selling the debt to another party, without first trying to determine if the patient would be eligible for their medical policies. ‘financial aid. In the blog post, the CFPB suggested that nonprofit hospitals may not provide low-income consumers with the financial assistance for which they are eligible and may report medical debt in violation of the ACA. (Based on the CFPB’s position on the NAHA, it seems likely that the CFPB would similarly assert that attempts to collect medical debts incurred due to the hospital’s failure to provide medical assistance required by the ACA may violate the FDCPA and that reporting debts prohibited by the ACA may violate the FCRA.)

Best Bad Credit Loans and No Credit Check Loans with Guaranteed Approval in 2022

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Best Loans for Bad Credit: Get No Credit Check Loans with Guaranteed Approval

Unless you can see the future, you cannot predict an emergency. So if a financial emergency arises and you are not well prepared, you will need a reliable solution to help you get through the trouble. At times like these, most people turn to quick loans. But it can be difficult to get an emergency loan if you’re struggling with bad credit.

Fortunately, no credit check loans are available to provide a convenient and safe way for people with bad credit to borrow money quickly on short notice.

Here are the best places where you can borrow no credit check loans with guaranteed approval.

  1. Problematic loans in the United States – Best overall for bad loans
  2. WeLoans – Ideal for small bad loans with guaranteed approval
  3. CocoLoan – Ideal for same day loans without a credit check
  4. iPaydayLoans – Ideal for bad loans with fast approval
  5. American Installment Loans – Ideal for same day installment loans with guaranteed approval
  6. Loans for bad credit in UK – Ideal for bad credit loans with guaranteed approval in the UK
  7. Quick Payday Loans – Ideal for easy and fast bad loans in UK
  8. Easy Payday Loans – Ideal for no credit check loans with guaranteed approval
  9. Unit loan – Ideal for easy and fast bad loans with guaranteed approval
  10. honest loans – Ideal for same day loans without credit check with fast approval

Bad Credit Loans USA – Best for Small Bad Credit Loans with Guaranteed Approval

If your poor credit is preventing you from getting financial help when you need it, you should check Problematic loans in the United States. The platform has an excellent reputation for connecting borrowers with bad credit to lenders who will lend up to $5,000 without a credit check and on the same day.

The company partners with direct lenders who are reliable and trustworthy and who are ready to work with you to find a financial product that meets your needs. If you meet their reasonable requirements, they will offer you online loans regardless of your credit rating. There are dozens of lenders offering different types of loans. payday loans, title loans, installment loans, etc.

Advantages

  • Dozens of reliable and trustworthy direct lenders
  • Quick approval and funding
  • Online and automated application process
  • Bad credit is considered

The inconvenients

  • Lenders can perform soft credit checks.

Get Instant Access to Easy Loans on USA Bad Credit Loans Today! >>>

WeLoans – Best Overall for Bad Loans

WeLoans is arguably the best online platform for bad loans. Although fairly new to the market, it quickly caught on and became a household name in the United States. This allows borrowers with not-so-stellar credit to easily access loans from some of the most reputable lenders in the country.

WeLoans partners with a large number of direct lenders who can provide different loans, including title loans, payday loans, and personal loans for bad credit. The site strives to ensure that borrowers who are looking for urgent loans get their money as quickly as possible to help them with their needs.

To access a loan, all you have to do is complete a simple online form which is then immediately distributed to several lenders. These lenders review the application and get back to you within minutes with offers. Once you have settled on a lender, you will receive your money as quickly as the same day.

Advantages

  • Reliable and reputable lenders
  • Easy to use platform
  • No hidden fees
  • Fast and direct funds transfer

The inconvenients

  • You may need to provide proof of income to qualify

Get bad credit loans available on WeLoans today! >>>

CocoLoan – Best for same day loans with no credit check

CocoLoan is another great platform that connects borrowers with direct lenders that offer different types of loans without credit checks. If you have a financial emergency, this platform can connect you with lenders who will lend you up to 35,000% without a credit check and on the same day.

To get instant access to multiple lenders, just go to the CocoLoan site, complete and submit the simple online form, and you’ll start receiving offers right away. Start by reviewing each offer you receive to find the one that best suits your needs.

Once you have chosen your offer, you can respond to the lender and discuss the terms. You will receive your money quickly once you sign an agreement. Quick, easy and effortless.

Advantages

  • Practical – 100% online services
  • Dozens of reputable and reliable lenders
  • Effortless application, quick approval
  • Bad credit may qualify

The inconvenients

  • Some lenders may require proof of source of income.

Apply for a bad credit loan with instant approval on CocoLoan today! >>

Factors to consider when looking for the best loans for bad credit with guaranteed approval

Eligibility

Before applying for a loan, check your eligibility and their requirements. Even though payday lenders approve of low credit, some require a minimum FICO score of 620. You also need to consider your debt-to-equity ratio, which is your monthly expenses compared to your income. Lenders require borrowers to have a stable income to ensure timely repayments.

Interest charges

When you borrow money, the interest rate is crucial. Compare the minimum rates to see if they are reasonable. Also check your credit score because generally better credit means lower interest rates. bad lenders could offer fixed and non-variable interest rates. These fixed rates can remain constant for the duration of the loan, while variable rates are adjustable.

Terms and conditions

Before signing the contract, it is always advisable to read between the lines. Read carefully and make sure that the terms spelled out on the contract are favorable to your needs and you won’t have any problems with them during the repayment period.

Other expenses

Different lenders have different fees associated with the loans offered. For example, some lenders have initiation fees, processing fees, late payment fees, NSF check penalties, etc. Make sure you understand all the expected fees before signing the contract, so that there are no surprises in the future.

Last word

There aren’t many options available for people with bad credit. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get the help you need when you’re in a financial emergency. We have compiled these platforms to help you see some of the possibilities available that you can use when needed.

North Carolina Skilled Nursing Facilities Partner with Research Company to Bring Clinical Trials to Rural and Underserved Communities

Chelsey W. Vogt
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RALEIGH, NC (WNCN) – A partnership that began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is bringing clinical trials to North Carolina communities that would not normally have access to them. Skilled nursing facilities in the area are working with a research company to study treatments and prevention methods for diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Mobile research units will soon be deployed to skilled nursing facilities in central North Carolina. They will be used for clinical trials, such as preventive studies on Alzheimer’s disease.

“They can essentially function as a comprehensive research site,” said Dr. Tyler Miller, medical and scientific adviser to research firm Care Access.

He also said that clinical trials can provide cutting-edge experimental treatments, but are normally only reserved for people who can access a research site.

“Clinical trials should not be reserved for young people close to university hospitals; they should be for anyone who wants to participate, and our goal is to open up more access,” said Lynn Hood, CEO and President of Principle Long Term Care, which has several skilled nursing facilities across the country. State.

Earlier in the pandemic, some of the principle qualified nursing facilities participated in a monoclonal antibody trial.

“COVID hit and residents of nursing homes were the people most at risk of getting the disease,” Miller said.

He believes these clinical trials have saved lives and prompted those involved to ask if more could be done.

“Can we take this model that we’ve created because of the pandemic and apply it to other diseases, to things that have a daily impact on people’s lives like Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes ?

This is the goal of this partnership between Principle LTC and Care Access. A new research center is opening in Raleigh and mobile research units will visit long-term care facilities in rural or underserved areas.

While the mobile units will visit skilled nursing facilities, the studies are not just for patients. Their families, staff members and community members can also participate. All participation is completely voluntary and individuals must qualify and provide consent.

“Nursing facilities are often thought of as a place where someone goes at the end of an illness,” Hood said. “We’re trying to say, ‘No, we’re a health care resource. We are available for more than providing nursing home care.” We are a resource for the community to bring them services that they might not otherwise have access to.

The Care Access Facility Grand Opening Reception will be Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at 3921 Sunset Ridge Road, Suite 103, Raleigh, NC, 27607.

Mobile research units will be at the following locations in October:
-Oct. 17 2022: First Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (Onslow County)

225 White Street / Jacksonville, North Carolina:

-Oct. February 18, 2022: Willow Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

2401 Wayne Memorial Drive / Goldsboro, North Carolina

-Oct. 19, 2022: Wilson Pines Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

403 Crestview/Wilson Avenue, North Carolina

-Oct. 20, 2022: Springbrook Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (Johnston County)

195 Springbrook Avenue / Clayton, North Carolina

-Oct. February 21, 2022: Franklin Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (Franklin County)

1704 NC 39 Hwy N / Louisbourg, North Carolina

If you would like to know more about the research on the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, which is the current study, click here e-mail alzheimersinfo@principleltc.com.

Gracedale Nursing Home on the mend; operational study not necessary – The Morning Call

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

At its September 1 meeting, Northampton County Council introduced an order to conduct a comprehensive operational study of Gracedale Nursing Home. It looks like the board will vote at the September 15 meeting.

County council members have chosen an odd time to launch a study of Gracedale. After 2.5 years of battling a global pandemic and a national worker shortage, the facility is regaining its footing. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently raised Gracedale’s overall quality rating from one star to three stars. This calculation included a four-star rating for health inspection.

The administrators and staff of Gracedale have done an excellent job during a difficult time in history. It is very strange that the County Council has now chosen the moment to carry out an operational study. Investigations like these can be extremely expensive and do not always produce usable action items. Additionally, commissioners John Cusick and Lori Vargo Heffner recently said indicators show the facility is moving in the right direction.

Lamont McClure (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

In May, the board passed my “Saving Gracedale Again” resolution, which allocated $15 million in US bailout funds for retention bonuses, staffing bonuses, nursing care costs, and improvements. of the establishment’s fixed assets as well as the construction of a daycare centre. center.

Before spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on an operational study, county council members should sit back and wait to see what kind of dividends those investments pay off.

One of the biggest problems faced by nursing homes during the pandemic was the lack of staff. This situation has not only affected long-term care facilities; this has impacted most industries. Gracedale, which serves the demographic groups most susceptible to respiratory viruses, has been particularly hard hit. Many employees left, but we were also blessed with a dedicated and heroic workforce who put in long hours caring for residents.

When the federal government demanded that Gracedale lay off unvaccinated employees or risk losing its funding, that also caused employees to leave. The resulting staff shortage created a problem with our calculation per patient day. The PPD measures the number of productive hours worked by nurses with direct patient care responsibilities. With a decline in staff, Gracedale’s PPD fell below the mandate of the Department of Health. To compensate, the establishment had no choice but to lower its census of residents.

Over the past few years, our human resources department has launched a truly impressive recruitment campaign for all departments: nursing, dietetics, office, housekeeping, etc.

Gracedale employees are county employees, which means they belong to a union and receive union benefits unlike most private nursing home employees. Gracedale employees receive pensions, prescription coverage, medical, dental, vision and life insurance.

Our administrators have developed more incentives, including a $2,500 annual bonus over the next four years, tuition assistance, and the opportunity to work part-time. Early indications are that awareness is working. Recently, Gracedale’s PPD rose to an average of 2.95, above the state’s 2.7 requirement. Certified Nursing Assistant courses at Gracedale are now full.

Administrator Jennifer Stewart-King reports that she has witnessed interest from outside agencies in providing staff members to the nursing home. As the economic fallout from the pandemic continues to diminish, we hope to once again be able to staff Gracedale at a sufficient level to handle its full census of 688 residents.

The Council should explain to ratepayers the benefits that an operational study would bring at this stage. Gracedale is the most regulated of all county departments in Northampton, subject to constant inspections and audits. If something in its operations was not done correctly, we would have already received a detailed report.

Government officials have a sacred duty to their constituents not to waste taxpayers’ money. In my opinion, an operational study of Gracedale will not give us any information that we do not already know.

Lamont McClure is the County Executive of Northampton.

Skilled Nursing Facilities and Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Many use the terms “skilled nursing facility” and “nursing home” interchangeably. However, they are separate care facilities. Although skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes appear similar, they have fundamental differences, including the level of medical care they provide.

While nursing homes are long-term residential facilities that serve people with chronic illnesses, skilled nursing homes are centers for rehabilitation and treatment. Nursing homes are suitable for long-term residents, while skilled nursing facilities support short-term recovery from acute medical conditions.

The duration of the stay; duration of stay

How long a person must stay in a facility can determine whether they go to a nursing home or a skilled nursing facility. People generally stay in nursing homes longer than in skilled nursing facilities. Many older people move permanently into nursing homes. Those in skilled nursing facilities tend to stay for less time and then return home or receive long-term care.

According to the National Care Planning Council, people who enter nursing homes stay on average for more than two years. The average stay in a skilled nursing facility is about one month.

Skilled nursing

Aside from length of stay, a significant difference between skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes is the type of care available. Skilled nursing facilities specialize in meeting the unique medical needs of residents.

Skilled nursing requires qualified practitioners with advanced training and specific certifications. Licensed healthcare professionals work in skilled nursing facilities, including:

  • Registered Nurses (RNs)

  • Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)

  • Speech therapists

  • Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists

Depending on the type of care you need, note that you can also obtain skilled nursing services in other settings, including your home and nursing homes.

Types of Care Available at Skilled Nursing Facilities

People with serious accidents, such as falls, may need acute care in a trained nursing facility. Others may go to skilled nursing facilities to receive treatment for serious illnesses like cancer. People may also need to stay in a skilled nursing facility while recovering from surgery.

Types of care available at skilled nursing facilities include:

  • physical therapy

  • occupational therapy

  • Speech therapy

  • Wound care

  • Intravenous therapy

  • Injections

  • Catheter care

  • Medical supervision

As part of medical care, specialized medical equipment is available at skilled nursing facilities.

Retirement homes

When people can no longer safely live in their homes and need help with daily living, they may choose to move into a retirement home. Nursing homes also provide activities for residents, such as social events, shopping trips, and access to religious services. Day and night, residents have access to nursing services.

However, unlike specialized care facilities, retirement homes do not provide medical care that meets the specific needs of all residents. Nursing home residents with specific medical needs often visit health facilities for care. Family members can drive residents to appointments or use transportation services to access medical care that meets their specific needs.

Also, although registered nurses work in nursing homes, fewer licensed professionals may be available to residents of this type of facility.

Learn more about choosing and evaluating nursing homes.

Help with daily living

Skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes provide 24-hour assistance with daily living, including:

  • Shower and bath

  • Dress

  • Cooking and meals

  • Personal hygiene

  • While walking

  • Mobility

  • Getting in and out of bed

  • Getting in and out of a wheelchair

Last modification: 09/13/2022


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Alaska Primary Care Association hopes to boost local healthcare workers with new grant

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media)

The Alaska Primary Care Association recently received $9.7 million through the US Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge Grant. The funds will be used to increase the number of Alaskans entering the health care field, with a particular focus on apprenticeships.

Jared Kosin is CEO of the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association. He explains what this grant means for Alaska’s health care industry and how advocates are changing the approach to address long-standing labor shortages.

The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Jared Kosin: The workforce issue, if you will, has been a health care issue for years. And now with the pandemic, now that we’re kind of coming out of it, the problem has gotten worse. And we know that, we commissioned a study from the association last year, and we are going to do it again this year. But at the end of the day, in our healthcare workforce in Alaska, there’s a huge hole. Each year, we have more than 63,000 vacancies across the industry. More than 14 hundred of them are for registered nurses only.

So we have this huge labor hole that exists, and it’s probably worse. The problem is that, both in the health sector and in any sector, you post jobs, but no one applies. Where has everyone gone? So we’re in a situation where we can no longer rely on people responding to our messages and coming to work at our facilities, so you kind of have to change your thinking. How do we take our existing workforce, certainly support them through burnout and all the challenges they’ve had, but how do we train them for positions rather than looking and bringing people ? This is where this concept of learning really comes into play.

Michael Fanelli: So what do you think are the biggest hurdles to convincing Alaskans to become healthcare professionals? And how would that money perhaps seek to mitigate them?

JK: There are many obstacles. I mean, definitely, the post-pandemic world – if you could call it that, I know we’re still in it, and it’s going to be a part of our lives for a long time – but there’s a lot of toxicity to that. Health care workers have seen a lot that others would never want to see. And that both got political and affected people’s direct lives when they were coming home from shifts, so I think one of the challenges or obstacles that we have is, well, why would I get into health care? I just saw what they went through. Both publicly and we hear the stories privately – why should I choose this profession?

And so we need to do a better job, from a health care perspective, of engaging people at a much younger age and explaining what health is. You know, we don’t need those A+ students and those people who all their lives knew they were going to be a doctor. We need those people who may not know what they want to do and want to explore a professional field. Healthcare is ripe for it because once you get in, you can go anywhere with it.

FM: OK. So, other than this grant, what else does the health industry in Alaska need to get to where it needs to be?

JK: You know, we are in a much better situation than a year ago now. A year ago, we were preparing for Delta’s surge. And I would say that was the worst part of the pandemic for us. And that’s my personal opinion. But a year later, what do we really need? I think an understanding that things fluctuate, we are always busy. Fortunately, it’s not [because of] COVID, COVID has an impact [us] when he knocks out staff, but I would say probably behavioral health.

Behavioral health is something we all know, in the last couple of years it’s probably taken a big hit. People have experienced trauma. And now that things have sort of calmed down, I think that’s showing up more. What we’re going through is a broken continuum, where we see people in crisis, who need to be matched with counsellors, people trained in behavioral health therapy, but there aren’t any out there. So they end up going to the emergency department of a hospital and eventually wait to be placed in an inpatient psychiatric bed. It’s bad care. And I would say that’s a big priority for us, even though we’re in hospitals and nursing homes. If a piece of the continuum is extremely deficient, if it is broken, we all feel it. So we need to do our part when it comes to behavioral health.

Nursing home sales, closures and admissions halts come as staff shortages continue

Chelsey W. Vogt
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As staffing shortages continue to plague nursing homes, sales, closures and admission halts are becoming more common, according to respondents to a survey conducted by Long-Term Care Imperative, a collaboration between LeadingAge Minnesota and Care Providers of Minnesota, the state affiliate of the American Healthcare Association.

Sixty of 100 survey respondents said that due to staffing shortages, they have already reduced or will reduce the number of residents and patients they can accept. Twenty percent of responding providers said they were considering selling their NFS or closing altogether.

More than 100 nursing homes across the Gopher state have closed since 2000, including six this year alone, the associations say.

Lack of state funding is one of the reasons for financial instability, according to LeadingAge Minnesota. Additionally, according to LeadingAge Minnesota, state-provided rates no longer cover the cost of care.

Patti Cullen, CAE, president and CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota, told the The McKnight Business Daily that Minnesota’s rate equalization law limits the ability of providers to charge private residents more than the Medicaid program will pay. The nursing facility‘s base rate in 2020 was about $270 per day, with variances based on resident/patient acuity, historical rates and geographic location, she added. .

“Our payment system for nursing facilities, which is technically a ‘cost-based’ system, was designed at a time when average inflationary cost increases were 2% to 2% and the census was over 90 %,” said Cullen, a 2022 McKnight’s Inducted into the Hall of Honor for Women of Distinction. “The rates must be high enough to cover their costs and be able to be competitive in the labor market for the recruitment and retention of staff.”

Nursing homes have faced double-digit increases in wages and product costs, she said, and those increased expenses won’t be reflected in increased rates for at least 18 months.

“As a result, nursing facilities have taken drastic financial measures to ensure cash flow for their operations,” Cullen said. “They are forced to spend all their reserves, reduce their cash and pay salaries well above what they are paid in their tariffs to retain and recruit staff.

As a result, she said, nursing homes are also experiencing a voluntary decrease in occupancy because they don’t have the workers to provide care — and empty beds mean lower revenue.

Survey responses show that nearly half of the state’s nursing facilities operate with an annual loss of $300,000 or more, 43% have no financial reserves, and many say they have no line of credit available to them.

Cullen said members of his organization “would like to see their current expenses reflected in their current rates, which means a change to the formula to accommodate known cost increases.”

“They would like to see a significant increase in rates so they can compete in the job market and fill vacancies so they can start filling their open beds,” she added. “They would like COVID-19 related expenses, such as personal protective equipment, to be paid directly by the state.”

Additionally, Cullen said, the state must help bolster the direct care workforce by continuing to offer the practical nurse program that was tested during the pandemic, which paid for tuition, uniforms and transportation of incoming students obtaining their nursing assistant certification.

“We also need regulatory flexibility as we phase out some of the public health emergency waivers,” Cullen said, “and for nursing facilities that are in serious financial difficulty, we need to help them pay their providers. and work towards financial health before they are. forced to close. »

Admission to Master of Nursing Course in Kerala: Apply by September 13 Admission to Master of Nursing Course in Kerala: Apply by September 13

Chelsey W. Vogt
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The Office of Entrance Examination Commissioner (EEC), Housing Board Buildings, Santhi Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram-695001, has invited applications for Entrance Examination for Admission to Postgraduate Science Courses nurses (M.Sc. Nursing) 2022.

Admission will be offered to government colleges of nursing in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur and government seats in various self-funded colleges in (i) medical and surgical nursing (ii) community health nursing ( iii) Child Health Nursing ( iv) Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing (v) Mental Health Nursing Specialties.

Eligibility: Applicants must be Indian citizens of Kerala origin. Sons/daughters of non-Keralite parents, who have completed a B.Sc. Nursing degree from any of the Kerala nursing colleges; those who are not of Kerala origin but have resided in Kerala for at least five years can also apply. Non-Keralite applicants will not be eligible for communal/disabled (PD) booking benefits.

Academic qualification: The candidate must have obtained (i) a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or (ii) a post-basic Bachelor of Science. Nursing after acquiring the general nursing and midwifery course with +2 science subjects. Applicant must have achieved 55% overall marks (50% for SC/ST/SEBC/PWD) at bachelor level and must have obtained registration with Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council/any Nursing Council of the state from which he qualified.

Live: The candidate must have one year of experience on 5.09.2022, after registering with the respective National Board of Nursing or at least one year of work experience before or after the basic bachelor’s degree in nursing. Details are given in the Prospectus available at www.cee.kerala.gov.in

The upper age limit will be 46 years from 05.09.2022. It will be 49 years for service candidates.

Application: Applications, including those for service quota applicants, must be submitted online at www.cee.kerala.gov.in by 10 a.m. on 13.09.2022.

The application fee is Rs. 1050/- (Rs. 525/- for SC/ST categories). For service quota, it is Rs. 1050/-. General quota applicants who wish to be admitted into the service quota must pay an additional amount of Rs. 1050/-. Fees can be paid online using internet banking/credit card/debit card or in cash using e-chellan at any of the main/sub post offices in Kerala.

Service quota applicants, in addition to applying online, must forward a copy of the application acknowledgment page and all required documents, including their service details, to the Screening Officer. (DME/DHS/IMS) concerned, as stipulated in clauses 6.3 and 8.2.5 of the Prospectus, to be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on 17.09.2022.

Selection will be based on Entrance Examination to be conducted by CEE to be held on 26.09.2022 at various centers in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kannur. It will be a computer-based test lasting 2 hours with 200 multiple-choice questions. The schedule and other details of the exam will be communicated later. Details of the review are set out in the Prospectus.

Lutheran Services Carolinas partners with Asheville Health Care Center – Reuters

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Lutheran Services Carolinas partners with Asheville Health Center

Posted at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 11, 2022

SALISBURY — Lutheran Services Carolinas (LSC) recently announced a nonprofit partnership with Aston Park Health Care Center to serve seniors in Asheville. Aston Park has served the Asheville area for over 42 years.

Executive director Marsha McClure, who has more than four decades at Aston Park, will continue to lead the centre. “We are delighted with this partnership and look forward to strengthening Aston Park and LSC to serve in the future,” said McClure.

The partnership will include working together to support Aston Park’s dedicated team, ameliorate workforce issues, provide operational support and continue to explore Aston Park’s dream of adding apartments for the elderly on the campus.

“I have known and respected Marsha McClure and Aston Park for over 30 years,” said LSC chairman Ted Goins. “It is an honor to partner with such a strong nonprofit to serve the Asheville/Buncombe area for years to come.”

Aston Park is one of the few remaining nonprofit healthcare providers in western North Carolina.

Aston Park was founded as a non-profit community organization in Asheville in 1980 and has 120 skilled nursing beds and 19 assisted living beds. Aston Park provides rehabilitation, long-term care and memory care services to its residents and has been a strong community partner since its inception.

LSC was established in 1960 as a nonprofit organization and has grown to serve North Carolina residents and families with eight nursing homes, four senior living communities, senior housing low-income, PACE, home care and adult day services. LSC’s child and family programs are offered in both Carolinas and include foster care, refugee resettlement, disaster relief, supportive living, and more. LSC is a $140 million health and human services organization with more than 1,800 teammates. The closest LSC services to Aston Park are a seniors’ community in Arden, Trinity View, and a New Americans (refugee resettlement) program office in Asheville.

You can learn more about LSC and its programs at www.LSCarolinas.net.

Barrow – Risedale Nursing Home praised for outstanding care

Chelsey W. Vogt
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PRAISE was paid to a nursing home in Barrow by a relative for the ‘incredible’ care provided to a relative.

The Risedale Nursing Home on Abbey Road was chosen for a special tribute by Anne Hall, whose 96-year-old aunt Margaret Proctor is a resident of the home.

In a letter to the Mail, Anne applauded Risedale staff for their ‘loving care’ of Margaret since she arrived home in poor health after spending weeks in hospital after breaking the hip during a fall.

“Since her arrival there, they have revitalized her with uplifting events, encouraged her to return to drawing as a previously proficient artist with trips to Barrow Park on sunny days, and encouraged bench drawings. park and trees,” she said.

“The love we have for her with the hairstyle, the painted nails, the exercises and the quiz sessions, the photos of her at afternoon cocktail parties, and being a country woman, going out in the garden on sunny days, brings it to life.

“Recently I was amazed when they took her and 14 other people in wheelchairs with their own personal carers to Bowness to watch the boats and swans and have a picnic.

READ MORE: Nursing home receives new rating from Care Quality Commission

“I was even more amazed two weeks ago to hear it and four others were taken in wheelchairs with carers on the train to Blackpool among arcades and fun – who at 96 could ask for more?

“This week, upon hearing that his niece was due to celebrate her 80th birthday at Coniston, they rearranged staff rotations so she could be on the surprise guest list.

“On top of that they took her to a shop in Barrow to pick out a new dress for the party, arranged a taxi and her amazing assistant, Courtney, made sure she was reunited with lots of friends from the past, returning home exhausted but full of happy memories of her former native village.

“We hear of nursing home residents being abandoned and treated poorly, but we as a family couldn’t believe how much their loving care had transformed her spirit, and everyone at the party was amazed. to see how well and cared for she was.

“A tribute to every member of staff who has lovingly cared for her over the past few years and who deserves to be commended.”

Hannah Fell, Assistant Senior Practitioner at Risedale Nursing Home, said: ‘How lovely for the hard working staff to receive such lovely feedback from the family, and we thank the family for taking the time to do so. .”

Mass. Nursing facilities operator settles with DOJ over substance abuse discrimination claims

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Next Step Healthcare, an operator of 21 skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts, has settled with the U.S. State’s Attorney’s Office allegations that it turned away hundreds of patients because they were taking drugs to treat their opioid use disorder.

Over a two-year period, from September 2017 to August 2019, Next Step reportedly denied admission to 548 patients who told the provider they were being treated for addiction, even though all of these patients were seeking admission to facilities for unrelated health issues. .

“It’s awful,” Dr. Andrew Kolodny, medical director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, told GBH News. “There would have been no medical reason – no justification for denying them treatment – ​​other than stigma or misunderstandings about opioid use disorder.”

Next Step did not respond to a request for comment from GBH News.

People who use drugs to treat substance use disorders are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The federal government is cracking down on institutions that discriminate against this population — the latest settlement is the 10th the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached with a qualified nursing facility.

Kolodny said he thinks bias against drug treatment of the disease was likely at play in denying Next Step admission to so many people.

“This is a systemic problem rooted largely in a misunderstanding of both the disease of opioid addiction and its treatment,” Kolodny said. “With effective treatment, people can be productive members of their community. They can be good parents, good citizens.

Kolodny said many people suffer from opioid use disorder because of doctors’ prescribing practices, not because they seek opioids. But, he added, regardless of how a person develops an addiction, experts agree that the best treatment option is taking drugs to curb cravings.

“Opioid addiction is most effectively treated with medication. Without medication, people are at very high risk of overdose death,” he said. ‘abstinence is thin.’

Next Step agreed to adopt a policy of non-discrimination against people with disabilities, train its admissions staff on disability discrimination, and pay a civil penalty of nearly $100,000 to the federal government under the settlement. She will only have to pay $10,000 if the company respects the agreement.

In a statement, Massachusetts attorney Rachael Rollins said, “When people finally find the strength and courage to be open to healing, they should be met with support and understanding, not discrimination and barriers to health care. … We appreciate Next Step’s cooperation in changing its policies and practices to comply with the ADA, and we strongly encourage other qualified nursing facilities to proactively do the same.

Harry Weissman, director of advocacy for the Boston-based Disability Policy Consortium, said Next Step’s alleged discrimination devalues ​​and endangers the lives of people with disabilities. He added that people with mental health conditions often suffer from discrimination rooted in stigma, which he says was the root of Next Step’s treatment of people with opioid use disorders.

“People who deal with these things should never be turned away,” Weissman said, “whether it’s because they’re seeking treatment for this problem or something else, they’re people like the rest of us.” between us. And, you know, disabled lives are just as worth living as a non-disabled life.

The Disability Policy Consortium is continuing its efforts to pass legislation in Beacon Hill that would improve protections against discrimination for people with disabilities in health care settings. Weissman said they support a proposed bill in the state Legislature, which reached the Ways and Means Committee, but stalled there in the formal legislative session that ended over the course of the summer.

Weissman said the bill would be a big help for low-income Massachusetts residents or people of color, who are more likely to have a disability.

“To deny treatment to someone on this basis is discriminatory. … It’s racist, it’s ableist, it’s classist,” he said. “Everyone has the right to health care and should not be denied that health care for any reason.”

Minnesota Hospital combines horses and health care – InForum

Chelsey W. Vogt
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CROSBY — Most people have never heard the phrase, “There’s a horse in the hospital today,” but those at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby know it very well.

Cuyuna Regional Medical Center hosts a weekly “take your pet to work” day for its care center patients. The care center strives to schedule pet visits with cats, dogs, goats, and even horses to interact with residents. The event has been part of CRMC’s programming for about 10 years and Wednesday, September 7 was not the first time a horse came to visit.

Residents of the Care Center were surprised Wednesday with a visit from Vegas, a once-wild and now-tame mustang. Ashlin Schneider, a certified practical nurse at the CRMC-Care Center, brought Vegas into the program.

Vegas seemed thrilled to visit long-term care residents who gathered outside the care center to see him. Vegas wasn’t the only one excited, however.

“Residents really love seeing animals, it kind of revives them and brings them back,” said Rachel Weidell, director of activities for the Care Center. “It’s good to reminisce and it’s good for their minds too. It’s nice to have them come (and) see all kinds of creatures.

Residents enjoyed the beautiful weather while petting and feeding Vegas treats. Care Center resident Benita Harrison said she didn’t want to come in until Vegas left.

Cuyuna Regional Medical Center-Care Center patient Doris feeds Vegas during her hospital visit Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2022.

Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch

Weidell used to bring in her two horses for residents, but she will be moving soon. Before Weidell, another employee brought in her horses. The tradition is set to continue with Schneider and his horses in the future.

Vegas is an 8-year-old mustang gelding who spent six years with Schneider. Schneider entered the Mustang Heritage Foundation’s Extreme Mustang Makeover contest as a teenager and later got Vegas.

“I was 13 and there’s an event called Extreme Mustang Makeover,” Schneider, 20, said. “So you have about 100 days to take a wild horse and for the youngsters you just train them to lead and back and you can do freestyle events.”

Schneider begged her parents to do it and they initially said no, but eventually changed their minds.

A woman in a wheelchair reaches out to stroke a horse's muzzle while its owner holds on to a leash
Ashlin Schneider and her horse Vegas interact with Bernita Harrison, a long-term care patient at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby, Wednesday, September 7, 2022.

Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch

Vegas was a wild horse originally from Nevada, but Schneider went to Nashville to look for him. She trained him and after 110 days, Vegas and Schneider made the trip from Minnesota to Virginia to compete.

Schneider was a 4-H participant throughout high school and still participates in barrel racing when she can. Now she divides her time between work at the health center and nursing school. She said she has a passion for horses and health care, and CRMC gives her the opportunity to combine the two for their long-term residents.

SARA GUYMON can be reached at 218-855-5851 or sara.guymon@brainerddispatch.com. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/SaraGuymon.

Operator of 21 Massachusetts Skilled Nursing Facilities Agrees to Resolve Disability Discrimination Allegations | USAO-MA

Chelsey W. Vogt
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BOSTON — The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached an agreement with Next Step Healthcare, LLC (Next Step), the operator of 21 skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts, to resolve allegations that Next Step violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by refusing patients who indicated that they had been prescribed medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

“No one would ever choose to have a substance use disorder. The destruction this disease inflicts on its victims is unconscionable. When people finally find the strength and courage to be open to recovery, they must be greeted with support and understanding, not discrimination and barriers to health care,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins. “As our Commonwealth continues to grapple with an opioid epidemic, this office will ensure that people who receive MOUD have access to the health care they are legally entitled to and often need. We appreciate Next Step’s cooperation in changing its policies and practices to comply with the ADA, and we strongly encourage other skilled nursing facilities to proactively do the same.

People receiving treatment for an opioid use disorder are generally considered disabled under the ADA, which, among other things, prohibits private health care providers from discriminating on the basis of disability. The United States alleges that Next Step denied admission to 548 individuals who indicated that they were prescribed MOUD while seeking admission to Next Step’s programs. These people asked to be admitted to the facilities for health problems unrelated to their addiction, but also asked the MOUD to treat their OUD.

Under the terms of the agreement, Next Step will, among other things, adopt a non-discrimination policy regarding the provision of services to people with disabilities, including people with SUD or people under MOUD, provide training on related discrimination to Disability and SUD to Admissions Staff, pay a civil penalty of $92,383 to the United States, of which $10,000 will be paid now and $82,393 will be suspended and waived if Next Step materially complies with the terms of the agreement .

This case is part of an ongoing effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to remove discriminatory barriers to the treatment of OUD through the enforcement of the ADA. This is the United States Attorney’s Office’s 10th settlement agreement with a qualified nursing facility operator. The Bureau has now entered into 16 settlement agreements and six resolution letters to ensure ADA compliance stemming from OUD processing. The District of Massachusetts is leading the nation in this important type of work and will continue to champion the ADA and support people with substance use disorders.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Leung, Gregory Dorchak, and Annapurna Balakrishna of Rollins’ Civil Division handled the case.

The United States Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Unit was established in 2015 with a mission to improve federal civil rights enforcement. For more information about the Bureau’s civil rights efforts, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights

HCBS Direct Care Workforce Growth Outpaces Assisted Living and Nursing Home Workforce Growth

Chelsey W. Vogt
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The direct care workforce has created 1.5 million new jobs, growing from 3.2 million to 4.7 million, over the past decade, according to a new report from PHI. The growth in the direct home and community care workforce is outpacing the growth in the assisted living and nursing home workforce.

“This trend is expected to continue, with the direct care workforce expected to add an estimated 1.2 million new jobs from 2020 to 2030 – more new jobs than any other occupation in the country,” the author wrote. “Direct Care Workers in the United States: Key Facts.”

Among direct care workers, the approximately 2.6 million segment of nursing aides, home health aides and nursing assistants who work in private homes has the fastest employment growth rate. higher among direct care workers. According to the report, the home care workforce is expected to grow by 37% over the next decade.

The report includes data on three segments of the direct care workforce: home care workers, care aides working in assisted living facilities and similar communities, and care aides in nursing homes. retirement.

“Also taking into account jobs that need to be filled when existing workers transfer to other occupations or leave the workforce, there will be approximately 7.9 million total job vacancies in direct care. 2020 to 2030,” the report notes.

The Future of the Residential Caregiver Workforce – those who assist people in assisted living communities, group homes and other residential care settings – ​is a little harder to predict, PHI noted, due to a recent decline in employment in residential care. Yet the organization predicts that workers in this segment will increase by 22% over the next 10 years. Currently, there are 647,500 health care aides in the United States.

Meanwhile, PHI predicts that the number of practical nurses working in nursing homes will continue to decline from the 471,000 currently working in the field.

“These divergent trends in the long-term care industries are largely the result of consumer preferences for home care and public policies that have expanded [home- and community-based services] funding and access,” according to the report.

Direct care workers often work part-time for pay, but wages tend to rise, even after adjusting for inflation, the report said. PHI credited state and federal investments in Medicaid programs and the Workforce for Change. The report, however, noted that the median hourly rate for direct care workers was $14.27 in 2021.

“As a result, long-term care employers face serious recruitment and retention challenges as they compete with employers in other industries who can offer higher wages in a fiercely competitive job market. “, said PHI.

St. Anne’s Hospital medical staff awards scholarships to area healthcare students

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Fall River, MA – Ste. Anne’s Hospital medical staff announced the recipients of this year’s scholarship program for healthcare students.

The awards are part of a long-standing annual program established by the hospital’s medical staff in recognition of outstanding academic achievement by area students and demonstrated commitment to the health professions.

This year’s $3,000 award recipients are:

Anne’s Hospital Family Award:

  • Katelyn Medeirosfrom Dartmouth: Enrolled at Rhode Island College, with a major in medical imaging, Katelyn will study radiological technology, specializing in CT imaging.
  • Tara Cordeirofrom Westport: Enrolled at Bristol Community College, majoring in nursing, Tara’s professional goal is to become a nurse practitioner.
  • Camryn Loomisfrom Seekonk: Enrolled at Plymouth State University (NH), with a major in nursing, Camryn plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing and continue to earn her nurse practitioner degree.

Community Rewards:

  • Hannah Caouettefrom Rehoboth: Enrolled at UMass Dartmouth, majoring in nursing, Hannah plans to pursue studies in pediatric critical care.
  • Lily Giffordfrom Westport: Enrolled at Rivier University, Nashua, NH, majoring in nursing, Lily plans to major in surgical or emergency nursing.
  • Melissa Sousafrom Fall River: Enrolled at the Brockton Hospital School of Nursing, Melissa’s long-term goal is to earn a master’s degree in nursing.

Additionally, Jason Arruda, enrolled in RI University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program, received the award. 2022 Malcolm W. MacDonald, MD, Memorial Scholarship. This $1,000 scholarship is sponsored by Saint Anne’s Hospital Massachusetts-Rhode Island Independent Physician Association..

For more information on the annual scholarship program, call St. Anne’s Hospital Medical Staff Office, 508-674-5600, ext. 2002.

About Ste. Anne’s Hospital

Founded by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation in 1906, Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts, is a full-service Catholic acute care hospital with 211 beds and satellite locations in Dartmouth, Attleboro, Swansea, New Bedford and Stoughton , Massachusetts. A member of Steward Health Care, Saint Anne’s provides patient and family-centered inpatient care and outpatient clinical services to patients in surrounding communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Saint Anne’s main services include the Orthopedic Center of Excellence; bariatric surgery; multiple robot-assisted surgical capabilities, including orthopedic surgery, spine surgery, and general surgery; Regional Cancer Center of Sainte-Anne Hospital; two outpatient surgery centers; the Pain Management Center; and inpatient geriatric psychiatry services. In addition to earning Straight A’s for Patient Safety since 2012, Saint Anne’s has earned national recognitions for Cancer Care, Spine Surgery, Bariatric Surgery, Stroke Care and patient experience. follow us on Facebook, Twitterand LinkedIn.

Blog: BBB Tips: Student Loan Consolidation (07/09/22)

Chelsey W. Vogt
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With the impact of COVID-19 on daily life greatly reduced, student borrowers whose repayments have been suspended due to COVID-19 may consider their options for resuming payments on this life-changing debt. This may lead some borrowers to look into debt consolidation, but it’s important to research these options carefully and not give in to the temptation to look for a quick fix that could turn out to be a scam.

After recent action by the Biden administration, federal student loan repayments remain suspended without interest until December 31, 2022. Additionally, borrowers earning less than $125,000 per year are eligible for up to $10,000 in forgiveness. loan, borrowers who also received Pell grants. able to receive up to $20,000 in pardons. Consumers should beware of scammers who take advantage of the news by offering bogus ways to apply for loan forgiveness.

Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) Scam Tracker received over 500 reports of debt relief and credit repair scams in North America in 2021. These scams cost consumers a reported total of over $283,000, with the median consumer losing $600 $. Most often, these reported scams involved payment by bank account debit.

Upfront fees, including fees to enter a repayment plan, are a common thread among debt relief scams. These upfront charges are illegal. Loan repayment assistance – including loan deferrals, forbearance, repayment, and forgiveness or release programs – is available directly from the Department of Education and Loan Services, and application for these programs is always free.

Some scam companies ask consumers to sign a power of attorney for financial decisions, use it to suspend the consumer’s loans – a way to temporarily stop or reduce payments, during which the loans continue to earn interest – and require the consumer to make payments directly to them rather than to the loan officer. In reality, the company keeps the payments for itself and the forbearance eventually expires without any repayment progress.

Borrowers seeking student loan relief should consider the following tips:

  • Do your research on the company and the options available to you. BBB business profiles on debt consolidation and other businesses are available at BBB.org or by calling 888-996-3887. These include customer complaints and how they were handled, customer reviews, and an A+ to F grade.
  • Do not pay upfront fees to debt repayment companies. If a rescue company asks for money before helping you, report it to BBB.
  • Think twice before signing a power of attorney or giving a company your bank account information or your Federal Student Aid website login information. These actions allow a company to make potentially devastating financial decisions for you.
  • Don’t agree to a long-term abstention or deferment plan without doing your homework. These should only be seen as temporary solutions.
  • Don’t be fooled by promises of quick relief. The loan relief and forgiveness options available through the Department of Education still require years of payments, and these loans cannot be canceled by bankruptcy.

Fairlawn retirement home resident turns 105

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Frank Mekina was 96 when he moved to St. Edward’s Village in Fairlawn in 2013. Today he celebrates a milestone.

FAIRLAWN, Ohio – Staff and residents of St. Edward’s Village in Fairlawn have celebrations in store.

Frank Mekina, resident since 2013, turned 105 on September 6!

Frank grew up in Barberton with his Slovenian parents, lived through the Great Depression and at 16 joined the Civilian Conservation Corps.

During his deployment to the “west”, he received training in forest fire prevention, helped clear forests, build roads, bridges and windmills.

After taking a job as a welder, he meets his wife Catherine. The two were married for 68 years before Catherine passed away in 2010. They have two daughters, Eileen and Jennifer.

Frank also joined the Navy Seabees, helping with construction, ship repairs, damaged bridges and other projects, working at Pearl Harbor, Midway Island and the Tinian Islands, according to a statement from hurry.

After retiring from a successful career in construction, Frank enjoyed staying active! He walks five miles before breakfast “rain or shine”, all year round. And according to his family, loves the polka.

Frank credits his good health and longevity to “living day to day, taking life as it comes, avoiding worries, and a bologna sandwich for lunch and a glass of wine every night,” the statement said.

From all of us at WKYC, Happy Birthday Frank!

Editor’s Note: The following video is from a previous report.

Healthcare workforce shortage necessitates shift to team-based care, experts say

Chelsey W. Vogt
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OTTAWA-

Nearly two and a half years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the staffing conundrum initially driven by high infection rates has turned into an acute workforce challenge.

Herb Emery, Vaughan Chair of Regional Economics at the University of New Brunswick, said that when it comes to staffing shortages, the pandemic was “like the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

“These emerging shortages have been there for decades,” Emery said. “So no one should be surprised that we’re running out of doctors that we’re running out of nurses.”

In recent weeks, hospitals across the country have taken drastic measures to deal with staff shortages, including temporarily closing emergency departments.

The labor shortage is not unique to health care. Nationally, Statistics Canada indicates that approximately one million jobs are unfilled. But health care shortages are most pronounced.

Statistics Canada said healthcare vacancies in the first quarter of this year were nearly double what they were two years ago. Nurses and nurse aides were among the top ten occupations with the largest increases in job vacancies during this period.

Emery says health care shortages are the result of policies introduced in the 1980s and 1990s that aimed to reduce health care costs. Physicians, who are paid on a fee-for-service basis, have been identified as a key driver of high healthcare costs and policies have been introduced to limit the supply of doctors, it said. -he declares.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information said in a 2002 report that policies such as reduced medical school enrollment and restrictions on international medical graduates have contributed to a lower influx of new physicians. .

On the nursing side, Emery said the stress of the pandemic and increased workloads have led to high rates of retirements and exits from the profession, and enrollments in nursing schools. nurses have not been high enough to compensate for the departure of nurses.

Some experts say one solution could be a move towards a team-based approach to care that ensures healthcare professionals are working at their level of skill. This would be tantamount to relieving doctors of the tasks that nurses or pharmacists could perform while leaving nurses to perform only work requiring nursing training.

Armine Yalnizyan, economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, called on provinces to develop a plan to address today’s health issues, including outlining a health human resources strategy.

“The most expensive parts of the system are overworked doing things they shouldn’t be doing, like cleaning rooms or moving patients down the hall on a stretcher,” Yalnizyan said.

The idea of ​​changing the scope of practice of health care workers is far from new. In 2002, the Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada, also known as the Romanow Report, highlighted the need for this change in practice.

“Changes in the way health care services are delivered, particularly with the growing emphasis on collaborative teams and networks of health care providers, mean that traditional scopes of practice must also change” , says the report. “It suggests new roles for nurses, family physicians, pharmacists, case managers, and a host of new and emerging health professions.”

Emery said the fee-for-service structure for physicians is a barrier to moving toward team-based care.

“What 1/8 fee-for-service 3/8 discourages is that a nurse does some of the things she is qualified to do and can do very well because the doctor she works in doesn’t can’t charge for that.” Emery said.

The shift to team-based care would also require the restructuring of collective agreements, he said, which dictate “who does what” in hospitals.

“There are things that can be done, but they are politically controversial,” Emery said.

In Ontario, the provincial government has said it is considering the privatization of health care as a solution to the challenges facing hospitals. The suggestion provoked considerable backlash from opposition politicians as well as advocates.

However, Emery says privatization in this context refers to service delivery, not how services are paid for.

“It’s really, I think, about changing the site where care is provided from settings that tend to have more rigid rules about who can do what to whom and on what basis, to a setting where there’s has more potential to have that scope of practice, team-based care, and basically see more patients with the same number of doctors and nurses.”

Yalnizyan says the health system has faced low staffing levels for too long due to a lack of funding.

“It’s not just about not planning for the future. It’s about absolutely committing to not spending any money,” she said.

However, Emery warns that more funding will not solve the underlying problem, which is how workers are distributed within the system.

Failing to address these issues, he says, is what led to these shortages and health care pressure in the first place.

“What’s frustrating is that now that he’s been affected, we’re wringing our hands and saying, ‘Well, what do we do’, because there’s no easy way out. in the short term,” Emery said.


This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 5, 2022.

Best Loans for Bad Credit: Top 5 Loan Companies with No Credit Check and Guaranteed Approval

Chelsey W. Vogt
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We’ve all experienced that sinking feeling when we have to pay for something but can’t due to a lack of money. We might want to borrow money, but worry about high interest rates or whether we will be accepted for a loan.

Fortunately, some reputable credit brokerage firms specialize in connecting a network of reputable lenders who are willing to provide bad credit loans. These lenders lend money to people in need who do not have the best financial background and help you get a loan instantly.

These types of loans are also called “cash advance loans” because they provide money as soon as you apply. These loans are designed for short-term use and are repaid in installments over several months.

  1. WeLoans – Find the best loan for bad credit without credit check online
  2. Problematic loans in the United States – An ideal choice to choose bad loans in the United States
  3. CocoLoan – Most favored bad credit loan with shortest deposit term
  4. American Installment Loans – Select bad credit loan with guaranteed approval
  5. Loan for bad credit in UK – Getting bad credit loans in the UK has never been easier

WeLoans

Insight

There is no need to worry about bad credit because WeLoans does not conduct in-depth background investigations. They connect you with a network of reputable lenders willing to help people in financial difficulty, regardless of their credit history.

If you need money urgently, WeLoans’ network of lenders will help you with a same day loan. With their extensive network of direct lenders, you can easily compare rates, maximum loan amounts, and flexible terms. To avoid late fees and high interest rates, this loan must be repaid by the due date of the next pay period.

Advantages

  • Competitive and fixed interest rates
  • Rapid approval and disbursements
  • Friendly repayment schedule

The inconvenients

  • Not a direct lender
  • Does not work outside the United States

For more information on loans for bad credit without credit check, click here>>

Problematic loans in the United States

Insight

People with bad credit can get quick short-term loans through Problematic loans in the United States, an online broker that connects them to lenders. Bad credit loans in the USA can help you get a loan, regardless of your credit history. They engage you with creditors who are willing to negotiate for the best bad credit loans.

The approval rate for bad credit loans is very high as 90% of lenders are likely to approve your loan application. Borrowers with bad credit have a better chance of getting a loan because the lenders here do not perform rigorous credit checks on them.

Advantages

  • Most loan applications are approved, including almost all of those submitted the same day
  • Easy to use and secure websites are the best
  • People with less than perfect credit are eligible to apply

The inconvenients

  • Not a direct lender
  • Only US citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents can use it.

Visit US Bad Credit Loans to learn more about Bad Credit Loans No Credit Check >>

CocoLoan

Insight

CocoLoan can help you find the best short term personal loans for people with bad credit in the industry. You can start the CocoLoan application process on their website. It’s simple and only takes a few minutes to complete on the internet. Once your loan application is approved and processed, the money will be deposited into your bank account electronically.

You can apply for a personal loan for as little as $100. If the conditions are met, you may be able to obtain a loan of up to $5,000. The length of time you have to repay the loan is flexible; somewhere between 2 and 24 months is doable.

Advantages

  • The website is easy to use and provides a wealth of useful content.
  • No stringent credit checks are performed, allowing for quick approval decisions

The inconvenients

  • There is a chance that you have to shell out more money
  • To be eligible for a loan, you must meet certain criteria

Let CocoLoan help you apply for bad credit loans online >>

American Installment Loans

Insight

American Installment Loans is a company committed to connecting borrowers with many reputable online lenders to apply and secure small amount payday loans instantly and securely. If you need urgent money to meet unexpected emergencies such as medical bills, home or car repairs, or education expenses, you can turn to US installment loans for additional help. .

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of American installment loans before you want to apply for loans on its platform.

Advantages

  • Candidates with bad credits are accepted
  • Different types of loan choices are available
  • Safe and secure to use
  • Quick approval from our cooperating lenders

The inconvenients

  • Applicants must be residents of the United States
  • Not a direct lender to fund the money directly

Apply for an Affordable Bad Loan with American Installment Loans Now >>

Loans for bad credit in UK

If you have bad credit, it can be difficult to get a loan to pay for something unexpected. But Loans for bad credit in UK will be able to quickly and easily connect you to a vast network of lenders who are ready to grant you a loan even if you have a bad credit history.

Keep in mind that some loans for people with bad credit have higher interest rates and fees than other loans. People with low credit scores are considered high risk by lenders, so they are less likely to get loans from them.

Advantages

  • Fast approval and processing
  • The approval rate is higher

The inconvenients

  • High annual percentage rate of charge in the event of late payment
  • Can perform soft credit checks

For more information on UK bad credit loans click here >>

Conclusion

Now you know the top 5 loan companies to get bad credit loans with no credit check and guaranteed approval. Whether it’s for an emergency or because you want to make improvements to the house, you don’t always need to have all the money up front. These types of loans can also be useful if you are short on time and need money quickly.

You can get approved for a bad credit loan online in as little as 10 minutes, making approval instantaneous. You can then act quickly to get the money.

It is not necessary to have perfect credit or even good credit to obtain loans without a credit check, same day payday loans, or any other type of loan; the crucial requirement is that you have a stable income or have enough resources available in your bank account to cover the loan repayments.

FAQs

1) Can online loans for bad credit improve my credit?

Yes, bad credit loans can be used to build credit, especially for those without extensive credit history. Choose a loan that fits your budget and a lender that records payments with credit bureaus.

You can get loans like installment loans, bad credit loans, and title loans, but remember to make payments on time, it can help improve your credit. Make sure payment is made on time to avoid negative reports in case of late payment.

2) Am I allowed to get a personal loan if my credit is bad?

The answer is yes! Even if your credit score isn’t great, you can still get a personal loan to meet an unexpected expense or combine other debts.

Applicants with low credit (a FICO score of 629 or less) may have to work a little harder, but it can help with quick approval without any rigorous credit checks and may attract a lower interest rate.

3) What are the disadvantages of no credit check loans for bad credit?

Loans with no credit check for bad credit have certain disadvantages, such as the risk of default, late payments and loss of collateral.

As with any type of loan, the interest rate on a fixed rate loan may be higher than what is currently available in the market. Borrowers can refinance their loans now to take advantage of today’s lower interest rates.

Medicare Advantage HMO NOT Accepted at Nursing Home? | Life

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Hello Tony:

My mom has a Medicare Advantage HMO and on August 1 she moved into a nursing home. They have a doctor who visits patients who don’t accept the HMO she has. The director of the retirement home advises me to unregister her from this plan, so that my mother can call on the doctor of the retirement home. Otherwise, they will have to ambulance her when she needs medical attention. Is there a way for her to get moving before Medicare open enrollment in October? I need to do this ASAP and put her on Original Medicare.

I have followed your column and I have never seen you address this type of problem. What do I have to do?

–Stephanie

Stephanie:

There is help for your mother and it really isn’t as hard as you think.

Typically, I write about Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) for those over 65, retiring and leaving company benefits, but there is a SEP for those moving to care facilities such as nursing homes.

The Medicare and You Handbook talks about specific SEPs for Medicare Advantage plans: “In most cases, if you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you must remain enrolled for the calendar year from the start date of your cover. However, in some situations…you may be able to join, switch, or drop out of a Medicare Advantage plan during a special enrollment period.

The following are examples of MS from the Medicare Advantage plan:

–Moved out of area

–Enrolled in Medicaid

–Qualified for “Additional Help” for prescription drugs

–Moved to an institution such as a nursing home (for which your mother qualifies) or a long-term care hospital

–Loss of creditable prescription drug coverage insurance (through your employer)

The trick to opting out of a Medicare Advantage plan when an SEP is granted is to enroll in a standalone Part D plan and be able to answer “yes” to the qualifying question: did you move into a long term care facility within 2 months, or did you leave a long term care facility within 2 months?

You will need to contact Medicare at 800-633-4227 to change the SEP and give Medicare Customer Service all of your mother’s current prescriptions. They will enroll him in the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan that will meet his needs. The Medicare representative will ask you for the date she moved into the nursing facility, and it must be within that 2 month window.

If you wait beyond the 2-month window, you will have to wait for Medicare’s annual open enrollment period, which runs from October 15 to December 7 each year.

When Medicare enrolls your mother in the new Medicare Part D plan, she will be de-enrolled from the Medicare Advantage plan and revert to original/traditional health insurance. This will take effect on the first day of the following month.

Remember that with Original Medicare, she will have a Medicare Part A (inpatient inpatient) deductible for 2022 of $1556 every 60 days or 6 times a year and a single annual Medicare Part B (medical insurance) deductible that changes every year. The Medicare Part B deductible for 2022 is $233 and once the deductible is reached, Medicare pays 80% and the Medicare beneficiary (your mother) pays 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. She may qualify for a Medicare supplement by answering health underwriting questions.

Stephanie, your mother’s Medicare Advantage HMO plan situation is why someone enrolling in Medicare should consider the various Medicare options. No one ever knows when serious illness will strike, and they may need serious medical attention.

– – –

Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare and Medicare issues. She has spent over 27 years as a sales leader in the fields. For answers to Medicare questions, email: info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-8664.

Frontline Nurses and Healthcare Professionals Pledge to Protect Public Health Care

Chelsey W. Vogt
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TORONTO, September 3, 2022 /CNW/ – With 68,000 members, the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA), from Canada the largest union of nurses, celebrates Labor Day 2022 more determined than ever to protect public health care for all Ontarians.

Ontario Nurses Association logo (CNW Group/Ontario Nurses Association)

“The current government’s unprecedented war against the very people who have dedicated their careers to caring for others has only strengthened our resolve to stand up for our patients, residents and clients,” said the ONA President. Cathryn Hoy, RN “The pandemic has brought to light the very real and devastating damage that privatization does when it creeps into the public system that all Canadians value so much.

Hoy says we’re at a turning point in Ontario and believes that the Ford government created the current crisis in the health care system in order to justify its privatization.

“The nursing shortage is a direct result not only of government neglect, but also of government policies that were undoubtedly aimed at sending nurses running for the exits,” she says. “However, as patient advocates, our commitment and solidarity have only been strengthened. We will do all we can to prevent the damage that the introduction of private profit into healthcare will cause to our patients.”

Hoy encourages Ontarians to pay attention to the province’s actions and to speak out. “We are strong and united, and we would welcome the support of the people we are committed to protecting,” she said.

The ONA is the union that represents more than 68,000 registered nurses and health professionals, and 18,000 affiliated nursing students, who provide care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, community, clinics and industry.

www.ona.org; Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; Twitter.com/OntarioNurses; instagram.com/ontario.nurses

SOURCE Ontario Nurses Association

Quote

Quote

Show original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2022/03/c7020.html

Gracedale’s rating shows signs of ‘moving in the right direction’, says nursing home

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Gracedale Nursing Home is showing signs that it is “moving in the right direction,” nursing home administrator Jennifer Stewart-King told the Northampton County Social Services Committee on Thursday.

During an August report to the committee, Stewart-King said Gracedale’s federal health and safety rating and overall rating had both increased by one point to a five-star rating. The facility was also able to increase its average number of patients per day, she said.

“Our star rating has increased to three stars and our health inspection rating has increased to four stars, which is incredible given that we have been impacted by COVID for the past two and a half years. I am very proud of my team and every member of the Gracedale team has contributed to it,” she said.

Gracedale’s average direct care hours per patient per day, or patient per day (PPD), is 2.94, according to the state’s website. Pennsylvania requires nursing homes to provide 2.7 hours of PPD.

Nursing homes, including Gracedale, have often struggled in the past to meet the state’s benchmark, County Executive Lamont McClure said in an open letter this year.

It also looks like the county-run care facility could bounce back from the staff shortages it has experienced for most of the coronavirus pandemic.

Stewart-King said recent courses to train CNAs were full and she has seen growing interest from outside agencies to provide staff members to the retirement home.

According to Stewart-King, a series of county-approved bonuses may also have thwarted a series of departures the facility has experienced, as the nursing home wants to reduce its reliance on temporary nurses.

“From what I heard, a lot of people were excited and stayed with us because of the bonus system,” she said. “I had people who were ready to retire but they wanted to stay for the next four years.”

New and current employees were approved in May to receive annual bonuses of $2,500 for the next four years.

The county council then approved a preliminary reading of a bid-seeking plan for a comprehensive review of Gracedale’s operations.

Gracedale in numbers

Number of inhabitants: 403

Max: 688

Open beds: 283

Admissions (August): 18

Waiting list : 42

Discharges: 12

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Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com Where glenn_epps_ on Twitter.

Comment: The school is where health care is provided for children. Changes to Medicaid may help

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Schools are places where health care takes place, an essential part of the country’s public health infrastructure. During COVID-19, schools across the country responded to call to action immunize students and community members and provide nutritious meals and mental health counseling services to the children – despite the closed classrooms. Even before the pandemic, schools were providing care that supports classroom learning for 14% from public school children with special health care needs, including those with chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions.

A recent JAMA Pediatrics study found that schools are “the de facto mental health systemprogram, providing services to 57% of adolescents who needed care before the pandemic. In 2019, centers for disease control and prevention found 37% of high school students reported lingering feelings of sadness or hopelessness; 19% having seriously considered suicide; and 9% having attempted suicide. And the need is even deeper now. From April to October 2021, the proportion of pediatric emergency department visits related to mental health increased by almost a third for 12-17 year olds and 24% for children 5-11 years old.

As is always the challenge of public education, the needs far outweigh the available resources. But changes to federal Medicaid payment policy have paved the way for schools to access millions of dollars to fund school nursing, behavioral health and other services in schools.

For example, in 2014 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expanded a long-standing network Politics to allow schools to be reimbursed for providing covered services to any Medicaid-eligible child. But only 17 states took advantage of this funding stream by modifying their state Medicaid plans (the document that defines the types of services and providers eligible for reimbursement) to reflect the new policy.

Michigan modified its state plan to include behavioral health analysts, school social workers, and school psychologists as covered providers, while the state legislature approved $31 million to fund behavioral health providers in schools. Since this change, there has been approximately one 6% increase in the amount of Medicaid reimbursement directed to schools. Louisiana changed its state Medicaid plan in 2015 and saw a 30% increase in Medicaid income as school nurses increased by 15%. Last year, Georgia changed its plan to allow Medicaid to pay for more school health services. Half the children of Georgia are covered by Medicaid or the state’s PeachCare system, so this change is dramatic and creates an opportunity to bring hundreds of millions of dollars to Georgia school districts to support the most vulnerable students.

More states can position themselves to take advantage of Medicaid funding for schools by clarifying and expanding the scope of school health services and providers covered in their state Medicaid plans. However, some schools face additional hurdles, such as complex billing processes. This question is addressed in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which directs federal policymakers to issue guidance, launch a help center, and release $50 million in planning grants over the next 12 months to help state Medicaid agencies and local educational entities navigate these challenges. These supports are likely to include strategies and tools to reduce billing administrative burdens, especially for rural schools, and best practices that schools and state Medicaid agencies can use to modify plans. so that the services students need and the providers who provide them become eligible for Medicaid reimbursement.

The National Collaborative for Healthy Schools 10-year roadmap for healthy schools prioritizes maximizing schools’ ability to bill Medicaid for school health services and, importantly, recognizes that when health and education officials do not collaborate, it is very difficult to achieve this objective. School nurses, district administrators, and state education officials should be prepared to work with state Medicaid agencies to take advantage of the supports the law will provide – prepare health needs data of their school communities, the types of services provided in schools (and that schools could begin to provide if reimbursed) and the types of licenses and credentials required for staff providing services in schools. State Medicaid officials can then ensure that changes to the state plan reflect the exact types of services students need and schools are able to provide.

How else can school nurses, district administrators and national education officials prepare?

  • To find states reimburse Medicaid. Share information about upcoming supports to increase access to Medicaid funds for school health services and providers.
  • Engage with the school or district Student Health Advisory Committees to gather community feedback on the health services they want to access, understand the unmet health needs of school communities, and increase awareness of the availability of Medicaid services at school.
  • Review the Community health needs assessments local hospitals to better understand the important health needs of the community and the resources available to meet those needs.
  • Make connections at the state Medicaid agency and advocate for reimbursement of school providers for specific services (e.g. counselling, personal care, case management, vaccinations) that are a priority for students.

Jury finds former nursing home worker Marion not guilty in abuse trial

Chelsey W. Vogt
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A Marion County jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all charges against a woman charged in a nursing home abuse case that went to trial last week.

Randi Noel McKinley, 33, Marion, was acquitted last Friday by the Marion County Court of Common Pleas of all charges related to a September 14, 2019 incident at Community Care and Rehabilitation (now known as Embassy de Marion) in which she and another employee of the facility were accused of unlawfully restraining a patient with dementia. McKinley admitted that she and an assistant Jennifer Williams used a gait belt to restrain the patient in a reclining medical chair to prevent him from falling.

Robert Whittington, 85, the patient who was retained, died on September 15, 2019. The coroner ruled Whittington’s death was due to natural causes and was unrelated to the incident on September 14, 2019. September 2019, when he was retained.

Following investigations by Community Care and Rehabilitation, the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Board of Nursing, and the Ohio Attorney General, prosecutors with the Attorney General’s Office requested an indictment in the case, which was granted Sept. 8. 2021, by the Marion County Grand Jury.

After the three-day trial last week in Marion County Court of Common Pleas, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on the following charges against McKinley: kidnapping, a third-degree felony; tampering with evidence, a third degree felony; and false, a fifth degree felony. She was charged with tampering with evidence for allegedly trying to delete a video of the incident and was charged with forgery for allegedly falsifying a report of the incident.

“(The not-guilty verdict) was validation not just for Randi McKinley, but it was validation for our medical professionals who sometimes have to make split-second decisions to do what they think will save a life. person and will not endanger her,” said Rocky Ratliff, McKinley’s attorney. “The state had a witness who was the director of nursing at this facility who was talking about ‘the patient’s right to fall.’ protect, not to let us down and then pick up the pieces.

“He’s not a toddler you’re teaching to walk; he’s an elderly person who is dealing with safety issues. So (Friday’s) verdict was a message from the public that our health professionals healthcare should have some leeway to do what they think is right to protect our elderly patients and people with dementia who are unfamiliar with their surroundings.”

Ratliff also pointed out that the incident was never reported to local law enforcement and that it took nearly two years before charges were filed in the case.

McKinley, who is a licensed practical nurse, now works at an assisted living facility in Marysville, Ratliff said.

“The one thing I left out in my closing argument is that when I get older and I’m in Mr. Whittington’s potential position, I really want a nurse like (McKinley) to take care of me,” Ratliff said. “I don’t want anyone to let me down and bang my head on various things, especially when I don’t know what’s going on. I would definitely entrust my care to Randi McKinley or anyone else involved in this matter. “

Williams, who was a community care and rehabilitation assistant when the incident occurred, entered into a plea deal with the Ohio attorney general to testify against McKinley. Williams was initially charged with one count of kidnapping, a third degree felony. Under the terms of the plea agreement with the Ohio Attorney General, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of attempted kidnapping, a fourth-degree felony.

Last Friday, Judge Edwards sentenced Williams to three years of “intensive” community control and a total of 80 days in jail to be served at the Marion Multi-County Correctional Facility. The judge allows Williams to serve her prison sentence on weekends so she can work on weekdays. The judge waived all court and attorney fees and imposed no fine on Williams.

Louis Schoeneman, who was a registered nurse at Community Care and Rehabilitation, was also charged in connection with the incident in September 2019. After being charged with one count of aiding and abetting kidnapping and one count of tampering with evidence , both third-degree felonies, he entered into a plea deal with the state, although he never took the stand to testify against McKinley.

Schoeneman pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing official business, a fifth degree felony. Schoeneman’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 30 before Judge Edwards.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

Wyoming Plans to Join Interstate Mental Health Care Compacts | Wyoming

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Lawmakers, seeking to alleviate the shortage of mental health professionals in Wyoming, are considering measures that would make it easier for practitioners to work across state lines.

The joint labor, health and human services committee this month considered two bills that would allow the state to join the interstate psychology and counseling pacts. By allowing professionals licensed in one compact state to practice in all compact states, proponents say the agreements would give Wyoming patients access to more counselors and psychologists, and give Wyoming providers access to larger markets.

Wyoming residents could connect virtually with a counselor in Denver, for example, or a University of Wyoming student returning home for the summer could continue treatment with a Laramie-based psychologist. Expanding mental health care options is especially appealing in a rural state where the per capita suicide rate is often the highest in the country.

Proponents of the bill say state licensing requirements can be time-consuming, costly, and ultimately discourage psychologists and counselors from going through the process. Skeptics, however, worry that joining the covenants could wrest regulatory control from the state and cost mental health professionals clients.

The nonprofit advocacy group Mental Health America ranked Wyoming last in its 2022 State of Mental Health Report due to a dangerous combination of factors: a high prevalence of mental illness and access mediocre in care.

There’s been a phantom pandemic of behavioral health issues across the country, said Julia Harris, senior policy analyst for the Health Policy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. “There have been some of the highest overdose rates that have ever occurred in this country during the pandemic. There is increasing anxiety and depression due to pandemic pressures. »

“The demand is on the rise,” said Donald Benson, a Casper-based psychologist and president of the Wyoming Psychological Association. “Part of that has been the pandemic and the stress people have been under.”

“My phone is ringing non-stop,” said Cheyenne-based counselor Lindsay Simineo. It had been a long time since she had had a place in his schedule.

“We don’t want our counselors in Wyoming to get to the point where they’re so exhausted with overwhelming need that they walk away from the profession,” Simineo said. “So this additional out-of-state workforce will be extremely important to support our current mental health workforce.”

Simineo is also lobbying on behalf of the Wyoming Councilors Association, which supports joining the council pact.

The needs exceed the supply of mental health professionals, but the two pacts offer a potential way to alleviate this stress. Plus, joining them could make Wyoming a more attractive place for specialists to live and work.

Utah has joined the psychology and counseling pacts in recent years.

Anna Lieber, a licensed clinical mental health counselor and president of the Mental Health Counselors Association of Utah, says Logan, Utah’s proximity to the Idaho border is a prime example of the benefits pacts. “Most Logan therapists must be licensed in both Idaho and Utah,” Lieber said. “Which is a financial burden.”

“With COVID, we realized we could use telehealth a little more effectively and better,” said Amanda Alkema, deputy director of substance abuse for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. “It’s really helped in our rural areas to expand that.”

She noted that Mountain West states often compete for the same workforce and that pacts allow for greater collaboration and shared expertise.

Wyoming has joined several pacts in recent years, noted Wyoming Hospital Association President Eric Boley. The pacts for doctors and nurses have proven particularly useful during the pandemic. Nurses and doctors from participating compact states were able to work in Wyoming without going through an arduous licensing process.

“We didn’t see any downside to that,” Boley said. “Everything has been really positive.”

The Wyoming Psychological Association has yet to take an official position on the pact, Benson said.

“There are absolutely people who are concerned that people in other compact states will select patients from Wyoming,” Benson said. “And it will reduce the livelihood of psychologists here.”

Additionally, some fear that states will lose regulatory control over their counselors and psychologists.

“And when it comes to the Legislative Assembly,” Boley of the Hospital Association said, “there is always a concern about oversight and who is ultimately responsible for making sure they are good practitioners, and that they adhere to all rules, regulations and guidelines.”

However, he also said earlier pacts for doctors and nurses had not resulted in substandard care. “There’s still oversight and they’re still allowed in their home country,” Boley said.

The pact is just an important step forward, said Andi Summerville, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Addiction Centers. “But we still need people on the ground in Wyoming. Telehealth is great, but it’s not a panacea.

She says the state should still focus on increasing the number of counselors living and working in Wyoming and improving salaries.

Summerville supports psychology and counseling pacts and the potential for more telehealth options.

“It’s important to recognize that this is how the country is moving in general,” Summerville said. “And without being part of the pact, it creates barriers for people to come and practice in our state.”

The Joint Labor, Health and Human Services Committee voted to move forward with the bills and formally finalize them at its next meeting.

WyoFile is an independent, nonprofit news organization focused on the people, places, and politics of Wyoming.

Nessel’s effort to help protect nursing home residents is a great idea | News, Sports, Jobs

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

We love a new initiative launched recently by State Attorney General Dana Nessel and her team to help protect nursing home patients.

What we have here is an online portal that will allow complaints to be lodged on behalf of nursing home residents, particularly in the area of ​​financial abuse.

“This portal will provide care home employees with a way to report suspected embezzlement and financial abuse,” Nessel said in a written statement. “If a facility knows that a resident has an income stream, but their patient account is in the red, it may be a warning sign that someone is misappropriating the patient’s assets. This concern can be reported through this portal directly to our team for assessment for investigation. We look forward to working collaboratively with the long-term care community to root out and prosecute any alleged abuse. »

The new portal is now live and focuses on the tenth initiative in the state’s second round of elder abuse task force initiatives. Care home administrators will provide information directly to the department’s Health Care Fraud Division for follow-up and investigation.

If applicable staff know or have reason to believe that someone is using a nursing home resident’s assets or benefits for purposes other than the care, needs and wishes of the resident, a complaint can be filed online.

The complaints system can be accessed directly through the department’s website at www.michigan.gov/ag/complaints.

Residents of retirement homes are among our most vulnerable fellow citizens, very often completely dependent on others.

Will this portal solve all the problems in this area? Of course not. But it is a step in the right direction.

— Mining Review



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More than 150 healthcare professionals work in Greene County | Guide

Chelsey W. Vogt
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CMS Releases FY2023 Final Rule to Update PPS Skilled Nursing Facilities – Status of Reform

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a final rule to update the Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for Skilled Nursing (SNF) facilities. for fiscal year 2023. Major updates include:

  • A negative parity adjustment of 2.3% to the patient-based payment model (PDPM) case distribution indices following the implementation of PDPM to maintain budget neutrality with the previous case distribution system of the RUG-IV. CMS finalized a 2-year phased introduction of the proposed 4.6% negative adjustment despite opposition from MHA, the American Hospital Association and others.
  • A net rate increase of 5.1% after the Market Basket Update and other adjustments, up from the proposed net rate increase of 4%. NFS that fail to comply with CMS’s Quality Reporting Program (QRP) requirements are subject to a 2% federal rate update reduction. Institutions should note that the 5.1% increase will be offset by the negative parity adjustment of 2.3% described above.
  • Adoption of a new quality measure in the SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) beginning in FY2024: the Influenza Vaccine Coverage Measure among Healthcare Personnel (HCP) (NQF #0431).
  • Revise the compliance date for certain measures and data reporting that have been delayed due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). Specifically, effective October 1, 2023, NFS will be required to collect data on certain Standardized Patient Assessment Data Elements (SPADE) and two new quality measures, namely:
    • Transfer of medical information to the patient
    • Transfer of medical information to the provider
  • Update to the SNF Value-Based Purchase (VBP) program, including the continued removal of the SNF 30-day all-cause readmission measure for the SNF VBP program year from fiscal year 2023 through scoring and payment adjustment purposes.
  • Added new measures to the SNF VBP program beginning with the “Skilled Nursing Facility Healthcare Associated Infections Requiring Hospitalizations” and “Total Hours per Resident Day Staffing” measures in fiscal year 2026 and the “Discharge to Community” measure in fiscal year 2027.
  • Establish a permanent policy to limit annual wage index declines to 5%.
  • Implement a small increase in the work-related portion of the federal rate from the current 70.4% to 70.8%, which will result in a small increase in payments for NFCs with a wage index above 1.0 .

The MHA will provide members with an updated impact analysis and additional details on the final rule in the near future. Members with questions should contact Vickie Kunz at MHA.

This press release was provided by the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.

Gardiner Health Care Facility will close its nursing home unit

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

HOULTON, Maine (WABI) – The Gardiner Health Care Facility in Houlton recently announced that it will be closing its nursing home unit.

The CEO of North Country Associates says this will reduce their reliance on nurses.

We are told that Gardiner Health Care will change models from a 38-bed nursing facility and a 10-bed residential care unit to a 40-bed residential care unit.

North Country Associates, based in Lewiston, operates several nursing and residential care units throughout the state.

“It’s really up to residents and their families to choose another location, but we’ll definitely help,” said Mary Jane Richards, CEO of North Country Associates. “North Country Associates has a number of facilities. Unfortunately, many of them are quite far from the Houlton community. We also spoke to the owner of Madigan Estates. This is another nursing facility in Houlton so hopefully some people will be able to go.

The nursing side of the healthcare facility is expected to close by October 30.

They will then begin the renovation process for the expansion of the residential care unit.

They say that with the number of workforce development programs the state is investing in for the healthcare workforce, there is a chance they could reopen the nursing side in the future. .

Copyright 2022 WABI. All rights reserved.

CMS Releases FY2023 Final Rule to Update PPS Skilled Nursing Facilities – MHA

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a final rule to update the Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for Skilled Nursing (SNF) facilities. for fiscal year 2023. Major updates include:

  • A negative parity adjustment of 2.3% to the patient-based payment model (PDPM) case distribution indices following the implementation of PDPM to maintain budget neutrality with the previous case distribution system of the RUG-IV. CMS finalized a 2-year phase-in of the proposed 4.6% negative adjustment despite opposition from the MHA, American Hospital Association and others.
  • A net rate increase of 5.1% after the market basket update and other adjustments, up from the proposed net rate increase of 4%. NFS that fail to comply with CMS’s Quality Reporting Program (QRP) requirements are subject to a 2% federal rate update reduction. Institutions should note that the 5.1% increase will be offset by the negative parity adjustment of 2.3% described above.
  • Adoption of a new quality measure in the SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) beginning in FY2024: the Influenza Vaccine Coverage Measure among Healthcare Personnel (HCP) (NQF #0431).
  • Revise the compliance date for certain measures and data reporting that have been delayed due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). Specifically, effective October 1, 2023, NFS will be required to collect data on certain Standardized Patient Assessment Data Elements (SPADE) and two new quality measures, namely:
    • Transfer of medical information to the patient
    • Transfer of medical information to the provider
  • Update to the SNF Value-Based Purchase (VBP) program, including the continued removal of the SNF 30-day all-cause readmission measure for the SNF VBP program year from fiscal year 2023 through scoring and payment adjustment purposes.
  • Added new metrics to the SNF VBP program beginning with the “Skilled Nursing Facility Healthcare Associated Infections Requiring Hospitalizations” and “Total Hours per Resident Day Staffing” metrics in fiscal year 2026 and the “Discharge to Community” metric in fiscal year 2027.
  • Establish a permanent policy to limit annual declines in the wage index to 5%.
  • Implement a small increase in the work-related portion of the federal rate from the current 70.4% to 70.8%, which will result in a small increase in payments for NFCs with a wage index above 1.0 .

The MHA will provide members with an updated impact analysis and additional details on the final rule in the near future. Members with questions should contact Vickie Kunz at MHA.

Family of healthcare worker who drowned on Facebook Live raises over $50,000 to bring body back to Kenya

Chelsey W. Vogt
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The family of a woman who drowned in a swimming pool while streaming live on Facebook have received the money needed to bring her body back to her native Kenya.

Hellen Wendy Nyabuto, a healthcare worker in Toronto, Canada, was the only breadwinner in the African country, according to her relatives. Her father, a smallholder farmer in Kisii, southwestern Kenya, said Hellen would send money to cover school fees for his younger siblings back home. She died on August 18 while struggling to stay above water in a hotel swimming pool.

“She helped me financially to educate her brothers and sisters, especially in terms of school fees and other expenses. I’m stuck now and back to square one. I wonder how his younger siblings are going to continue their education,” Nyabuto John Kiyondi Told CNN.

Hellen Wendy Nyabuto died in a hotel pool in Toronto, Canada on August 18, 2022, while livestreaming on Facebook. (Photo: GoFundMe)

The family set up an online fundraising account to raise $50,000 Canadian, or about $38,000 US, to cover repatriation and funeral costs so Wendy can be buried where she was born, according to tradition. . As of August 24, the family has raised nearly $52,000 Canadian or $40,000 US.

“I will not feel comfortable, psychologically, if my daughter is buried away from Kenya,” Kiyondi said.

Hellen’s younger brother, with whom she lived in Toronto, said she was “full of life” and had a warm smile and a lovely heart. Hellen worked part-time as a personal support worker and studied nursing at Peak College, according to reports. She emigrated to Canada in 2018. The 24-year-old smiled, swam and interacted with viewers on Facebook in the video which was later deleted, reports the Toronto Star.

“Everyone who met Wendy was in high spirits,” wrote Enock, one of the woman’s five siblings.

The Star reports that the video shows the woman spending three minutes frolicking in the shallow end of the pool at the Key Motel, where she was a guest. Hellen then moved to the bottom of the pool, where she began to thrash frantically. She disappeared from frame but could be heard calling for help. The newspaper, which viewed the video before it was removed from Facebook, reports that the pool was quiet and empty for hours until other motel guests discovered her body.

“I watched this video. I cried. It’s terrible,” her father said.

Family friend Alfonce Nyamwaya said Hellen “was a superhero in Canada” who worked with the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“She worked with seniors until the end,” he said. said. “She really had a passion for it.”

What you need to know about student loan consolidation

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

Our goal at Credible Operations, Inc., NMLS Number 1681276, hereafter referred to as “Credible”, is to give you the tools and confidence you need to improve your finances. Although we promote the products of our partner lenders who pay us for our services, all opinions are our own.

Interested in consolidating your private or federal student loans? Discover the advantages and disadvantages of this financial operation. (Shutterstock)

Student loan consolidation is the combining of multiple student loans into one loan. When you apply for student loan consolidation, you receive a new interest rate. If the rate is lower than your original average interest rate, you can save money.

Two types of student loan consolidation are possible: direct consolidation loans for federal loans and a private refinance loan (which combines federal loans, private loans, or a combination of the two into a single private loan).

Keep reading to learn more about how student loan consolidation works for federal and private student loans.

Consolidating private student loans is also called refinancing. You can learn more about refinancing student loans by visiting Credible and comparing rates from several private student lenders.

How to Consolidate Federal Student Loans

If you have multiple federal student loans, you can consolidate them into a new federal student loan called a direct consolidation loan.

Here are the steps you will typically need to take to consolidate federal student loans:

  1. Choose the loans you want to consolidate. You may decide not to consolidate all of your federal student loans. Choose the ones you want to consolidate before applying.
  2. Complete the Federal Direct Consolidation Loan Application and Promissory Note. By completing this free application, you confirm the loans you wish to consolidate and agree to repay the new direct consolidation loan.
  3. Make payments. Once you complete the consolidation process, you will only have one loan payment to make each month instead of several.

Federal consolidation student loans is quite simple and quick. You need to complete the whole process in one online session, which usually takes less than 30 minutes.

Requirements to Consolidate Federal Student Loans

You must meet certain requirements if you wish to consolidate your federal student loans, such as:

  • The loans you consolidate must be federal student loans.
  • Loans must be in repayment or in grace period.
  • If you have an existing consolidation loan, you must include an additional eligible loan in the consolidation (some exceptions apply).
  • If the loan is in default, you must make satisfactory repayment arrangements (three consecutive monthly installments) or agree to repay your new direct consolidation loan under certain repayment plans.
  • A wage garnishment order should be lifted, if it is in place for a delinquent loan.

When Should You Consider Consolidating Federal Student Loans

One of the main advantages of consolidating federal student loans is to simplify the repayment process. When you consolidate multiple loans into one loan, you only have to make one payment per month and can easily see how much you owe in total.

But consolidation is not always the most logical. It should be noted that if you have outstanding interest on existing federal student loans, when you consolidate them, that interest will be added to your balance and may increase. Keep in mind that you can also lose your progress towards canceling your student loan if you made payments under an income-driven repayment plan.

Consolidating federal loans into private loans means losing access to federal benefits, like student loan forgiveness programs and income-based repayment plans, so it’s important to carefully consider your options if you decide to consolidate federal loans into private loans.

Whether or not to consolidate federal student loans depends on your preferences and financial goals.

If you decide to refinance, you can easily compare prequalified rates from several lenders using Credible.

How to consolidate private student loans (also called refinance)

You cannot consolidate private student loans with a federal direct consolidation loan – but many private student loan issuers offer consolidation, which is often called refinancing. Here are the steps you’ll typically take to consolidate private student loans (or a mix of federal and private loans or only federal loans):

  1. Review your credit score. If your credit score is higher than when you originally applied for your private student loans, you may qualify for a better interest rate, which can save you money on interest payments.
  2. Compare the prices. Check out a few different lenders to see who can offer you the best rates. The lower the interest rate you get, the more money you can save. You can prequalify with a soft credit check to get an idea of ​​the types of rates you qualify for.
  3. Choose terms. Chances are, you can choose between several different repayment terms. The longer terms you choose, the lower your monthly payments will be, but the more interest you will pay.
  4. Gather the required documents. With private student loan consolidation, you will typically need to submit supporting documents to complete the application process, such as tax forms, pay stubs, or W-2 forms. You will also need to provide a repayment statement that tells the lender exactly how much of your current loan balance the new loan will need to repay.
  5. Submit your application. Apply for the loan you have chosen and wait to hear from the lender. If you are approved, the lender will pay off your existing student loans. But be sure to keep making payments on your loans until you get confirmation that they’ve been paid in full.

Requirements to Consolidate Private Student Loans

Private lenders have different consolidation requirements than the federal government. Although all lenders have unique requirements, you may encounter the following issues:

  • Have a certain credit score
  • Apply with a co-signer if your credit score is low
  • Provide supporting documents
  • earn some income

When Should You Consider Consolidating Your Private Student Loans

Consolidating private student loans can make a lot of sense if you can get a lower interest rate. This way you can streamline the repayment process (which is very useful if you have loans from multiple private lenders) and potentially save money on interest.

If you think of refinancing federal loans into a private loan, it is possible but not always the best decision to make. Remember that you lose access to federal benefits when you do this.

Carefully compare all your options and do your research to make sure private student loan consolidation is right for your unique situation.

To start refinancing your student loans, visit Credible and compare prequalified rates from several lenders.

Pressure Ulcer and Nursing Home Assessments

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

The beginning of a pressure ulcer

Before diving into the study, let me say a few words about bed sores, or as we call them in the trade, pressure ulcers. These occur in individuals who are increasingly less mobile. This may be due to a stroke, muscle loss associated with aging (sarcopenia), or being overweight. Pressure ulcers are a problem of debilitated people, and they require care to prevent and treat these sores.

Wounds are formed due to the constant pressure from the bony parts of the body and the bed – the pressure leads to a decrease in blood flow, which in turn causes death and infection of local tissues. The swelling associated with the infection can expand the wound further reducing blood flow. Two other factors favor bedsores, the frictional and shearing forces of the movement of the body against the mattress. There is a grading system for these ulcers as they redden the skin (stage 1) to erode through the skin into the underlying soft tissue and eventually expose muscle or bone (stage 4). Pressure ulcers are not pretty in these later stages.

Pressure ulcer risk and management can be mitigated by reducing mattress impact, using air or water mattresses to distribute body pressure; and by supernormal oxygen levels, to increase the oxygen reaching these tissues, delivered by placing the patient in a hyperbaric chamber – such as those used for SCUBA divers with elbows.

But because the main driver of pressure ulcers is immobility, turning and repositioning patients is the mainstay of prevention and care – needed every 2-3 hours, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. [1] This requires not only coordination but one, or more frequently, two nurses or orderlies; it is labor intensive and in some ways the canary in the coal mine of quality care nursing homes.

The study and its results

The researchers used data on patients admitted to a nursing home between 2011 and 2017. Whether admitted for a short or long stay, these patients must undergo a “present on admission” examination, including the presence and the extent of the bedsores. Minimum Data Set (MDS) exams are repeated quarterly and upon discharge. The patients’ subsequent hospitalization records, which recorded the presence or absence of pressure ulcers during hospitalization while residing in a nursing home, were linked to their MDS. Hospital claims also indicated whether pressure ulcer was the primary reason for admission or a secondary diagnosis – a comorbidity not necessarily related to the need for hospitalization. Based on approximately 400,000 hospital admissions and 60,000 related nursing home admissions:

  • 75% of primary pressure ulcers were reported and 70% were classified as stage 1 by hospital diagnosis
  • 52% of secondary pressure ulcers were reported and 46% were classified in 1 stage of hospital diagnosis
  • Primary ulcers were more severe than secondary ulcers, and “reporting increased significantly with higher stages.”
  • For primary pressure ulcers, 22% were not reported by nursing homes to the CMS; this percentage doubled to 45% taking secondary pressure ulcers into account.

In 2014, the best nursing homes (on a quintile basis) had 0.4 pressure ulcers per 100 residents; the worst was 3.2 pressure ulcers per 100 population. Despite the 8x difference in results, 75% of the best nursing homes had 4 or 5 stars for quality, while the worst had 65% with 4 or 5 stars. As the researchers write, “…correlation coefficients between claims-based pressure ulcer rates and NHC 5-star ratings were extremely low.” This showed a slight tangible improvement in 2017. A closer look at the criteria for nursing home quality stars is instructive. The stars are based on an inspection of the hospital’s condition, its workforce, and 11 of 18 outcome measures publicly reported by CMS on Nursing Home Compare. In the words of CMS, “the heart of the overall score is the health inspection score” raised or lowered based on staffing and these actual results.

Here is the conclusion of the researchers.

“…a high star rating did not inform the risk of developing a pressure sore in a care home that was later diagnosed by a hospital. … the risk of developing a serious pressure sore in a care home does not could not be gleaned from publicly published ratings.

When you self-report poor results, especially when coupled with financial penalties, it’s tempting to under-report issues. We see it, especially with those early stages of pressure sores, reddened skin, where only 12% are reported. As the pressure ulcer worsens, the accuracy of reporting improves, until, in the presence of exposed muscle and bone, 88% is reported. The authors suggest additional penalties for misrepresentation, but who should be the arbiter in matching nursing home reviews to hospital reviews?

This is an example of how incentives and disincentives moderate our performance. In this case, not in the desired direction. Before adding another punitive layer of financial penalties for under-reporting, we could reweight the criteria for these CMS stars. Or perhaps we should look for better ways to inform families faced with the decision to place a family member in a nursing home. Perhaps we should recognize that closeness to family can trump “quality” and that in many cases the choice of nursing home depends on the hospital and where a bed is. currently available; when we talk about health care, we are all patients, not consumers.

[1] I remember working in a community hospital where a bell rang every two hours, much like the class change bell in high school, to remind nurses to reposition their patients.

Source: Accuracy of Pressure Ulcer Events in US Nursing Home Assessments DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001763

St. Catharines MPP urges province to address health care with focus on hiring and retaining nurses

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

Photo credit: Facebook by Jennie Stevens

Jennie Stevens says the Ford government should focus less on private clinic surgeries and more on hiring and retaining nurses.

St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens is sounding the alarm on health care in Ontario.

Stevens says that in recent days, several patients at Juravinski Hospital have had their procedures canceled at the last minute due to a lack of beds, including one person who waited three hours at the hospital to have stomach cancer removed. suspected ovary.

She calls on the Ford government to help eliminate the surgical backlog by recruiting, hiring and retaining nurses instead of pushing for private clinics.

“Doug Ford’s agenda to expand the use of private, for-profit clinics will suck resources from a public health care system that is already short by thousands of nurses and support workers,” Stevens said. “Women like my constituent, women with ovarian cancer — who need surgery in the hospital — will wait longer and live in fear longer. I urge the government to invest what is needed to eliminate the surgical backlog and fix our public health care system by taking steps like recruiting, hiring, training and retaining nurses.

Last week, Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced details of a plan to ease pressures on healthcare by funding more surgeries at private clinics and waiving fees for examinations and medical procedures. registration for internationally educated nurses.

More local news

NMC approves children’s nursing course at new Peterborough University

Chelsey W. Vogt
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A children’s nursing degree program has become the latest to be given the green light to take place at a new university which will open in Peterborough next month.

The pre-registration program adds to a list of health and care courses to be offered at the new Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) Peterborough, including adult nursing, midwifery and public health, during its opening to students in September.

“We can provide a local route to qualification and employment for people who wish to work as pediatric nurses”

Ross Renton

ARU Peterborough is a partnership between Anglia Ruskin University, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and Peterborough City Council, and includes purpose-built nursing skills labs and simulation areas.

Work has been underway since 2020 to prepare several courses in the incoming higher education institution.

The university announced this month that it has now received approval from the Board of Nursing and Midwifery to offer a pre-registration degree program in children’s nursing.

Dr Esther Norton, Deputy Director responsible for health courses at the new university, said: “I am delighted that our hardworking team has managed to achieve this important milestone.

“We have benefited greatly from the continued support of [Anglia Ruskin University]who have a long and successful track record of delivering health courses in the east of England.

She added, “The nursing profession is truly a job for life and our graduates, 100% of whom are employed within six months of graduation, are in high demand and go on to fulfilling careers in a variety of fields.”

Meanwhile, Professor Ross Renton, Director of ARU Peterborough, added: “The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s endorsement of the Nursing for Children degree means we can provide a local route to qualification and employment. for people who want to work as pediatric nurses.”

He explained that the new university was “established with the aim of increasing opportunities for young people in and around the city, which has long been a ‘cold spot’ for higher education”.

🌱 Broadmoor homicide and care home evacuation sites still insufficient

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

Hello, neighbors! Shannon Denney here with your new copy of the New Orleans Daily, full of everything you need to know about what’s happening in town. Let’s dive right into it…

First, today’s weather forecast:

Cloudy, showers and a thunderstorm. High: 83 Low: 76.

Here are the top stories in New Orleans today:

  1. A man was found dead at the scene on Monday when police arrived at a residence in Broadmoor on General Taylor Street. The man has not yet been identified, but an investigation has begun to try to obtain details of a cause of death, which has been ruled a homicide. (WGNO New Orleans)
  2. Despite the utter disaster that the elderly faced when nursing home residents were evacuated to poor facilities last year during Hurricane Ida, it appears that more than a dozen nursing homes across NOLA are set to evacuate to locations that have failed state inspections. (Louisiana Weekly)
  3. A On Friday, a staff member at New Orleans Charter Math and Science High School tested positive for Monkeypox. The staff member arrived at the school last Monday but was evacuated from the school clinic when he began to have symptoms. The staff member tested positive later in the week and the school notified parents on Sunday. (WDSU New Orleans)

Today in New Orleans:

  • Day of the week High Flow Yoga at the Hotel Pierre et Paul (7:00 a.m.)
  • Free Hurricane Preparedness Workshop in Spanish (6:00 p.m.)
  • Bounce Ya Brass Workout Class at Crescent Park (5:45 p.m.)

From my notebook:

  • NOMA opened a new photography exhibition showcasing the work of Polo Silk, who is well known for his incredible career chronicling black life and culture in New Orleans. (Louisiana Weekly)
  • The Regional Transport Authority rolls out a new application, Le Pass, which will help navigate buses, trams and the app itself. They’re having an open house at Duncan Plaza from 6-11am if you have any questions about the new system! (Regional Transport Authority via Facebook)
  • OZ, Cafe’ Lafitte in Exile & Louisiana Department of Health are hosting a ‘vaxxtravaganza’ block party in preparation for Southern Decadence this Wednesday, August 24 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Bourbon Street for the Monkeypox Vaccine. (New Orleans Department of Health via Facebook)

More from our sponsors – please support the local news!

Events:

Thanks for following and staying informed! See you soon.

— Shannon Deney

Do you have a news tip or a suggestion for an upcoming New Orleans Daily? Contact me at neworleans@patch.com

5 types of bad loans

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

Our goal at Credible Operations, Inc., NMLS Number 1681276, hereafter referred to as “Credible”, is to give you the tools and confidence you need to improve your finances. Although we promote the products of our partner lenders who pay us for our services, all opinions are our own.

If you have bad credit, it is still possible to qualify for a loan. Learn about the types of bad credit loans and which ones you should avoid. (Shutterstock)

Emergencies don’t just happen when your credit is in great shape. If you have bad credit and need to borrow money for an unexpected expense, it is possible to get loan approval.

If you have bad credit, you’ll need to research lender options to avoid predatory lending, but it’s possible to find the financing you need. Here are five types of bad credit loans you should know about.

Unsecured Personal Loans

An unsecured personal loan is funding that you receive in a lump sum and then make fixed monthly payments over a set period of time. Since they don’t require collateral, you don’t have to put your personal assets at risk when you take out an unsecured loan.

You can use the funds from an unsecured loan for many purposes, including debt consolidationhome improvement projects or other major expenses.

Unsecured loans can be a little harder to get if you have a poor credit history, but many lenders work specifically with bad borrowers. Keep in mind that unsecured loans often have higher interest rates than secured loans, especially if you have a lower credit score.

Visit Credible for view your prequalified personal loan rates from various lenders, all in one place.

Secured Personal Loans

A secured personal loan requires you to provide an asset as collateral for the loan, such as a car, house, or savings account. If you can’t repay the loan, the lender keeps the property to pay off the debt.

Since secure personal loans are backed by collateral, they usually have lower interest rates because they pose less risk to the lender.

Home Equity Loans or HELOCs

If you own a home, you can use the equity in your home to take out a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit (HELOC).

A home equity loan works like a personal loan, except the lender uses equity (the difference between the value of the property and what you owe on a mortgage) to determine how much you can borrow. You usually can’t borrow more than 80% of your home’s equity, and your home serves as collateral for the loan. You will need to make payments on your home equity loan in addition to your regular mortgage payments. If you fail to repay the loan, you risk foreclosure.

A home equity line of credit also uses your home as collateral, but it works a bit more like a credit card. The lender uses the equity in your home to determine a spending limit. You have repeated access to this line of credit during the payment period, also known as the drawdown period. You can borrow against the available credit as often as you want as long as you repay it. During the repayment period, you cannot borrow from the line of credit.

2022 HOME LOAN AND HELOC REQUIREMENTS

Car title loans

A car title loan is like a secured loan, but the interest rates and fees are usually much higher. When you take out a title loan, you give the title to your car to the lender. If you are unable to repay the loan, the lender can repossess your vehicle.

Car title loans are generally much more expensive than traditional loans and come with a higher risk of default. Car title loans have a shorter repayment period, usually 30 days, which makes repayment more difficult. The lender will charge a fee if you extend the loan over another repayment period, which can make paying off the loan even more difficult.

You should avoid car title loans because they have high interest rates and often create a cycle of debt that is hard to escape. Plus, a car title loan won’t show up on your credit reports, so any one-time payments you make won’t benefit your score.

Payday loans

Payday loans get their name from the way they work. Payday lenders offer small loans, usually $500 or less, that must be paid off by your next payday (including fees).

Payday loans have extremely high fees and interest rates that equate to an annual percentage rate (APR) of over 400%, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). While payday lenders often allow you to defer your loan to a new repayment cycle, the lender usually charges an additional fee for this. If you don’t repay that loan quickly, you may find yourself on the spot, unable to pay off the debt faster than it accumulates.

Like car title loans, payday loans won’t show up on your credit report (unless you pay off your loan), so making payments on time won’t benefit your credit score.

PAYDAY LOAN VS. PERSONAL LOAN: WHAT IS THE BEST OPTION?

How to get a loan for bad credit

If you need money and your credit is poor, follow these three steps to find a Personal loan that meets your needs:

  1. Check your credit report. Equifax recently reported an error that potentially lowered the credit scores of thousands of borrowers between March and April. If your credit score seems low, be sure to check your report to determine if there are any errors.
  2. Compare rates from multiple lenders. Use an online tool, like Credible, to compare personal loan rates and terms from multiple lenders in one place. You can find pre-approved rates without affecting your credit score. Review the loan amounts, repayment terms, interest rates, fees, and financing terms of each lender.
  3. Complete the application. Once you have decided on the lender that best suits your needs, you will complete an application. You will need to provide information including your social security number, address, and proof of income. If you are approved for the loan, your lender will have you sign an agreement to accept the loan before depositing the funds into your bank account.

If you’re having trouble finding a lender, here are some things you can focus on to improve your credit score (and your chances of loan approval):

  • Pay off your credit card balances to reduce your credit usage.
  • Catch up on late payments and make all future payments on time.
  • Increase your income by accepting a part-time job or starting a side business.
  • Find a co-signer with good credit to help you land a lower interest rate.

If you’re ready to apply for a personal loan, Credible makes it quick and easy compare personal loan rates to find the right one for your financial situation.

What is Payday Loan Consolidation? – Forbes Advisor

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Editorial Note: We earn a commission on partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect the opinions or ratings of our editors.

Payday loans can give you a quick cash injection to keep you going if you’re in dire straits, but you don’t want to rely exclusively on them or you might run into problems later.

For example, if you’ve taken out a payday loan, you probably know how harmful it can be. The fees are equivalent to APRs as high as 400% APR. That’s more than 10 times higher than the 36% rate cap that consumer advocacy groups define as the upper limit of what’s affordable.

Although payday loans usually last for two weeks, many people turn them into a new loan if they are unable to repay it, creating a debt trap. If you’re in a similar situation, consider payday loan consolidation, which lets you take out debt at a lower cost, like a personal loan, and use it to pay off your higher-interest debt. It can help you save money, pay off debt faster, and build your credit.

How does payday loan consolidation work?

The principle of personal loan consolidation is the same as for any debt consolidation: you take out a new loan, ideally at a lower rate, and you use it to pay off your existing debt. Many debt consolidation lenders automatically pay off your debt once you are approved. If your desired lender does not offer this feature, you will need to repay your payday loan once you receive the funds.

For example, if you borrow $100 and renew it for an entire year, you can expect to pay $350 in finance charges, more than three times what you originally borrowed. Compare that to a personal loan with a 36% interest rate, and the one-year finance charge is only $20 to $330 less than the cost of the payday loan.

How to consolidate payday loans

Follow these steps to consolidate your payday loans:

  1. Account for your payday loans. Many people have multiple payday loans at once. If this is your case, add the balances of all your loans to get a total amount. This is the amount you will need to request, in addition to any origination fees your new lender may charge.
  2. Check your credit. People often choose payday loans because these lenders don’t check your credit. However, your new lender will consider your credit during the application process. Be sure to check your credit score before applying.
  3. Compare the prices. Check your rate with as many lenders as possible. Most lenders offer a pre-qualification process, which has no impact on your credit and allows you to see what terms you might qualify for when you apply.
  4. Apply for a loan. Choose the lowest loan rate and submit your application online or in person. Your new lender may repay your payday loans automatically, but if they don’t, be sure to submit your payment immediately.
  5. Sign up for automatic payment. The most important part is paying on time or in advance. Signing up for autopay will help you never miss a payment and grow your credit over time.

Can Payday Loan Consolidation Hurt My Credit?

Payday loan consolidation can both damage and improve your score over time. At first, you will likely see a small drop in your credit score. This is normal, as lenders perform a rigorous credit check when you complete a full loan application. The good news is that this drop in credit score is temporary.

If you make late payments, especially if you fail to repay the loan, it will usually have a long-lasting negative impact on your credit score. If you make all your payments on time, however, the opposite is true. You will typically see your credit score increase over time, as your payment history accounts for 35% of your FICO score.

This is the great advantage of using a personal loan to consolidate payday loan debt. You can build up credit so that the next time you need to borrow money, you can do it cheaply.

Alternatives to Payday Loan Consolidation

Personal loans are a great way to consolidate your payday loan debt, but it’s not an option for everyone. If that’s not in the cards for you, there are other options, including:

  • Mutual aid. Community groups and your support network may be willing to step in and help you get rid of that monkey on your back. A good resource is 211.org for personalized assistance in finding local options available to you.
  • Credit advice. The National Credit Counseling Foundation also offers affordable or even free personalized assistance to get your finances back on track, whether through budgeting assistance, debt management plans and more.
  • Extended repayment plans. Sixteen states require payday lenders to offer extended payment plans at no cost if you are unable to repay your payday loan in full at the end of the two-week period. But they’re not widely advertised, so most borrowers don’t know they’re available. Instead, they opt for the more expensive option of rolling over the loan into a new two-week payday loan.

Compare personal loan rates from top lenders

Compare personal loan rates in 2 minutes with Credible.com

Health Tech Company Donates $20,000 to Celebrate 20th Anniversary | New

Chelsey W. Vogt
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FAIRMONT — A Company Fairmont has taken the company’s anniversary celebration to a whole new level.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the leaders of Healthcare Management Solutions LLC decided to donate $1,000 to 20 different nonprofit organizations in North Central West Virginia, many of which are in Marion County, for a total of $20,000.

“We are proud to share some of the fruits of our 20 years of success with 20 deserving nonprofits,” HMS President Leah Heimbach said in a press release. “These charitable donations not only amplify the spirit of our work to protect vulnerable populations, but they also help make our local communities safer, stronger and healthier.”

Here is a list of the 20 organizations selected to receive donations.

Milan Puskar Health Right / Friendship House, Morgantown, which offers peer-to-peer recovery programs for people living with substance use disorder and other mental health issues. Health Right also funds and operates Friendship Fairmont at the corner of Locust and Cleveland Avenues.

Health Access Inc., of Clarksburg, works to eliminate disparities for those who do not have access to basic health care. They help residents of Harrison and Doddridge counties get primary and specialty care, prescription drugs, cancer screenings, vision care, dental care, and more, all for free.

The Disability Action Center, Fairmont, is a comprehensive education, training and enrichment center for more than 450 children and adults with disabilities and their families in North Central West Virginia.

Marion County Humane Society, of Fairmont, is a non-kill, non-profit animal welfare organization that provides care to more than 5,000 animals annually.

Hope Inc. Domestic Violence Center, of Fairmont, provides resources and services for domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, harassment and human tracking victims in Marion, Harrison, Doddridge counties, Gilmer and Lewis, keeping them safe, encouraging self-sufficiency, and promoting lives free from violence.

CASA of Marion County, which is based in Fairmont, advocates, educates and promotes the well-being of Marion County children who have been abused and neglected, harnessing the talents of community volunteers who ensure that children benefit from secure and permanent housing.

Pet Helpers Inc., of Fairmont, is an all-volunteer non-profit foster network for homeless pets waiting for forever homes. In the absence of facilities or paid staff, all funds are spent on veterinary care, food and medicine for the animals.

Soup Opera, of Fairmont, serves a daily meal seven days a week, 365 days a year, to more than 100 people in need daily in and around Marion County. Sobrania Inc./Soup Opera also provides hygiene and shower products, clothing, blankets, dishes and more depending on availability.

Stepping Stone Inc., of Fairmont, is a community treatment facility that serves adolescent males ages 14-17 and transitioning adult males ages 18-21, who are in the care of the Department of Health and West Virginia Human Resources, are victims of abuse or neglect and/or have resigned from higher level treatment or out-of-state placement, and exhibit disruptive behaviors and emotional distress. The program teaches residents to respect themselves, their community, their parents, the police, officials, adults and their peers.

Tygart Valley United Way, which has offices in Fairmont and Elkins, provides funding to several nonprofit organizations in a five-county region that improve the lives of others. This year, United Way is focusing on families who are employed but ineligible for any type of state or federal assistance, but simply cannot make it.

The Op Shop, by Fairmont, is a nonprofit, community-based rehabilitation program that creates opportunities for adults with disabilities in sheltered or competitive employment. Services include independent living skills, life skills training, job placement, job coaching, work adjustment and supported employment.

Pressley Ridge, of Morgantown, provides families and individuals with support and hope, through fostering and adoption assistance, community and home services, outpatient services, special education, autism services, residential services and transitional age services.

March of Dimes, of Arlington, Va., has been fighting for the health of mothers and babies for 80 years, supporting research, leading programs and providing education and advocacy so that every family can have the best possible start.

WV Rescues Ministries/Union Mission, of Fairmont, provides physical and spiritual services to those in need in West Virginia through a Men’s Shelter, Women’s and Children’s Shelter, Family Shelter, From a soup kitchen, thrift store and lounge, no one is turned away and everyone has access to hot meals and shelter.

Connecting Link, by Fairmont, responds to the immediate needs of people in crisis and helps locate resources for residents of North Central West Virginia, including assistance with utility termination, prescriptions, transport, eviction and the first month’s rent.

Genesis Youth Crisis Center in Clarksburg provides a safe, temporary place for children to stay until permanent placement arrangements can be made.

The Bi-County Nutrition Program, with offices in Nutter Fort, Salem and Shinnston, provides congregate and home-delivered meals, nutrition education and referrals for people 60 and older, their spouses and dependent children disabled.

WV Coalition to End Homelessness, of Bridgeport, assists agencies and communities in West Virginia where homelessness is a widespread or hidden issue, to ensure that no child, veteran, or family becomes homeless first venue. Housing people is the only way to end homelessness.

The Clarksburg Mission Community provides comfort, comfort and resources to those in need, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, food, assistance, and more.

Clarksburg Mustard Seed is a food pantry that serves community members with free food, clothing, cleaning and hygiene items, and household items. The pantry also accepts donations for those in need.

HMS uses a blend of healthcare and technology expertise to create cost-effective solutions that federal and state agencies and our private sector partners need to ensure residents of nursing homes and other facilities health care professionals receive the best possible care, no matter where in the United States.

Warren nursing home cases drop to zero | News, Sports, Jobs

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Warren’s nursing home, which had 55 COVID-19 cases last week, dropped to zero this week, according to the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.

The Community Skilled Health Care Center nursing home on Mahoning Avenue recorded 25 patient cases and 30 staff cases last week, but has none left.

Another Trumbull County facility, the Liberty Health Care Center Nursing Home in Liberty, had 12 patient cases and no staff cases last week, but has no cases of either type. this week.

The highest number of cases among any facility in Trumbull County this week is four.

In Mahoning County, meanwhile, three nursing homes have six or more cases. The highest number of cases are at the Windsor House Omni Manor care home in Youngstown, which has six patient cases and seven staff cases. There were 15 patient cases and six staff cases last week, according to ODH data. Another facility has one patient case and five staff cases; the other has three patient cases and four staff cases.

Columbiana County COVID-19 cases continue to be zero or near zero.

The number of reported COVID-19 patient cases in long-term care facilities statewide fell by 159 cases this week — from 1,183 last week to 1,024 this week. The number of staff cases fell by 211 cases this week – from 1,274 last week to 1,063 this week.

Among the three counties, the number of deaths associated with long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities did not increase this week. There are still 312 in Mahoning County, 192 in Trumbull County and 94 in Columbiana County, as of last week.

Statewide, the number of deaths associated with long-term care facilities increased by 25 over the past week – from 9,158 last week to 9,183 this week, according to the ODH.

The number of deaths in Mahoning County in long-term care facilities increased by one over the past month, but the number of cases in the other two counties did not increase over the past month.

Among prisons in the region, the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown currently has 14 staff cases of COVID-19 and two inmate cases. Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown has no cases of either type and Trumbull Correctional Facility has three staff cases and no inmate cases.

There are 62 staff cases among all Ohio prisons this week and 36 inmate cases.



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IMPACT: Campbellford, Quinte hospitals manage diagnoses of more patients, healthcare staff shortages

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) CEO Eric Hanna said the hospital would like to hire more part-time registered nurses (RNs) to work in the emergency department. Pictured is Jen Woods, a registered nurse, who has worked at CMH since 2013.

Every two weeks, Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) in Trent Hills is on the verge of having to close its emergency department (ED).

With the shortage of healthcare personnel across the sector, it is not easy or always possible to staff the emergency department at Campbellford Hospital. The CMH closed the emergency department at the end of 2021 from December 24 at 5 p.m. to December 25 at 7:30 a.m. due to a shortage of nurses.

Although the hospital’s emergency room hasn’t been closed since, CMH is often in a precarious position these days when it comes to keeping the doors open, CMH CEO Eric Hanna said at Brighton Independent.

“All healthcare professionals are in high demand and in short supply,” Hanna said, noting that this is not a situation unique to CMH.

“But we are doing everything we can to prevent an ED shutdown from happening. We have plans in place in case a closure is necessary as well as excellent local partners in both emergency medical services and nearby hospitals to ensure the impact on patient care is minimal.

One of the problems with small hospitals like Campbellford is that one or two healthcare workers miss a given shift, which can lead to closure, the CEO said.

“We would love to hire more part-time RNs who have the skills to work in the emergency department.

Over the past few months, more than 50 people a day have sought care at the Campbellford emergency room, peaking at more than 70 people a day over the May long weekend. This represents an increase of more than 25% in emergency room visits for the 34-bed rural hospital.

“The increase in ER visits on holiday weekends is nothing new, nor is it a busy day here and there, especially in the summer, but what has been different over the past few months is is how busy it gets almost every day,” said Dr. Eshay Elia, ED Chief and Acting Chief of Staff.

“We certainly don’t want to discourage people from going to the ER if they need to, but we do encourage those who have other options, like their family doctor, to consider them first for non-emergency issues.” , added Elia. .

Health Access Ontario, formerly Telehealth, is another way for patients to get non-emergency care. The free program allows patients to speak with a registered nurse online or by calling 811 to discuss their condition and determine if a trip to the emergency room is necessary.

While the increase in patient numbers continues to strain CMH’s emergency department, so does the level of acuity of patients seen and the resulting number of admissions.

Staffing shortages are also taking their toll, and various hospitals across Ontario have had to close their emergency departments, sometimes for days at a time, due to a lack of staff.

CMH’s vacancy rate is around seven percent right now. When taking into account absenteeism based on whether staff are absent due to COVID or other illnesses, it recently hovers around 10%.

At Quinte Health Care (QHC), which includes Trenton Memorial Hospital, the main hospital for Brightonians, ‘the unprecedented pressure on healthcare continues’. That was the message shared at QHC’s board meeting earlier this summer, while marking the board’s final year cycle.

“To say last year was difficult is an understatement,” said President Nancy Evans.

“The multiple waves of COVID outbreaks have strained our healthcare system, our hospitals, our staff, our patients and their families, and our communities like never before.”

And COVID infections are expected to rise again in the fall and winter.

QHC anticipates these impending surges — but they will come on top of seasonal flu rates and in the context of the troubling disruptions that have occurred within the healthcare system, Evans noted, in his report to the board.

“The health human resource challenge is widespread. Although QHC has been more successful than many others in continuing to attract people to work with us, we continue to see retirements or departures.

“Some areas of QHC are facing critical staffing challenges. The health human resource crisis requires an urgent system-wide approach, but one that takes into account the wide variety of settings, hospital sizes and community profiles in Ontario.

QHC is seeing higher patient volumes than pre-COVID – and expects this to continue for the “foreseeable future”.

Evans said it was also due to a mix of patient health situations that escalated during the pandemic; a large percentage of people in the region without regular primary care or access to basic health services, making them dependent on hospitals; and the health profile of the region’s population.

“These volumes can no longer be seen as temporary surges, but as the new normal for QHC. This means that our operating and funding models must adapt.

Evans noted an evolution of regular funding, recognizing the specific realities of local demand and the unique structure of the QHC is needed. Progress towards an evolved funding model must be a top priority for QHC in 2022-23, she added.

Story behind the story: We reached out to area hospitals to see how they were handling the surge in patients and staffing shortages.

-with files by Sarah Hyatt

Tribal students denied permission to take nursing course halfway

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Alirajpur (Madhya Pradesh): Alirajpur tribal students studying at private nursing schools in Indore, Ratlam, Bhopal, Alirajpur and Barwani since 2020 have been denied admission to the next class citing that their documents show they are not haven’t studied English.

MP Mukesh Patel has written a letter to State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying that about 15 pupils from Alirajpur district had been admitted to grades 9-12, under the national education scheme. secondary education funded by the state government.

After passing Class 12, these students were admitted in 2020 into private nursing schools based on the documents submitted by them and filing the required fees.

The decision of the colleges not to allow them to continue their studies in the middle of their course has made the future of the students uncertain and it seems that their two years have been wasted.

MP Patel has urged the Chief Minister to allow them to continue their education at the respective nursing colleges to avoid further learning losses. He also demanded that the registration of the college that denies them admission be canceled immediately.

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Falling nursing course acceptances will worsen staffing crisis – union leader

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Fewer A-level students were admitted to nursing courses in 2022 than in 2021 (David Jones/PA) (PA Archive)

A drop in nursing degree acceptances this year will deepen the staffing crisis in health care and social services, a union leader has warned.

The head of the Royal College of Nursing, Pat Cullen, said figures released by Ucas on Thursday showing 1,560 fewer students being admitted to courses than in 2021 pointed “in the wrong direction”.

There are 21,130 applicants accepted for nursing courses this year, up from 22,690 last year, the MRC said.

The impact of this drop in acceptances to nursing courses, as well as the drop in applications this year, should not be underestimated.

Pat Cullen, RCN

Ms Cullen said: “To tackle the staffing crisis and deliver the kind of care patients deserve, we need these numbers to look even stronger. Unfortunately, they headed in the wrong direction this year.

“The impact of this drop in acceptances to nursing courses, as well as the drop in applications this year, should not be underestimated. This will only aggravate the growing nursing workforce crisis.

It comes after a damning report last month revealed that persistent understaffing in the NHS creates a serious risk to patient safety.

The all-party health and social care committee has said health and social care services in England are facing ‘the biggest workforce crisis in their history’ and the government has no credible strategy to improve the situation.

Projections suggest that 475,000 more jobs will be needed in health care and 490,000 more jobs in social services by the start of the next decade.

Earlier on Thursday, Education Secretary James Cleverly defended the government’s refusal to lift the cap on medical student admissions this year and said it was increasing NHS recruitment.

Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today program why the government won’t lift the cap, he said: ‘The NHS has always relied heavily on overseas healthcare professionals, and I doubt that will change at any point in my life. .

“We are recruiting more doctors and more nurses, we are training more local medical talent. It’s true.

“We are seeing these numbers of medical professionals increase, but, as I said, the nature of these incredibly highly technical professional medicine courses makes them different from other courses.”

If you are a student thinking about your next steps, please consider applying to study nursing

Ruth May, NHS Chief Nursing Officer

He later said medical courses in other countries often had “huge” fees for students, adding: “We chose to make a different decision. We do not place the financial burden on the students themselves.

“The government subsidizes the courses heavily because the courses themselves are important and that’s the trade-off.”

Meanwhile, NHS England has urged students who are still undecided about their next steps to “make the most of compensation opportunities” and apply for a place on a nursing course.

Ruth May, NHS Chief Nursing Officer, said: ‘Joining the NHS was the best decision I have ever made, so if you are a student thinking about your next steps, please consider applying to study nursing via Ucas compensation – this is one of the most employable degrees around and probably the most rewarding career in the world.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Congratulations to everyone receiving their A-Level and T-Level results today, and especially those who will be joining our fantastic NHS and social care staff.

“A career in the NHS or social services is hugely rewarding and with a variety of pathways to develop your career and skills, you will undoubtedly make a difference in people’s lives every day.”

Her brother ended up in a retirement home. She was sued for her bill.

Chelsey W. Vogt
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I thought it was crazy.”


Lucille Brooks

Lucille Brooks, 74, Pittsford, NY

Approximate medical debt: $8,000

Medical problem: None. She was billed for her brother’s care.

What happened: Lucille Brooks was stunned to find that a nursing home in Monroe County, New York was suing her. She had never been patient there. Neither did her husband. “I thought that was crazy,” she said, thinking it must have been a mistake.

The bill was for treatment his brother, James Lawson, received in the summer of 2019. He was hospitalized for complications from diabetes medication. The hospital sent him back to the county-run nursing home, where Brooks had visited him a few times. Nobody ever talked to her about billing, she says. And he was never asked to sign anything.

Brooks and Lawson were part of a large family that moved north from Mississippi to escape segregation in the 1960s. Lawson had a career with the Rochester Department of Parks and Recreation. Brooks worked in insurance. They lived on both sides of the city. “My brother has always minded his own business,” she said.

Lawson spent two months at the nursing home. A year later, Brooks was sued.

The county alleged that Brooks should have used her brother’s assets to pay her bills and was therefore personally liable for her debt. Attached to the suit was an admission agreement with what looked like Brooks’ signature.

What is broken: Admission agreements often name the person signing as a “responsible party” who will help the nursing home collect payments or enroll the resident in Medicaid, the government’s safety net program.

Consumer advocates say nursing homes slip agreements into papers that family members sign when an older relative or sick friend is admitted. Sometimes people are told they have to sign, a violation of federal law. “They’re given a stack of forms and told, ‘Sign here, sign there. Click here, click there,” said Miriam Sheline, chief attorney at Pro Seniors, a Cincinnati nonprofit law firm.

Litigation is a frequent byproduct of the medical debt crisis in the United States, which, according to a KHN-NPR survey, has affected more than half of all American adults over the past five years.

According to a national KFF survey, about 1 in 7 adults with health care debt say they have been threatened with lawsuits or arrest. Five percent say they have been prosecuted.

The nursing home industry has quietly developed what consumer attorneys and patient advocates say is a pernicious strategy of suing patients’ family and friends despite federal law that was enacted to protect them from collection. of receivables.

In Monroe County, 24 federally licensed nursing homes filed 238 debt collection cases from 2018 to 2021 seeking nearly $7.6 million, KHN found. Nearly two-thirds of cases involved a friend or relative.

Many have been accused – often undocumented – of concealing residents’ property. The practice can intimidate people with means into paying debts they don’t owe, said Anna Anderson, an attorney at the nonprofit Western New York Legal Aid. “People see this in a trial and they think they’re accused of theft,” she said. “It’s frightening.”

What’s left: When the bill came, Brooks was so worried she didn’t tell her husband. “People like us live on a fixed income,” she said. “We don’t have money to throw away, especially when you don’t see it coming.”

Brooks turned to Legal Assistance of Western New York, a nonprofit organization, which has represented defendants in such cases. In time, Monroe County dropped its charges against her. Brooks said she believed the signature on the admission agreement had been forged from the nursing home’s visitor log, the only thing she signed.

Now she’s telling anyone who has a friend or relative in a nursing home not to sign anything. “It’s ridiculous,” she said. “But why do you think they would come after you?”

About this project

“Diagnosis: Debt” is a reporting partnership between KHN and NPR exploring the scale, impact and causes of medical debt in America.

The series is based on the “KFF Health Care Debt Survey”, a poll designed and analyzed by KFF public opinion researchers in conjunction with KHN journalists and editors. The survey was conducted from February 25 to March 20, 2022, online and by telephone, in English and Spanish, among a nationally representative sample of 2,375 American adults, including 1,292 adults with health care debt. and 382 adults with health care debt in the past five years. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the full sample and 3 percentage points for those with current debt. For results based on subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher.

Additional research was conducted by the Urban Institute, which analyzed credit bureau and other poverty, race, and health status demographics to explore where medical debt is concentrated in the United States and what factors are associated with high debt levels.

The JPMorgan Chase Institute analyzed the records of a sample of Chase credit cardholders to examine how customer balances can be affected by large medical expenses.

Reporters from KHN and NPR also conducted hundreds of interviews with patients across the country; spoke with doctors, healthcare industry leaders, consumer advocates, debt lawyers and researchers; and reviewed dozens of studies and surveys on medical debt.




This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health policy research organization not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Universities lower nursing course fees to attract students amid declining enrollment

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Despite the severe shortage of nurses in aged care and hospitals, university admissions to nursing degrees are declining.

Tom Ristoski, director of industry partnerships at Notre Dame University in Perth, said the university’s mid-year admission would normally be filling up, but enrollment has been slow. He said the drop in demand could be due to the impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare sector.

“I think the concern of potential students is probably around COVID-19, the impacts of COVID-19 and the challenges they have encountered in the industry,” he told the ABC.

NDU tries to help students by arranging paid nursing assistant roles, where they can learn skills on the job.

Charles Darwin University has seen a similar trend in courses for community service workers, leading it to waive fees for its certificate courses in individual support, community services, physical fitness, mental health, paramedical health. and health services assistant.

Fees will be waived from the third quarter of 2022, with CDU College of Health and Humanities Dean Dominic Upton saying the initiative will help address worker shortages in aged care, as well than in other areas.

Clare Grieveson (pictured), CEO of aged care provider Southern Cross Care WA, said falling demand for nursing qualifications is “incredibly concerning”

“The elderly care sector is already experiencing a labor crisis,” Ms Grieveson told the ABC.

“The impact of these vacancies is that beds have to be closed.”

“A report commissioned by a group of aged care CEOs showed that last year staffing shortages prevented 340 elderly WA residents from entering aged care.”

Clare said Southern Cross Care has 4,000 shifts to fill each week. They have 12 RN positions open right now that they haven’t been able to fill.

Campaign to boost Alaska’s healthcare workforce gets nearly $10 million injection

Chelsey W. Vogt
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By Annie Berman

Updated: 33 a few minutes ago Published: 2 hours ago

Registered Nurse Mary Martin trains new Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium nurses in 2021 in the ANTHC building on the Alaska Native Medical Campus in Anchorage. A new federal grant will help the Alaska Primary Care Association strengthen the state’s health workforce. (Loren Holmes/DNA)

A nonprofit that works to increase access to health care in Alaska has received nearly $10 million in federal funding to bolster the state’s chronically understaffed medical workforce, by especially support staff.

The $9.7 million grant was announced earlier this month by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The grant, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, was awarded to just 32 recipients nationwide on 509 candidates.

The money will be shared with about 40 different organizations across the state over the next three years, according to Nancy Merriman, CEO of the nonprofit. Alaska Primary Care Association. The association estimates the funds could support more than 3,000 Alaskans during that time, Merriman said.

Alaska is currently in the midst of a significant healthcare worker shortage that existed before the pandemic, but has worsened as many nurses and other frontline workers in the field have retired or quit altogether. the field after months of grueling or untenable working conditions during multiple COVID-19 surges.

A 2021 Scorecard of the state health department noted that “Alaska suffers from a shortage of manpower in many disciplines related to health and behavioral health and struggles to meet the demand of the health sector”.

Jared Kosin, president of the Alaska Hospital & Healthcare Association, recently called the worker shortage the biggest pressure point currently facing healthcare facilities in the state.

Merriman said the association plans to spend the grant money in three main ways: introducing high school students to healthcare careers; provide basic training and certifications for Alaskans looking to quickly change careers; and the expansion of a existing apprenticeship program focused on healthcare jobs that would allow participants to earn a living while learning a new trade.

In recent years, solutions to the state’s medical workforce shortage have included plans to increase the number of seats in the state’s medical school and open up more training options for Alaskans. interested in nursing careers.

Merriman said while increasing the number of health care providers in the state was important, the grant was also intended to address support staff shortages.

“We still absolutely need doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners and (physician assistants), but we also need people to work directly with Alaskans in other ways,” she said. .

Some of the most overlooked but equally important careers include medical billing and coding, medical and dental assistants, pharmacy technicians and community health workers, Merriman said. The organization plans to add six new learning streams using the funds.

“The good thing about an apprenticeship is that it’s a job,” she says. “So people are learning while making money and learning a new trade.”

The goal of short-term training and certifications is to launch careers for people who don’t want to invest in long educational programs or go into debt before starting their careers, Merriman said.

The plan was to offer “a three-week course that’s free,” she says. “And they’ll come out with basic, entry-level certifications, so they can be matched with real jobs in the field.”

Opportunities for high school students included working with school districts to provide “Exploration Camps” and other introductions to many health care careers.

Merriman said the planning phase for the project is scheduled to begin Sept. 1, and Alaskans can follow the Alaska Primary Care Association’s social media pages for updates.

They can also visit the organization’s website for a list of current opportunities.

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Admission to Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing Course at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University, UP 9th Floor, Academic Block, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh -226010, has invited applications for admission to the 2 years Post Basic B .Sc. Nursing courses for 2022-23.

Both men and women are eligible. However, some colleges may only accept female applicants.

Applicant must have passed Upper Secondary/Upper Secondary/Intermediate (12th Standard Exam)/10+2/equivalent exam with English as a subject. The candidate must have passed and obtained a certificate in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) course from an institution recognized by the Indian Nursing Council (INC). Applicant must be registered as a Registered Nurse/Registered Midwife (RNRM) with the State Nurses Registration Board. A nurse, trained before the implementation of the new integrated course, in addition to being registered as a nurse with the State Nurses Registration Council, must produce proof of training approved by the Indian Nursing Council for a similar duration instead midwife in one of the following areas – OT Techniques, Ophthalmic Nursing, Leprosy Nursing, TB Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, Neurological and Neurosurgical Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Oncology Nursing, Orthopedic Nursing .

Selection will be made on the basis of merit of the Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing (2 years) Common Entrance Test 2022 to be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 28.8.2022 in Lucknow. Details regarding the structure of the exam are given in the information leaflet which can be downloaded from the Admissions link https://abvmuup.edu.in/

Online application can be submitted at www.abvmuup.edu.in no later than 22.8.2022. The fee for the entrance test is Rs. 2200/- for Unreserved (UR)/OBC and Rs. 1800/- for SC/ST payable online. The deadline for online fee payment is 17.8.2022.

Daughter sues Salem nursing home over covid death of parents

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Leo and Anna Barron died three days apart in 2020 after contracting Covid while living in Benchmark Senior Living’s Greystone Farm assisted living facility.

The daughter of an elderly couple who died of Covid filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Salem assisted living facility, but on Monday the facility claimed it was immune from prosecution due to a federal law designed to protect frontline workers in the event of an emergency.

The facility’s legal strategy is being used nationwide to protect aged care centers from Covid-related lawsuits, but while being somewhat backed by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal courts have mostly dismissed it.

Linda Barron filed her lawsuit June 28 in Rockingham County Superior Court against Greystone Farm in Salem — owned by Benchmark Senior Living LLC, based in Waltham, Mass. – on behalf of the estates of his late parents, Leo and Anna Barron, who were both admitted to the facility in 2018. The couple, according to multiple reports following their deaths which occurred less than three days one of the another, suffered from dementia around the same time, after nearly 60 years of marriage and after some 25 years of ballroom dancing.

“They declined together, but their love showed through,” Linda Barron told WMUR-TV at the time.

Leo Barron tested positive for Covid-19 in April 2020 and his wife the following month, according to the report.

They were transferred to Parkland Medical Center in Derry, where they shared a room and with the help of Merrimack Valley Hospice, moved to High Point, the first hospice in Massachusetts to open a special unit for patients. Covid, holding hands during transport. , according to an article in the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune.

Leo Barron died on May 29. Anna Barron died on May 31, holding one of her husband’s shirts on what would have been his 85th birthday, the Eagle Tribune report said.

Their daughter praised her parents’ care at Parkland and High Pointe in these articles and another by the head of the NH union, but she did not mention their Greystone residence in any of the reports.

His lawsuit, filed by Ryan Russman, an Exeter solicitor, accused the assisted establishment of “regularly [emphasis in the filing] and negligently cared for Leo and Anna Barron, interacted with them, and entered their room without using required PPE, if any. They allegedly used a nebulizer (a vaporizer breathing device with a mouthpiece) without properly disinfecting it and allowed residents to be in community areas without face masks or social distancing, in violation of federal protocols or their own internal policies. .

There was no Covid outbreak at the facility at the time, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services‘ lists of such incidents, but it is unclear whether they were all reported at the time.

Greystone has suffered three Covid outbreaks – in June 2020 nine residents and three staff were affected; in January 2021, two patients and seven staff were affected; and in February 2022, 11 patients and seven staff were affected. None resulted in fatalities, according to the listings.

When contacted about the lawsuit, the person who answered Greystone’s phone said, “No comment,” declined to identify themselves, and hung up. Joseph Desmond of Morrison Mahoney, a Boston law firm with an office in Manchester, the company’s attorney, did not respond to a timely telephone request.

On Monday, Desmond filed a petition in the U.S. District Court in Concord, arguing that the litigation would be moved to federal court. He argued that state negligence laws were completely exempt because of the Public Preparedness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act of 2005, a 2005 law that grants immunity in case emergency response to frontline workers and other entities deploying approved countermeasures.

“The PREP Act also expressly prevents any claim filed in state court for negligence or violation of state law arising from the administration or use of covered countermeasures through

the creation of an exclusive federal cause of action,” Desmond wrote in the filing

Instead, all claims would go to a congressional no-fault compensation program similar to workers’ compensation.

The benchmark is covered, the filing says, because it is a “program planner” specified in the law. Because the chain was operating under federal authority, it is covered by the law, which “provides broad immunity to covered individuals, such as frontline healthcare workers and other entities that deploy countermeasures. approved…so that they can combat the emergency without fear of further litigation and expressly prevents such claims,” the company argues.

This is not the first time that such a defense has been attempted. According to Bill of Health, a Harvard Law School website, it’s a common litigation strategy “attempting to redirect state tort lawsuits to federal court,” the court said. article, which was written last November. Just a month earlier, a US 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia had dismissed the strategy, ruling that the countermeasures covered meant the application of safeguards such as vaccine ventilators and PPE, not the fact not to use them. He referred the lawsuit against a New Jersey nursing home to state court. A more recent decision from the San Francisco 9th Circuit was accepted.

The article goes on to say that the issue is moot in many states because so many laws have been passed or have issued executive orders granting immunity from Covid-related lawsuits, making it extremely difficult to win such cases. . This is not the case in New Hampshire, where the legislature rejected a bill to grant such protection to businesses, despite a strong lobbying effort by the Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire. At the time, no such case had been filed in the state. Since then, however, NH Business Review has reported at least three such lawsuits.

Nursing facilities and health care aides lead COVID incidence, state study finds

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Health care leads all industries for the highest incidence of COVID-19 infections in the state of Wisconsin, with occupations related to the long-term care sector following suit, according to a new study. . Nursing facilities lead in incidence of COVID-19 across health industry subsectors and health care aides lead in incidence across occupational subgroups, researchers say .

In what the investigators called one of the “most comprehensive examinations to date of the incidence of COVID-19 by occupation and industry,” data on COVID-19 cases was collected and analyzed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services from September 2020 through May 2021 for working adults ages 18-64.

About 12% of Wisconsin workers (more than 347,000 of about 3 million) had COVID-19 during the study period. By occupation, personal care and service workers had the highest incidence of infection at 22.4 among 100 full-time peers, followed closely by health professionals (20.7 per 100).

When all occupations were broken down by subgroup, nursing aides and orderlies topped the list of those most at risk of infection (28.8), followed by child care workers. children (25.8) and food service workers (25.3).

When analyzed by industry, the data showed that the incidence of COVID-19 per 100 was highest in healthcare (18.6). And among the health care subsectors, those with the highest risk were nursing facilities (30.5) and warehousing (28.5).

The results reveal the usefulness of collecting standardized professional data in public health, the investigators wrote in the study, published in Clinical infectious diseases.

Work-related exposure plays a key role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, “yet few studies have measured the risk of COVID-19 across occupations and industries,” reported Jonathan Meiman, MD, of the University of Wisconsin and colleagues.

“Workers at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure may benefit from targeted workplace COVID-19 vaccination and mitigation efforts,” the authors concluded.

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Petition filed against LA City minimum wage hike for healthcare workers

Chelsey W. Vogt
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LOS ANGELES — A recently approved ordinance raising the minimum wage for some city health care workers to $25 an hour was temporarily suspended from taking effect Aug. 11 by the city clerk’s office after filing of a referendum petition challenging the ordinance.

Mayor Eric Garcetti signed the ordinance in July after it was passed by city council.

The ordinance will be put on hold while the city clerk’s office determines whether the petition, filed Aug. 10, contains a sufficient number of valid signatures — at least 40,717. If that’s enough, the matter would come before voters in 2024. .

The order only applies to private facilities, including hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing facilities or residential care facilities. It applies to workers, including clinicians, orderlies, orderlies, technicians, maintenance workers, janitors, housekeepers, office workers and administrative workers.

The group No to Los Angeles’ Unequal Compensation Measure argues that the city ordinance excludes workers from more than 90% of the city’s health care facilities, calling the measure “unfair and discriminatory.” The group is seeking to force a referendum that would put the issue to the voters.

The order “only requires wage increases for certain workers at certain facilities, while completely excluding workers doing the exact same work at other providers,” according to George W. Greene, president and CEO of the Hospital. Association of Southern California, which supports the effort.

“We all agree that healthcare workers deserve support and recognition for the heroic work they do and hospitals go to great lengths to reward and appreciate workers. We support new conversations about fair and equitable compensation, but the deeply flawed nature of this order means that, at a minimum, voters should have the final say,” he said.

“No to Los Angeles’ Unequal Compensation Measure” is funded primarily by the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.

“The past few years have had an unimaginable impact on our healthcare workers, often putting themselves in harm’s way to care for the sick and their families,” Garcetti said in a statement announcing the signing of the order. “It’s time we put them first. Our healthcare heroes deserve fair compensation for their essential work, countless sacrifices, and incredible service to our city and its people.

The ordinance increased the minimum wage for workers, adjusting it each year to reflect increases in the cost of living, and prohibited employers from financing the minimum wage increase by laying off workers or reducing benefits or hours.

The measure was presented to City Council through a petition-initiated campaign organized by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW). The board had the option of putting the issue on the ballot or passing the minimum wage hike outright. He opted to pass the measure without a public vote.

Renée Saldaña, spokesperson for the union, responded to the proposed referendum on the measure with a statement saying: “Greedy hospital leaders have seen record pandemic windfalls, but they have no plan to solve the staffing crisis that is rages in hospitals in Los Angeles. They are out of step with local voters if they think the solution is to cut the salaries of the caregivers who have gotten us through the pandemic. The problem that needs to be addressed is excessive executive compensation that is driving up health care costs for Angelenos. »

According to the union, a recent survey of its members revealed concerns about understaffing in healthcare facilities, and 20% said they had considered leaving the field in the past year.

The group calling for the wage hike referendum in Los Angeles is also challenging similar moves in cities like Anaheim, Downey, Long Beach, Inglewood, Culver City and Monterey Park.

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Warren nursing home sees spike of 55 virus cases | News, Sports, Jobs

Chelsey W. Vogt
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COVID-19 cases at a Trumbull County nursing home are at 55 cases this week, and a Mahoning County facility is at 21 cases.

The Community Skilled Health Care Center nursing home on Mahoning Avenue NW in Warren has 25 patient cases and 30 staff cases this week, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health website.

A call to the nursing home on Friday asking to confirm the number of cases the facility has was not returned.

Three facilities in Trumbull County had between seven and 10 cases each two weeks ago, but two of them are back to zero cases this week.

The exception was the Liberty Health Care Center nursing home, which has 12 patient cases and no staff cases this week after having a combined total of seven cases two weeks ago.

A call to the establishment’s spokesperson was not returned.

The highest number of cases on Mahoning County’s list this week is 21 cases at Windsor House Omni Manor nursing home in Youngstown. It has 15 patient cases and six staff cases, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health. The property’s spokesperson did not return a call requesting confirmation of the numbers.

The Canfield Health Care Center nursing home in Youngstown has nine combined cases this week – six among patients and three among staff. A call was made to the facility on Friday morning regarding the numbers, but it was not returned.

The Briarfield Place nursing home in Boardman also has nine combined cases – five patient cases and four staff cases. A call to the establishment was also not returned.

The total number of cases among nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the state has remained similar in recent weeks.

The number of patient cases is 1,183 and staff cases are 1,274 this week.

Two weeks ago there were 1,167 patient cases and 1,185 staff cases two weeks ago.



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State revokes, suspends licenses, certifications, registrations of health care providers

Chelsey W. Vogt
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For immediate release: August 12, 2022 (22-125)

Contact: Sharon Moysiuk, Communications 360-549-6471
Public Inquiries: Health Systems Customer Service 360-236-4700

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Department of Health has revoked or suspended the licenses, certifications, or registrations of the following healthcare providers in our state. The department also immediately suspended the credentials of people who were barred from practicing in other states.

The Ministry’s Health Systems Quality Assurance Division works with boards, commissions, and advisory committees to establish accreditation standards for more than 80 health professions (e.g., dentists, nurses, counselors ). Information on disciplinary action taken against doctors and medical assistants can be found on the Washington Medical Commission (WMC) website. Questions regarding WMC disciplinary action can be sent to media@wmc.wa.gov.

Information about health care providers can be found on the agency’s website. Click on “Find a healthcare provider licensein the “How do I?” section of the Department of Health homepage (doh.wa.gov). The site includes information about a health care provider‘s license status, title expiration and renewal date, disciplinary actions, and copies of legal documents issued after July 1998. This information is also available by calling 360-236-4700. Consumers who believe a health care provider has acted unprofessionally are also encouraged to call and report their complaint.

Chelan County

In July 2022, the Agency-Affiliated Counselor Program suspended the Agency-Affiliated Counselor license from Suyedid Lozano Vargas (CG61079169). Vargas failed to comply with a 2021 agreed-upon order that required enrollment in the substance use monitoring program.

Grant County

In July 2022, the Council of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery and Allen D. Quinn (OP00001193) has accepted an order in which Quinn waives his license to practice as an osteopathic physician and surgeon, including any temporary, emergency or pro bono practice. He does not have the right to reapply or reactivate his title. Quinn violated the terms of a 2013 agreed-upon order by treating and prescribing controlled substances to non-hospitalized patients.

Mason County

In July 2022, the Board of Nursing suspended the Licensed Practical Nurse title from Kristan Kelly Ramirez (LP60259260). Ramirez has not responded to accusations that she was not in compliance with a required substance use monitoring program.

Snohomish County

In July 2022, the health secretary suspended for at least six years the massage therapist license of Brandon Lee Groesbeck (MA60313574) after being found guilty of indecent liberties, a criminal sex offense, by Snohomish County Superior Court. Groesbeck did not respond to the charges.

In July 2022, the Practical Nursing Program suspended the Licensed Practical Nurse Sarah Marie Nichols (NA61136314) for failing to comply with a 2021 agreed-upon order requiring him to enroll in a substance use monitoring program.

In July 2022, the Council of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery and Denis Steven Mann has accepted a modification of a previously agreed order, he renounces his osteopathy license (OP00000949). Mann agreed never to resume practice, including temporary, emergency or pro bono practice and not to seek reinstatement. Mann and the Council agreed to a stipulated order in 2021 after failing to document during examinations whether opioid treatment was needed for several patients. Mann requested the modification of the agreed order of 2021 to return his license.

Spokane County

In June 2022, the health secretary revoked the home help license of Charlene Perez (HM60708673). The Ministry of Health and Social Services Adult Protective Services determined that Perez was financially exploiting a vulnerable adult.

out of state

Michigan: In July 2022, the Board of Nursing summarily suspended, pending further disciplinary action, the registered nurse license of Laurie Ann Pickard (RN60989965). The Texas Board of Nursing had entered into an agreed order with Pickard that placed Pickard’s nursing title into inactive status after Pickard violated a Texas Board of Nursing order. Based on the disciplinary action in Texas, the Wisconsin Board of Nursing suspended Pickard’s license and the Florida Board of Nursing accepted Picard’s voluntary surrender of his license.

The DOH website is your source for lots of information. Find us on Facebook and Follow us on twitter. Subscribe to the DOH Blog, Link to public health.

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State issues second order for closure of Memphis retirement home – FOX13 News Memphis

Chelsey W. Vogt
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Dirt and cockroaches in cabinets and on dishes, mismanagement of medications, and unlicensed staff caring for residents are just a few of the problems encountered at a Memphis nursing home.

A nursing home investigated by FOX13 has been ordered to close again.

READ MORE: Memphis nursing home still open after license suspended due to health and safety violations

In July, FOX13 told you about Loving Arms, a Memphis rest home that was still in operation a month after the state suspended its license.

On June 24, the nursing home was closed by the state.

Violations first reported by FOX13 included missing documentation for residents and the uncertified staff caring for them.

The Health Facilities Commission report states that infectious and hazardous waste has been improperly handled and that there are several concerns regarding resident care and dietary issues.

The report also said there was no plan in place to ensure residents took their medication, and there were flies and gnats in the fridge.

Additionally, he said the facility failed to provide adequate meals for its residents and there was dirt and cockroaches in the cupboards and on the dishes.

The commission gave the facility ten days to evacuate residents.

When FOX13 visited the nursing home a month after that date, it was still open.

The day after the story aired, the state ordered a new hearing and found even more violations.

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From July 1 to July 19, inspectors found that a refrigerator in the kitchen was not working and the food inside was hot.

The toilet in the women’s bathroom was removed, leaving a hole in the bathroom floor.

The facility did not maintain the required 48 hours of food on site and instead relied on donations from a non-profit organization.

The report says a resident with throat cancer was fed mashed potatoes, an inappropriate meal for someone with the disease.

He also said inspectors noticed a carer talking aggressively to several residents.

At the hearing, the state gave Loving Arms a new deadline.

The facility has been ordered to cease operations and clear all residents by August 15.

©2022 Cox Media Group

US Department of Labor files lawsuit against home health care provider for failing to pay overtime

Chelsey W. Vogt
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MINNEAPOLIS– The US Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against a Golden Valley healthcare company after it allegedly failed to pay nurses and orderlies overtime.

An investigation has found that Gregory Getchell, owner of Getch, Inc. and operator of Amada Senior Care Twin Cities, violated federal law by paying a flat daily rate to employees who provided home assistance with personal care and activities everyday. Getchell did not pay overtime to its employees and instead altered employee payroll records to make it look like overtime had been paid, according to the Labor Department.

The lawsuit seeks approximately $75,000 in back wages for the 25 affected employees.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics found in June 2022 that 728,000 health and social care workers had left their jobs and the field had more than 2 million openings. The healthcare sector is expected to grow by 16% between 2020 and 2030.

“As employers in industry struggle to find people to fill the jobs needed to stay competitive, they must consider that it is more difficult to retain and recruit workers when employers do not respect workers’ rights and do not pay them their full wages,” Wage and Hour said. Divisional District Manager Kristin Tout.

WCCO Staff

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8 System Scammed For $150 Million, Took Genetic Material From Nursing Home Residents

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Federal authorities have charged eight businessmen in a massive alleged Medicare and Medicaid fraud case involving a genetic testing company and three marketing companies.

A federal grand jury in Nashville returned a 40-count superseding indictment Monday against the individuals, said Mark H. Wildasin, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Tennessee. A replacement indictment is an indictment that replaces a previous indictment.

Three of the eight people were previously arrested on earlier indictments; the remaining indictments were unsealed after the arrest of the other five.

Federal authorities say the co-conspirators entered into fictitious contracts and paid bribes in exchange for genetic testing and urinalysis samples. They targeted and recruited elderly patients on the federal health care program to obtain their genetic material for genetic testing.

Often the patients or their treating physicians would never have received the test results. Although some of the victims were nursing home residents, the indictment announced Monday did not state that any nursing home provider was criminally involved in the alleged fraud.

Fadel Alshalabi, 54, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, was originally charged in July 2021 with conspiracy and anti-rebound law violations for his role in orchestrating the scheme, Wildasin said. Alshalabi is the owner and CEO of Crestar Labs, LLC, a series of labs based in Spring Hill, TN. Monday’s action charged Alshalabi and seven others with health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to violate and violations of the Anti-Corruption Act. bribes. Alshalabi was also charged with money laundering.

The seven charged on Monday included Edward D. Klapp, former vice president of sales, and Dakota White, former director of customer services and vice president of operations, both at Crestar. In addition, individuals from three marketing companies that have contracted with Crestar: Melissa L. Chastain, owner and CEO, and Roger Allison, president, both of Genetix LLC; Robert Alan Richardson and Edward Burch, both directors of Freedom Medical Labs, LLC; and Samuel Harris, owner of Secure Health.

Edward Klapp and Lisa Chastain were originally charged in October 2021.

“The marketers, who were not medical professionals, obtained swabs from the mouths of patients at nursing homes, senior health fairs and elsewhere,” the indictment states. charge. “The tests were then allegedly approved by telemedicine physicians who did not engage in the treatment of patients, and often did not even speak with the patients for whom they ordered tests.”

Wildasin said Alshalabi and the co-conspirators paid illegal bribes and kickbacks in exchange for doctor’s prescriptions and tests, without regard to medical necessity, and during the period of 2016 as of July 2021, Alshalabi and his co-conspirators have billed Medicare and Medicaid over $150. million.

Genetic testing fraud on the rise

In 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services alerted the public to the growing incidence of fraud schemes involving genetic testing.

In December 2016, a woman pleaded guilty in a Medicare genetic testing program targeting the elderly. In this case, a New Jersey woman referred elderly people for genetic testing billed to Medicare, according to Bloomberg BNA. For nearly 18 months, the woman and her partner reportedly offered free ice cream and told the elderly that without test results they would be at greater risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer or suicide, authorities said.

A year later, the Justice Department announced that a qualified nursing facility operator based in Louisville, Ky., had agreed to pay nearly $1 million to settle claims related to his role in a genetic testing program that violated the False Claims Act. The activity allegedly involved performing genetic testing on Medicare residents without a doctor’s order to determine if they were “properly metabolizing” a certain drug, Justice Department officials said at the time.

If found guilty, Alshalabi faces up to 10 years on a money laundering charge, and all defendants face up to 10 years in prison for health care fraud and anti-corruption law charges. -bribes, and up to five years for conspiracy to violate the Anti – Bribery Statute.

SHU partners with Yale New Haven Health for student health care

Chelsey W. Vogt
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FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University partners with Yale New Haven Health’s Northeast Medical Group (NEMG) to provide health care for students. This arrangement will mean expanded health services available to all SHU students.

Beginning August 15, students will receive their health services at Yale New Haven Health’s state-of-the-art Park Avenue Medical Center, located down the street from campus at 5520 Park Avenue, Trumbull. SHU will provide a shuttle to and from the medical center.

The partnership gives students better access to medical care, as SHU health services will now be part of the larger Yale New Haven health system, and NEMG will provide coordinated health care. All Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health resources will be available to students.

Students will also see some familiar faces as most of the SHU Health Services team will move to NEMG. Telehealth options will also be available in the evenings and on weekends.

“We are thrilled about this partnership with Yale New Haven Health and Northeast Medical Group,” said SHU Dean of Students Larry Wielk. “It will provide a wider range of services and more healthcare options for our students.”

“Yale New Haven Health is very pleased to partner with Sacred Heart,” said Anne Diamond, executive vice president of Yale New Haven Health and president of Bridgeport Hospital. “This collaboration will provide world-class care for students, day and night, very close to campus with seamless transitions to next-level care if ever needed.”

NEMG and SHU will continue to work closely with the Orthopedic Specialty Group, which will provide ongoing management of sports medicine for student-athletes.

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About Sacred Heart University

As the second largest independent Catholic university in New England and one of the fastest growing in the United States, Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers nearly 90 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs at its campus in Fairfield, Connecticut. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut and Ireland and offers online programs. Over 9,000 students attend the University’s nine colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, media and arts; social work; computer science and engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education and Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; Dr. Susan L. Davis, RN, & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; and St. Vincent College. The Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions because it was created and run by lay people. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward-thinking thinkers who embrace change – in their own lives, professions and communities. . The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Top 387 Colleges – 2022 Edition“Best Northeast” and Best Business Schools – 2022 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to award-winning NPR-affiliated radio station WSHU, a Division I athletics program, and an impressive performing arts program that includes a choir, orchestra, dance, and theater. www.sacredheart.edu

View SHU faculty experts here

About Yale New Haven Health

Yale New Haven Health, Connecticut’s largest and most comprehensive health care system, is recognized for its advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness, and commitment to improving the health of communities that he serves. YNHHS includes five hospitals – Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence + Memorial, Westerly, and Yale New Haven, several specialty networks, and Northeast Medical Group, a nonprofit medical foundation with several hundred community and hospital physicians. www.ynhhs.org

Nurses’ conference stresses importance of Hmong representation in healthcare

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Hmong nurses from across the country are in St. Paul for a one-of-a-kind event highlighting the importance of culture in healthcare.

The inaugural conference of the Hmong Nurses Association began Friday at the University of St. Thomas.

Organizers told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that there is a severe lack of Hmong representation in health care, despite a large Hmong population in Minnesota.

Minnesota is home to a Hmong population of 81,000, making it the largest urban concentration of Hmong in the United States. according to the Wilder Foundation.

“One in three children in St. Paul’s public schools is a Hmong child,” said Maykao Hang, the conference’s keynote speaker and founding dean of Morrison Family College of Health at the University of St. Thomas. “Minnesota’s Hmong population is growing, but there are far fewer Hmong nurses than you might think.”

Maykao Hang, founding dean of the Morrison Family College of Health at the University of St. Thomas, delivers a keynote address Friday, August 5, 2022, at the inaugural conference of the Hmong Nurses Association in St. Paul. (KSTP)

Minnesota had 118,000 registered nurses in 2021, according to data from the Minnesota Board of Nursing. Hang said only 125 of those nurses were Hmong.

“The way we think about some of these underrepresented populations in nursing: Anything we can do to advance nursing education and the field is a very good thing,” Hang said.

She said having first-hand knowledge of patients’ cultures can improve their hospital stay and health outcomes.

Deu Yang, a nurse from St. Paul who attended the conference, said she works with many elderly Hmong patients on home visits.

“I am the bridge between,” Yang said. “I interpret correctly in Hmong and in the Hmong way, then the elder understands.”

She said she was able to honor the wishes of dying patients, in keeping with their tradition.

“I say, ‘Now you’re going to die. What do you like the most?’ And a lot of them say, ‘Please put on my costume, the Hmong costume. Don’t let me die in a hospital gown,” Yang said. “Every day I go home happy, knowing that I made a big difference with this person.”

In addition to hosting this new conference, the University of St. Thomas is opening of a new nursing school in autumn. The university says the school will focus on health equity and diversity, including recruiting immigrants and refugees for health careers.

A St. Thomas spokesperson said 50 students were enrolled in the program and about a third of them were students of color. Four students in the inaugural class are Hmong.

Hang hopes to see Minnesota’s many cultures reflected in its nursing students and eventually in the state’s hospital systems.

The nurses told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that this conference also helped them learn to bridge the gap with their colleagues.

“I am always very alone in my job. I have to explain to my supervisor, to the people I work with, “Here is my culture,” Yang said. “Today I felt good.”

Hang added, “We need all kinds of people from all walks of life to take care of us. The Hmong community is here to stay, and it’s a big population. Everyone should recruit and attract new populations among us. »

The two-day conference in St. Thomas is expected to attract more than 200 nurses.

Nursing home staffing shortages create backlogs for hospitals / Public News Service

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

A new report from the Economic Policy Institute links staffing shortages in long-term care facilities in Nebraska and across the country to low wages and poor working conditions.

The median wage for caregivers, at just over $15 an hour, is significantly lower than the national median of $20 an hour.

Todd Stubbendieck, state director for AARP Nebraska, said the lack of sufficient staff can have significant negative effects on the health of residents.

“Decreased physical capacity, more infection rates, more falls, then more hospitalizations,” Stubbendieck pointed out. “Addressing this staffing issue is fundamental to ensuring that we provide good quality care to residents of long-term care facilities.”

Long-term care workers are also less likely to be covered by employer-provided pension and health insurance benefits. Even before COVID, nursing home staff could not keep up with demand and the industry has lost 235,000 workers since the pandemic began. AARP analysts found that a fifth of all nursing homes have reported insufficient staffing each month since the summer of 2020.

Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, said understaffing at nursing homes is also impacting Nebraska hospitals. When long-term care facilities are not adequately staffed, he said inpatients cannot be discharged and their bed is not available for the next patient who needs it.

“We’ve seen recently, just in the Omaha area, hospital emergency rooms start to back down because beds weren’t available,” Nordquist observed. “Because we didn’t have enough skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes across the state to take these patients.”

The report called for increased public funding to ensure higher wages and better working conditions to attract and retain experienced and committed workers. States and localities can also establish industry-specific worker standards commissions to recommend changes to minimum wages and working conditions.

Stubbendieck added that helping Nebraskanians access home care would also reduce demand.

“We know people want to stay home as long as possible, or at the lowest level of care,” Stubbendieck noted. “People are staying at home and receiving care, and not having to go to long-term care facilities, which tend to be more expensive. And so strengthening home and community care is one solution. ”

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Nurses are the key to infection control in nursing facilities

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

Friday, August 5, 2022, 10:02 a.m.
Article: Hugh Grant

When it comes to skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes, nurses are among the primary providers who provide day-to-day care to residents. These nurses are expected to adhere to strict infection control practices to ensure that the spread of infections and illness are kept to a minimum, yet nursing facilities often have infection rates very high.

Before COVID-19, 380,000 nursing home residents died from infection each year. Things like respiratory infections, skin and soft tissue infections, flu, and stomach related issues are some of the biggest illnesses that are spread in nursing homes. 1 to 3 million serious infections occur each year in nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities. With the infection so prevalent in these communities, one would assume that all necessary precautions are being taken, but in reality, 40% of nursing homes were cited for poor infection control practices prior to the pandemic.

When the pandemic hit, these problems were only higher. While nursing home residents make up less than 1% of the US population, they accounted for 1 in 5 COVID-related deaths. COVID-19 sadly killed 136,000 nursing home residents as well as 2,000 healthcare providers in the facility. While conditions were already poor before the pandemic in many facilities, a lack of staff and funding has only made matters worse and now more than 300 nursing homes have closed. Even in 2022, more than 400 certified nursing homes in the United States are on the verge of closing due to lack of staff and funding.

When it comes to preventing the spread of infection and COVID-19 in nursing care settings, nurses play a key role. However, 89% of healthcare organizations are experiencing staff shortages, which has significantly increased the stress levels of the remaining workers. Since January 2020, around 236,000 caregivers have left, and the remaining nurses are feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, undervalued, frustrated and stressed. Along with this, more than 1 in 4 nurses experienced increased incivility or intimidation from administration, managers, supervisors and other nursing staff. So, with so many nurses leaving during the pandemic, more than half of the remaining nurses have considered quitting their jobs.

Nurses who stayed on also had to deal with new policies being put in place as well as a shortage of personal protective equipment. These nurses were forced to reuse their PPE even though nearly 2 in 3 felt unsafe. Even last year, nearly 75% of establishments had still not had their staff tested for N-95.

Healthcare providers who have remained in their facilities have obviously had to deal with extra work and stress, which can cause them to forego simple practices like hand washing. Skipping these very important steps and having to reuse PPE increases the likelihood of transmitting infections and COVID-19. With so many facilities set to close, it is more important than ever to ensure proper practices are in place to help control infections. The best way to achieve this is to ensure that nurses receive the proper equipment and tools, as well as up-to-date training to ensure they are able to implement and practice security policies.

Facility nurses can benefit from monthly in-person training focused on preventing the spread of infections in their facilities. These training sessions go back to the basics before introducing more advanced techniques and offer hands-on training rather than just general guidelines. Even one day a month of in-person training can help ease the pressure on nurses to ensure their patients in assisted living facilities receive the best treatment possible.

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Old Man Healthcare Market Outlook 2028

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

Old Man Healthcare Market Overview 2022

Latest Update: This has resulted in several changes. This report also covers the impact of the current COVID-19 situation.

The report offers detailed coverage of the Old Man Healthcare industry and key market trends. The market study includes historical and forecast market data, demand, application details, price trends and company shares of major Old Man Healthcare by geography. The report splits the market size, by volume and value, on the basis of application type and geography.

Major Key Vendors of Old Man Healthcare Market are:- Benesse Style Care Co., Ltd, Econ Healthcare Group, Epoch Elder Care, St Lukes ElderCare Ltd, Latin America Home Healthcare, Samvedna Senior Care, Golden Years Hospital, Orange Valley Healthcare, NTUC Health Co-Operative Ltd, Carewell- Service Co., Ltd, Cascade Healthcare, Millennia Personal Care Services, Rosewood Care Group Inc., Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home

Get a Sample PDF Copy of this Elderly Healthcare Market Report @ https://www.reportsinsights.com/sample/651458

This research report categorizes the global Old Man Health Care market by top players/brands, region, type and end user. This report also studies the global Old Man Health Care market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels. and distributors.

The main types of products covered are:
Home Care
Community care
Institutional care

The application coverage in the market is:
Complete self-care ability
Self-care ability
Unable to take care of self

Scope of Old Man Healthcare Market:

ATTRIBUTES DETAILS
YEAR OF REFERENCE 2021
FORECAST YEAR 2022-2028
UNITY Value (million USD/billion)
CAGR Yes (%)
BY COMPANIES Benesse Style Care Co., Ltd, Econ Healthcare Group, Epoch Elder Care, St Lukes ElderCare Ltd, Latin America Home Healthcare, Samvedna Senior Care, Golden Years Hospital, Orange Valley Healthcare, NTUC Health Co-Operative Ltd, Carewell- Service Co., Ltd, Cascade Healthcare, Millennia Personal Care Services, Rosewood Care Group Inc., Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home
SECTORS COVERED Types, applications, end users, etc.
REPORT COVER Total Revenue Forecast, Company Ranking & Market Share, Regional Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, Emerging Trends, Business Strategies, etc.
REGIONAL ANALYSIS North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa

Performance by region of the senior healthcare industry

This report studies the world Old Man Healthcare Market status and forecast, categorizes the global Cable Conduit market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region. This report focuses on top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and other regions (Middle East & Africa, Central & South America) .

To get this report at a cost effective rate. : https://www.reportsinsights.com/discount/651458

The research objectives of this report are:

  • Focuses on the key global Elderly Healthcare Companies, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape and recent developments.
  • To project the sales value and volume of Old Man Health Care submarkets, with respect to key regions.
  • Analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches and acquisitions in the market.
  • To study and analyze the global Elderly Healthcare Market size (value & volume) by company, key regions, products and end-user, breakdown data for the last five years, and forecast to 2028.
  • To understand the structure of Old Man Healthcare market by identifying its various subsegments.
  • Share detailed information about key factors influencing market growth (growth potential, opportunities, Driversindustry-specific challenges and risks).

Scope of the Report:-

The scope of the report combines detailed research of Global health care for the elderly Market 2022 with the apprehension given to the advancement of the industry in certain regions.

The Top Companies Report is designed to help our buyers with insight into the most influential players in the industry. Also, information about different business performance, profit, gross margin, strategic initiative and more are present through various resources such as tables, graphs and information chart.

Access full report description, table of contents, table of figure, graph, etc. @ https://www.reportsinsights.com/industry-forecast/old-man-health-care-market-analysis-by-regions-651458

About Us:

Reports Insights is the research industry leader providing contextual, data-centric research services to its customers around the world. The firm helps clients develop business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. The industry provides consulting services, syndicated research reports and to research reports.

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Omega CEO: Nursing home recovery hinges on extended and permanent state Medicaid increases

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

As the nursing home industry continues to navigate its way through today’s workforce and occupancy challenges, one of the nation’s largest skilled nursing home owners is closely monitoring how states extend or make permanent Medicaid funding increases related to the Covid-19 public health emergency (PHE).

The Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) leadership team highlighted a number of states, including Florida and Pennsylvania, that have already announced significant increases in Medicaid rates that reflect the need to fund higher costs, while balancing the desire for additional regulatory requirements.

Other states have also elected to continue providing Covid-related Federal Medical Assistance Percentage Rate (FMAP) increases after the PHE expires, either permanently or incrementally.

These kinds of “balanced state actions” are what Megan Krull, senior vice president of operations at Omega, hopes the federal government will keep in mind when proposing future mandates – as a federal requirement in personnel matters.

“Given that the long-term care industry is still deeply entrenched in the recovery phase of this pandemic, we hope the federal government will take note of some of these more balanced state actions and see the light to provide funding for all the mandates it could impose. “, Krull said Tuesday during the company’s second quarter 2022 earnings call.

Despite continued uncertainties and near-term headwinds, CEO Taylor Pickett remains optimistic about the long-term future of the skilled nursing industry.

Omega’s second-quarter revenue was approximately $245 million, compared to $257 million in the second quarter of 2021, with the year-over-year decline attributed to asset sales and restructuring operators.

Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) adjusted funds from operations (FFO) of $0.76 per common share exceeded consensus estimate of $0.06, and Omega shares rose 0.61% at the end of the year. regular markets close on Thursday.

As of June 30, Omega had an operating asset portfolio of 939 facilities with approximately 92,000 operating beds.

Slowly increasing occupancy rate, improvement in the workforce

After seeing steady occupancy growth through 2021 for Omega’s core portfolio, the Census fell from 75.8% in December to 74.6% to start 2022 – largely in due to the surge of the omicron variant.

Omega is starting to see that number pick up, reporting occupancy as high as 77.7% in mid-July, according to preliminary results.

Specifically, 27% of Omega installations have fully recovered, and an additional 21% have recovered to within 5% of pre-Covid levels.

Pickett also noted an improvement in staff availability. He warned, however, that pay for full-time staff remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, which he sees as a “permanent change” for operators.

The agency’s spend per patient day for Omega operators is still 6 times higher than in 2019, according to Krull.

Another factor that continues to impact staffing is the continued spread of Covid-19. Although clinical outcomes are much improved from what they were, any pressure on an already difficult staffing situation can delay recovery, she added.

Omega operators continue to offer pay raises and pursue other strategies to hire and retain staff, according to Kroll, even seeing some success in bringing in nurses from overseas.

Rent deferrals and restructurings

As Omega continues to address the challenges of operator restructuring, some progress has been made.

On April 8, Omega entered into a restructuring agreement with Guardian Healthcare where, under the plan, the REIT sold 12 facilities and vacated eight facilities. At that time, Guardian resumed paying rent and interest, according to COO Dan Booth.

Omega has also completed all restructuring work related to Gulf Coast Health Care. Last May, the REIT sold the majority of its facilities for over $300 million.

The real estate investment trust (REIT) sold 22 previously leased and operated facilities on the Gulf Coast for $318 million in cash, according to a news release. Net cash proceeds, including related costs, were $304 million, a net gain of approximately $113.5 million.

Discussions around a restructuring deal with Agemo Holdings, which accounts for about 6% of contract rent, are ongoing, according to Booth. The plan is expected to involve the sale of a “significant portion” of Agemo’s facilities within the Omega portfolio.

Two other anonymous operators were also unable to pay rents in the second quarter and in July.

Industry analysts noted that Omega having “a few more tenants paying rent and a few less not paying” can likely be attributed to the improving environment for the industry as a whole.

“Headwinds remain, including the effects of COVID on occupancy and high costs (particularly labor). But occupancy is growing and should improve further (assuming it does there is no COVID relapse) and labor costs appear to be rising at a slower rate,” Stifel analysts wrote in a note released on Monday.

Although not yet rated as “good”, according to Stifel, analysts expect CMS’s SNF final rule to improve the situation.

Medicare cuts come at the wrong time

Just days after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their final SNF rule, Krull, while acknowledging the improvement over what was originally proposed, expressed disappointment with the final result.

“So obviously it was great that they phased in that reduction, but we wish it hadn’t been taken at all this time around given the environment,” she said.

CMS said in its final rule that it would make phased reductions to the patient-based payment model (PDPM) over two years, which would result in a 2.3% reduction, or a $780 million reduction in 2023 and another reduction of 2.3% in 2024.

The agency, in its proposed rule, initially planned to adjust SNF payment rates by 4.6%, or $1.7 billion over one year, to achieve budget neutrality.

CMS had previously determined that the PDPM had resulted in an unintended increase in payments of approximately 5% per year since its implementation in October 2019.

Overall, the NFC Final Rule gives facilities a 2.7% increase in their payments for 2023. This reflects a $1.7 billion increase resulting from a 5.1% increase in rates of payment of NFCs. This includes a 3.9% increase in the FNS consumption basket, a consumption basket forecast error adjustment of 1.5 percentage points, and a productivity adjustment of less than 0.3 percentage points.

Skilled nursing facilities must keep pace with several quality programs

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0


 

Skilled nursing facilities must keep pace with several quality programs


Jessie McGill, RN

02/08/2022

There are over 40 different quality measures (QM) that affect skilled nursing (SNF) facilities across multiple programs. MDS 3.0 Quality Metrics, SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Metrics, SNF Value Based Purchase Program (VBP) Metrics, Nursing Home Compare (NHC) Claims Based Metrics ) and the five-star quality rating system are just a few of the quality measures that nursing leaders must follow.

To add to the confusion, some measures are used in more than one program, such as the Changes in Skin Integrity Post-Acute Care (PAC): Pressure Ulcer/Injury SNF QRP measure which also considers MDS 3.0 quality measures. The crossover between the programs may become even more complex if the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalizes changes to the SNF VBP and SNF QRP programs, as proposed in fiscal year 2023 SNF Prospective Payment System (PPS) proposed rule . SNF management will need to recognize the key differences between each of the programs to understand the impact of the measures on their facilities.

MDS 3.0 Quality Metrics

MDS 3.0 quality metrics provide the foundation for measuring quality for short-term and long-term residents of all payer types. Institutions use these measures for quality improvement, while investigators use them to identify potential problems. MDS 3.0 measures are reported by facilities using MDS assessment data submitted to the national database. Specifications for these metrics can be found in the MDS 3.0 Quality Metrics User Manual.

Five-Star Quality Rating System Metrics and NHC Claims-Based Quality Metrics

The Five-Star Quality Rating System makes public facility health inspection quality ratings, staffing, quality metrics, and an overall star rating. The Quality Metrics area compiles ratings from MDS 3.0 metrics, SNF QRP metrics, and NHC claims-based metrics to calculate a star rating for short-stay metrics, long-stay metrics, and an overall rating of quality measurement. Additionally, the staffing domain has recently developed two staffing metrics, which are expected to be incorporated into the star staffing methodology in July 2022.

The Five-Star quality measures are published on the Care Compare website, along with the results of several other measures of the MDS 3.0 and SNF QRP measures that are not used in the Five-Star QM domain methodology. Consumers use five-star ratings when comparing nursing homes, and hospitals consider them when making recommendations. Additionally, the five-star rating may impact the facility’s ability to obtain contracts with certain managed care plans or participate in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO).

SNF QRP measures

The SNF QRP is a reporting program. The IMPACT (Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation) Act requires SNFs and other post-acute care facilities to report standardized Medicare beneficiary data elements to enable comparison of outcomes between different facilities. Specifications and reporting requirements for each exercise are available on CMS’s SNF QRP Technical Information and Measures website. This program only penalizes establishments if they do not communicate the data necessary to calculate the SNF QRP measures. Institutions are not penalized based on the results of these measures. For the SNF QRP program, facilities must submit at least 80% of MDS assessments with 100 percent required MDS data as well as 100 percent data submitted to the National Health Care Safety Network (NHSN) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Failure to submit the required data results in a 2 percent reduction of the annual payment update for the year of the SNF QRP program. Although facilities are only penalized if they do not comply with reporting requirements, it is important to note that measurement results are made public on Care Compare.

SNF VBP measures

The SNF VBP program is the result of the Protecting Health Insurance Access Act (PAMA) and links health insurance reimbursement to quality outcomes. This program retains 2 percent of Medicare funds for the program year and redistributes 50 percent at 70 percent to NSFs as an incentive payment. Institutions are scored according to the higher of an achievement score (institution relative to all institutions) or an improvement score (institution relative to its own benchmark score). Since its inception, this program has relied on a single measure of readmission of Medicare beneficiaries; however, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 allows up to nine additional measures to be added to the program. Low performing facilities may receive no incentive payment and lose all 2 percent which has been selected, while the best performing facilities can earn incentive payments which could exceed the 2 percent detention.

Understanding Metrics in Multiple Programs

CMS proposed to adopt two existing SNF QRP metrics in the SNF VBP program: the Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) metric requiring hospitalizations for the 2026 program year and the Community Discharge metric for the 2027 program. These two measures are both 100 percent claims-based measures, which means that the data comes only from hospital health insurance claims and not from MDS assessments. This also means that installations are not penalized in the SNF QRP program since the installation does not report the data. However, these measures are both made public on Care Compare. In addition, the community discharge metric also applies to the five-star quality star rating, but uses the name “Rate of Successful Return to Home and Community from an SNF”. At this time, facilities do not face any direct penalties related to reporting or the results of these actions. However, if the proposal is finalized, the results of these measures will affect the incentive payments received under the VBP program.

In addition, CMS proposed a new measure for the FY2026 VBP program year: the staffing measure of total nursing hours per resident day. In the proposed rule, this metric refers to the methodology for total nursing hours per resident day in the five-star staffing area. However, this measure is different from the weekend staffing and turnover measures, which are also expected to impact the staffing area from July 2022. Although the staffing hours and the star ratings are made public and may have historically impacted consumer referrals and perspective, if finalized. , staffing metrics scores will also impact SNF VBP incentive payouts.

Basically, when an existing measurement is adopted into another program, the specifications of the measurement remain the same, but the data is used in a new way. This allows institutions to continue the quality improvement efforts currently in place for the measure, even if the impact of the measure on the institution has increased. When the focus is on overall quality improvement, both the facility and the residents benefit, regardless of which program the measure belongs to.

Jessie McGill, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, is a Curriculum Development Specialist for the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN).

“The public has been misled:” Oversight launches investigation into COVID deaths in nursing homes

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

By CASEY HARPER

THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) — Republicans on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis and the House Oversight Committee have joined forces in an investigation into the thousands of nursing home deaths in New State. York during COVID, saying New York Democrats ignored previous investigations.

The controversy began in 2020 when thousands of New York City nursing home residents died during the pandemic, drawing closer scrutiny from the government of the day. Andrew Cuomo’s policy of sending elderly patients recovering from COVID-19 to nursing homes.

Subsequently, Mr. Cuomo was criticized for allegations that he intentionally concealed deaths in nursing homes. New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released an audit earlier this year stating that the New York Department of Health “failed to account for more than approximately 4,100 lives in nursing homes. retirement due to COVID-19”.

“While the Department’s duty is to act only to promote public health, we have determined that, rather than providing accurate and reliable information during a public health emergency, the Department has instead matched its presentation to the narrative. of the executive, often presenting data in a way that misled the public,” the audit said.

Lawmakers have sent a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul demanding records of key information, including the total number of deaths and guidelines issued by the governor’s office “regarding discharges from hospitals to homes of nursing or any other kind of assisted living…”

“We owe it to the thousands of families who have lost loved ones in New York City nursing homes to hold Governor Cuomo accountable for his reckless policies that likely contributed to their deaths,” said Committee Ranking Member James Comer. monitoring. “It is high time that New York officials provide Congress with all the information and data on former Governor Cuomo’s murderous order. We need answers and accountability now.

Republicans say they have previously sent inquiries to Mr. Cuomo’s office to no avail.

“Every family deserves answers and accountability for the Corrupt Cuomo order that resulted in the deaths of thousands of elderly people in New York City nursing homes. For the sake of the families who needlessly lost loved ones, I provide critical oversight of all data on Cuomo’s death order,” said House Republican Conference Speaker Elise Stefanik. “We need to know what Kathy Hochul knew about Cuomo’s criminal retirement home cover-up and be held accountable for the senseless loss of life.”

Governor Hochul’s office did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Meet the New Head of Healthcare at Trumbull Regional | News, Sports, Jobs

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

WARREN — Cindy Russo’s entry into health care and career trajectory in the field were marked by times when she listened to good advice from good people and formed meaningful relationships that opened doors to new ones. opportunities.

From a 17-year-old in high school taking advice from her guidance counselor, to being pushed by a supervisor into a nursing management role, to a friendly conversation that later led to a job offer with Steward Health Care here in the Mahoning Valley are points in its history that Russo highlights as trainers.

“You just think about all the connections you make and why to me it’s so important to develop those relationships and have good networks…I’ve just had really good mentors and making those connections has helped me. helped in my career trajectory, as well as finding new places and new opportunities,” Russo said. “It’s always something I tell myself, I want to be able to do this for other people too.”

The final opportunity to be presented to Russo was the role of president of Trumbull Regional Medical Center, a position she assumed on July 1.

Russo, 63, from Vienna, recently sat down with this diary as she increasingly acclimatizes to having the office nook.

She joined Steward Health Care in 2021 as Chief Operating Officer for the Ohio and Pennsylvania Region with over two decades of hospital and healthcare leadership experience.

In this role, Russo was responsible for departments such as laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, select outpatient departments, Trumbull Regional and Sharon Regional Medical Center facilities, and offsite subsidiaries.

His appointment to this position dates back to a period of transition in his career. She was working with a job search representative who put her in touch with Robert Rogalski, now Steward’s regional president for Ohio and Pennsylvania. He had worked with the job search company.

“We had a conversation, it was great… we had a conversation (because at that time the position was not something that was available. We were just talking about each other’s experiences and so on and we found out his neighbor was the president of Central Maine Healthcare while I was there as COO (chief operating officer),” Russo said.

The moment apparently left a mark on Rogalski. When the COO position for the Ohio/Pennsylvania region opened up, he called Russo and offered her the job, she said.

Prior to joining Steward Health Care, Russo held several leadership positions at Lewiston, Maine-based Central Maine Healthcare, including interim president and chief operating officer. Additionally, she previously served as President and Executive Director of Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Mass.

She spent most of her career at Hartford Healthcare in Meriden, Connecticut, before becoming Vice President of Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Operations at MidState Medical Center.

Her entry into the field of health, specifically nursing, is the result of a meeting with her guidance counselor from high school and following the advice of this person.

“A lot of people will say that since they were little they wanted to be a nurse. That wasn’t me. met the guidance counselor who was also a good friend of the family, and I walked in and said… “I want to start looking for schools and I want to be in special education,” and she said, “No, you don’t.

Russo asked the obvious questions – what and why?

One answer, because that market would be saturated, “but more importantly, because I know you and I know the type of person you are and I think you should go into nursing,” Russo said, recounting what the counselor had said at the time.

That sealed the deal and Russo went into healthcare.

“To me again, that’s eye-opening. In my career, what I’ve learned is good advice from good people, and making those connections with good people and getting good advice has never let me down. leads to error,” Russo said.

This was another great piece of advice that applied to health care management.

“It never crossed my mind to go into management, to go into leadership. I always thought I would be at the bedside looking after patients and I said, what, that’s why I went to school, that’s why I’ll always be good,” she said. “(But) a supervisor tapped me on the shoulder and told me that I had a position to fill and that I would like you to speak about it.”

Russo took a chance and went in that direction. She learned to love the work, but had to overcome the feeling at first that she was betraying her profession.

“Like I was abandoning my patients in a way, so for a while I kind of swayed back and forth. I did a bit of nursing management as well as bedside nursing, but then on further reflection I said that if that is indeed where my skills and opportunities lead me, I have the opportunity to then influence the care of these patients and that’s when I was like, ‘OK, you can walk away now’, because I felt that at that moment , I wasn’t abandoning my patients, but I had the opportunity to influence their care in a different way,” Russo said. .

At Trumbull Regional, Russo was already familiar with hospital operations and the new position of president, but there is still a learning curve.

“I’ve served as president/CEO of several hospitals, a few home care agencies, but this market is different, this community is different and that’s where I think my learning curve is – for learn about the community, our physician base more than I’ve ever known before,” Russo said. “I think it’s important, I think it’s really important for the hospital to play a very important role in the community, and as a leader within that organization, it’s really important to have a connection to the community.”

rselak@tribtoday.com



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SF nursing home to stop rejections | New

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

SAN FRANCISCO — A city-run nursing home in San Francisco will stop discharging patients under a federally mandated closure plan after at least four patients died days or weeks after being transferred from Laguna Honda Hospital, officials said.

In April, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services halted payments to Laguna Honda after two patients had nonfatal overdoses at the facility in 2021, and California Department of Public Health inspectors said he was “in a state of substandard care.”

FY2023 Final Rule for Skilled Nursing Facilities Reduces Payments to Compensate for New Payment Model

Chelsey W. Vogt
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today released its final rule for fiscal year 2023 for the Skilled Nursing Facilities Prospective Payment System, which is expected to increase fiscal year 2023 payments by 2.7%, or $904 million, compared to fiscal year 2022. This includes a 3.9% market basket update, a 1.5 percentage point market basket forecast error adjustment, and a reduction in productivity of 0.3 percentage point. This figure also includes a parity adjustment lag of 2.3%; the agency has finalized its 4.6% parity adjustment compensation proposal, which it says is necessary to achieve a budget-neutral implementation of the new SNF case group system (the model patient-based payment system), but will be phased in over two years. These impact figures do not include purchase reductions based on the value of NFCs for certain NFCs. In addition, to mitigate the year-to-year instability of SNF PPS payments, CMS has also finalized a permanent 5% cap on annual wage index declines.

CMS will adopt a new quality metric for the SNF Quality Reporting Program that assesses the rate of flu vaccination coverage among healthcare workers from the SNF FY 2024 QRP, as opposed to the FY 2025 program as originally proposed. CMS will also require SNFs, effective October 1, 2023, to report certain measurements and patient data that have been delayed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

In addition, the SNF VBP program will adopt two new quality measures starting in the FY 2026 program year, with one additional measure in the FY 2027 program year; update the scoring methodology used to determine payout adjustments; and continue the policy of removing last year’s measures.

EDUCATORS TALK: Teaching healthcare professionals under a new normal setup

Chelsey W. Vogt
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THE Covid-19 crisis has disrupted many sectors, particularly the medical field, where the training of doctors, nurses, dentists and other health professionals has experienced unprecedented blockages.

Pandemic or not, it is still essential to train qualified and equipped health professionals to do more than just react. Thus, the University of the Philippines-College of Medicine (UPCM), UP-College of Nursing (UPCN) and UP-College of Dentistry (UPCD) have proposed collective efforts on how future clinical professionals can be trained. without compromising the need for knowledge and skills by using a synergistic roadmap for medical, nursing and dental education; traineeship; and same residence; using best practices and innovative teaching strategies.

All of this is made possible while adhering to guidelines set forth by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Health (DOH) in a joint circular.

For Dr. Charlotte Chiong, Dean of UPCM, it was truly a disturbing experience from the early days of the pandemic, when many of their colleagues succumbed to the disease.

“It pushed us to work really hard and think of innovative ways [to produce medical graduates] our country really needs,” said Dr Chiong during the recent “Stop Covid Deaths” webinar: “Reading MedisinaMedical care, at Dentistry her New Normal” hosted by UP, in partnership with UP-Manila NIH National Telehealth Center and in cooperation with UP-Philippine General Hospital.

She said UPCM has made several adjustments during the pandemic, particularly on the academic calendar, where UP system semesters have been shortened to 14 weeks from the original 16, all off-campus elective rotations have been canceled with electives moved to mid-year, and course durations have also been reduced.

“The learning outcomes have been reviewed and adjusted to the essentials: ‘must know, must do’, especially in the clinical years,” explained Dr. Chiong. She added that the teaching and learning methodologies were transformed to be delivered to UPCM’s Learning Management Systems (LMS): the Canvas and the UP Manila Virtual Learning Environment. .

Other changes, she said, involved the increased use of asynchronous learning and increased use of meeting platforms such as Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet: “We even offered honors students registration free to Harvard Medical School’s online courses in biochemistry and pharmacology. We have done this for 450 students over the past two years, and we plan to enroll another 220 before the next academic year.

The Dean also pointed out that assessments were done online using the Neuro Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, while psychosocial support was also provided to students, faculty and staff with more mentoring sessions, mindfulness training and even leniency in college course requirements and rules. as well as the virtualization of medical education using equipment provided by several donors.

“For the 2022-2023 academic year, we will combine distance technology-enhanced learning, online assessments, a mix of in-person and online lectures, and a mix of performance-based assessments and ‘in-person exams,’ Dr Chiong said.

Dr. Sheila Bonito, Dean of UPCN, noted that there were similarities and also variations in teaching changes in the said college. She also lamented that many schools have closed and clinical placements have been halted, while faculty development has been delayed due to the pandemic.

“It also revealed some issues, such as underinvestment in nursing education,” Dr. Bonito explained. “With insufficient investment, how can we continue to produce quality nurses? »

The dean said that UPCN was already doing this even before CHED made flexible learning compulsory for higher education, and that it had redesigned its courses, developed course modules, as well as designed learning activities. learning and planned assessments taking into account new ways of teaching and learning.

“We have also decoupled the courses to be able to deliver lectures, laboratory work and even clinical internships remotely,” she said. “Most importantly, faculty members also had to undergo training on how to redesign their courses, which we also shared with other nursing schools, being a CHED Center of Excellence.

Just like UPCM, UPCN has used online technologies such as LMS, Zoom meetings, video-based learning and the creation of virtual clinics that can give students the clinical practicum exposure scenario: a imaginary hospital setting where students perform various nursing duties.

“We believe that it is no longer possible to go back to the old ways of teaching and learning. The threat of infection will always be there, and there will be other challenges in the future,” she said.

Finally, Dr. Danilo Magtanong, Dean of the UPCD, pointed out that some members of the college, as well as other schools in the country, still hope that education will go back to the old way once the pandemic is over, or “return to normal”. “Personally, I wouldn’t want to go back there, because there’s nothing to come back to. Our so-called response to the pandemic, such as upgrading and renovating all college facilities, should not be seen as our preparations for the new normal. This is the environment necessary for training in dentistry long before.

He said the pandemic has exposed inadequacies, inabilities and a disregard for real-life situations in clinical training, and the risks, perils and dangers that come with them: “Our harsh lesson here is this: we simply lucky to have come this far.

Michigan nursing home providers to see survey reform after bill takes effect

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Nursing home owners in the state of Michigan should anticipate changes to the speed and consistency of the state’s investigative process after the governor signed a bill earlier this week.

House Bill 5609, which was introduced in December last year, sought to establish clearer standards for health care inspectors in the state.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer gave the green light to the bill on July 25.

State Rep. Bronna Kahle, one of the lawmakers who introduced the bill, previously told Skilled Nursing News in an interview that she wanted to see a regulatory process that recognizes both the struggles and successes of providers. individual, and offering support and guidance throughout the course. of Covid – rather than creating obstacles.

“In Michigan, we were cited at more than four times the national average for staffing ratios,” she explained. “The fact is, we’re well above comparable national staffing ratios.”

Other sponsors of the bill included Representatives Jack O’Malley, Jeff Yaroch, Joseph Bellino, Bob Bezotte and Karen Whitsett.

Kahle previously told SNN that the purpose of the bill was not to downplay the importance of skilled nursing oversight, but rather to bring the state back into line with others across the country in this regard. regarding the frequency, scope and severity of citations.

“These facilities have struggled and adapted and ultimately become more nimble and innovative through the pandemic and it seems that rather than the state acknowledging the struggles that they have been through… it seems the state, through the regulatory process, yields a big stick that does not lead to better care outcomes,” she said.

Sheila’s Angels In Home Care provides home health care services in Clear Lake that provide independence and security for seniors

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Houston, TX – Veterans are a unique health care population. They have specific needs that must be taken into account to ensure that they receive the best care possible. Home health care services for veterans is a growing field and many companies are specifically focused on providing care to this population. For the best possible service, it is essential to choose a provider with experienced, compassionate and reliable caregivers who understand the unique needs of seniors. In Clear Lake, Sheila’s Angels In Home Care is that provider.

The Clear Lake Home Health Care provider provides quality services to older veterans and their families. The company was founded by Sheila, a registered nurse who has worked in the healthcare industry for over 20 years. Sheila personally cared for her mother, who succumbed to a long battle with cancer. This experience and that of working in hospitals inspired her to dedicate her life to helping those in need and ensuring that they receive the best care possible. She has a team of experienced and compassionate caregivers who understand the unique needs of seniors. Each member of their team has been highly trained and background checked to ensure they provide the highest quality of care possible. Their goal is to help seniors stay healthy and independent in their own homes without having to move to assisted living facilities or nursing homes.

This award-winning home care provider offers a wide range of affordable and exceptional home care services to meet the unique needs of each individual. These services include personal care, housekeeping, transportation, shopping, laundry, food preparation, companionship, in-home RN assessment, RN wellness checks, respite care, etc. . To ensure that every veteran receives the best care possible, Clear Lake Home Health Care has a Caregiver Matching Service that ensures each client is matched with a caregiver they are compatible with. This allows for a more personalized level of care that meets everyone’s needs.

Specialized services are also available for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Their caregivers are specially trained in communication and the care of people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, hearing loss and aphasia. Their care plans are managed by registered nurses and are updated over time to ensure that each client receives the best possible care. In addition, their services are available 24 hours a day with flexible hours to meet the needs of each client.

The Clear Lake Home Health Care The provider has a Veterans Assistance Program that helps veterans access all VA benefits to which they are entitled. Additionally, they offer a Long Term Insurance Assistance Program that helps veterans apply for and access long term care insurance benefits. Sheila’s Angels In Home Care bills insurance companies directly to ensure clients are able to maintain control over their lives, health and well-being.

Sheila’s Angels In Home Care is located at 1350 Nasa Parkway st 204, Houston, TX, 77058, USA. To schedule a free, no-obligation home care assessment, contact their team at (281) 480-4846. For more information on the services offered, visit their website.

Media Contact

Company Name
Sheila’s Angels in Home Care
Contact Name
Sheila Perrin
Call
(281) 480-4846
Address
1350 NASA Parkway 204
Town
Houston
State
TX
Postal code
77058
Country
United States
Website
https://www.sheilasangels.com/

Grieving girl responds to Sydney care home inquiry

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Virginia Clarke’s father has died after COVID-19 ravaged his nursing home.

Ron Farrell, 94, was one of 19 residents who died at Newmarch House in western Sydney in 2020.

On Tuesday, Clarke was one of the first family members to respond to the inquiry into what happened at Newmarch.

“There was no way Dad would survive, so they said they were going to make him comfortable,” Clarke said.

READ MORE: Cryptocurrency Founder Leaves Traces of Burnt Investors Behind

Ron Farrell, 94, was one of 19 residents who died at Newmarch House in western Sydney in 2020. (Nine)

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It was the last time she spoke to her father. “I said ‘could I talk to him?’ and they held the phone to his ear, and he couldn’t talk, but I could talk to him.”

Clarke said goodbye.

Farrell had lived in the residential care facility since 2013. “He chose Newmarch. He wanted to go,” Clarke said.

The inquest is looking into all the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Newmarch residents.

Virginia Clarke's father died after COVID-19 tore through his nursing home. Ron Farrell, 94, was one of 19 residents who died at Newmarch House in western Sydney in 2020.
The inquest is looking into all the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Newmarch residents. (New)
Virginia Clarke has described how she discovered by accident that her father Ron Farrell, 94, had COVID-19 in his nursing <a class=home. A few days later, she said goodbye on the phone.”/>
Virginia Clarke has described how she discovered by accident that her father Ron Farrell, 94, had COVID-19 in his nursing home. A few days later, she said goodbye on the phone. (New)

“It was very important to me because there was so much confusion at the time, we weren’t allowed to see dad.

A lot of families couldn’t see their loved ones,” Clarke said.

Farrell was an RAAF vet. He first enjoyed living in Newmarch.

But when the outbreak hit, her family say they felt left in the dark.

“Dad didn’t know what was going on. No one spoke to him or said anything to him,” Clarke told the inquest.

“Just trying to get information, trying to find out his test results, was very frustrating because by this point they had moved all the phones to a central area and people didn’t know what was happening at the central office, so they said “we’ll get someone to contact you”, and that’s all I got.”

Clarke said she only found out by accident that her father had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

“Someone rang like a courtesy call to check on us, and she said ‘you don’t know?’ and I said ‘no, we’re still waiting to find out what’s going on with dad’.

Virginia Clarke's father died after COVID-19 tore through his nursing home. Ron Farrell, 94, was one of 19 residents who died at Newmarch House in western Sydney in 2020.
Farrell was an RAAF vet. He first enjoyed living in Newmarch. But when the outbreak hit, her family say they felt left in the dark. (New)

She said ‘oh, he tested positive'”.

READ MORE: Sydney rapist convicted after A Current Affair revealed sickening state of mind while on parole

Solicitor Assistant Coroner Simon Buchen SC told the inquest hearing that Newmarch House was not properly prepared for the scale of the COVID-19 outbreak.

He suggested the Anglicare Nursing Home was in the grip of ‘chaos and dysfunction when the epidemic hit’.

There were gaps in care, medication and the provision of meals, there was a level of disorganization and it was unclear who was responsible, he told the court.

The investigation is expected to last three weeks.

Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee said it will be a transparent, independent and full inquest.

Several experts will be called, as well as a number of family members of the victims.

Mary Van Put told the inquest she wanted her father removed from Newmarch House before he contracted COVID-19.

She said her family had been threatened with a fine or jail time for violating a public health order.

His father died 10 days later.

Farrell’s daughter is critical that many of the COVID-19 deaths at Newmarch are associated with underlying health conditions. She thinks her father would have had more time.

“All of those who died had underlying health conditions,” Clarke said.

“Unfortunately, when you walk into a care home it’s usually because you have an underlying medical condition.

Virginia Clarke's father died after COVID-19 tore through his nursing home. Ron Farrell, 94, was one of 19 residents who died at Newmarch House in western Sydney in 2020.
Clarke hopes lessons can be learned from the survey to try to better protect older people from future outbreaks. (New)

“Dad was looking forward to his 95th birthday, he had already planned it, he was going to have a barbecue and I think, even with underlying health issues, if he hadn’t had COVID he would have survived a little bit longer.”

Clarke hopes lessons can be learned from the survey to try to better protect older people from future outbreaks.

“They said they had policies and procedures for a pandemic, but obviously (they) weren’t enough to protect people,” she said.

“So maybe two years later, learning from the mistakes that happened at Newmarch, they can come up with something to protect people.”

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AAFC
(New)

Grants to KY colleges to boost healthcare workforce / Public News Service

Chelsey W. Vogt
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A shortage of nurses and medical technicians has left communities across the Commonwealth struggling to meet healthcare demands. In response, the state board of education launched a new initiative aimed at increasing the number of students entering health fields.

State lawmakers have pledged $10 million to participating colleges and universities.

Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council on Post-Secondary Education, said the money will be distributed as grants to technical and community schools and four-year colleges, and said institutions must have a degree pipeline for students.

“They need to have a partnership with those employers who are willing to put their skin in the game,” Thompson explained. “A lot of our health care agencies put professors on campus, they invest their money in scholarships.”

According status data, Kentucky health care facilities operate with 12% to 20% nursing staff required. The state is expected to need more than 16,000 additional nurses by 2024.

Thompson pointed out that rural areas in particular need innovative ways to attract faculty and improve academic support, resources and clinical experiences for students.

“It’s very much a process of creating good clinical opportunities,” noted Thompson. “We need to expand our ways of thinking about clinical opportunities, and just the traditional way of doing it.”

He added that electronic records, mental health, and therapeutic and rehabilitative services are also experiencing staffing shortages, while at the same time the state is seeing the number of high school students entering college decline.

He argued that community colleges are uniquely suited to step in and fill the void.

“The other part, too, is that they provide most of the dual credit here in Kentucky, so we can start this pipeline for dual credit courses early,” Thompson pointed out. “We can do it statewide.”

The shortage of health professionals also affects neighboring regions. According to a investigation published last year by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, more than 90% of nurses said the pandemic had exhausted nurses in their hospitals and as a result their careers would be shorter than expected.

Support for this report was provided by Lumina Foundation.

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Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBRA) Receives Consensus “Hold” Rating from Brokerages

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBRA – Get a rating) received a consensus rating of “Hold” by the twelve rating agencies that currently cover the stock, market beat reports. Seven equity research analysts rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five gave the company a buy recommendation. The 12-month average price target among brokers who have covered the stock over the past year is $15.85.

A number of brokerages have recently released reports on SBRA. Capital One Financial began covering Sabra Health Care REIT in a research note on Friday, June 3. They set an “equal weight” rating and a price target of $15.50 on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Sabra Health Care REIT from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced its target price for the stock from $15.00 to $14.00 in a Thursday research note June 30th. Mizuho upgraded Sabra Health Care REIT from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced its target price for the stock from $16.00 to $15.00 in a Wednesday, May 25 research note. StockNews.com began covering Sabra Health Care REIT in a research note on Thursday, March 31. They issued a “holding” rating on the stock. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised its price target on Sabra Health Care REIT from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a Monday, April 4 research note.

Sabra Health Care REIT Stock up 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ: SBRA opened at $14.74 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $14.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.62. Sabra Health Care REIT has a 12-month low of $11.44 and a 12-month high of $19.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.40 billion, a P/E ratio of -30.08 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 3.60, a quick ratio of 3.60 and a debt ratio of 0.70.

Sabra Health Care REIT (NASDAQ: SBRA – Get a rating) last reported quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 4. The real estate investment trust reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.18 for the quarter, beating consensus analyst estimates of $0.17 by $0.01. Sabra Health Care REIT posted a negative return on equity of 3.15% and a negative net margin of 18.28%. During the same quarter of the previous year, the company achieved EPS of $0.39. On average, stock analysts expect Sabra Health Care REIT to post 1.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Sabra Health Care REIT announces dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 31. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 16 received a dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 13. This represents an annualized dividend of $1.20 and a yield of 8.14%. Sabra Health Care REIT’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -244.89%.

Sabra Health Care REIT Institutional Negotiation

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently been buying and selling stocks. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings of Sabra Health Care REIT shares by 2.4% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 36,317,289 shares of the real estate investment trust worth $540,765,000 after purchasing an additional 859,548 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its equity stake in Sabra Health Care REIT by 1.5% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 17,124,112 shares of the real estate investment trust worth $254,977,000 after purchasing an additional 256,869 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings of Sabra Health Care REIT shares 18.1% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,035,766 shares of the real estate investment trust valued at $179,213,000 after buying an additional 1,840,939 shares in the last quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Sabra Health Care REIT by 23.3% during the fourth quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC now owns 7,289,224 shares of the real estate investment trust worth $98,695,000 after acquiring an additional 1,377,573 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Sabra Health Care REIT by 7.5% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 5,486,951 shares of the real estate investment trust valued at $81,701,000 after acquiring 384,092 additional shares last quarter. 91.61% of the shares are currently held by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sabra Health Care REIT Company Profile

(Get a rating)

As of March 31, 2022, Sabra’s investment portfolio included 416 properties held for investment. These include (i) 279 skilled nursing/transitional care facilities, (ii) 59 senior housing communities (senior residences – leased), (iii) 50 senior housing communities operated by third-party property managers pursuant to property management agreements (retirement homes – managed), (iv) 13 behavioral health facilities and (v) 15 specialty hospitals and other facilities), an asset held for sale, an investment in a lease-purchase, 16 investments in loans receivable (including (i) two mortgage loans, (ii) a construction loan and (iii) 13 other loans), seven investments in preferred shares and an investment in a unconsolidated joint venture.

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Nursing home cases and deaths rise again

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

As COVID-19 continues to spread seemingly everywhere, President Biden is the latest in a long line of government leaders to become infected, isolating himself with mild symptoms. Most Americans said in a recent poll that they don’t think COVID-19 will ever go away. To encourage vaccination adoption among its members, the Air Force is now providing them with the newly approved Novavax, which uses technology more familiar than the mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer.

Nursing home cases and deaths rise again

COVID-19 cases and deaths among residents of U.S. nursing homes have increased substantially over the past two months, according to new data from AARP. Nearly 3,000 per 100,000 nursing home residents tested positive for COVID-19 in June, marking a 27% increase from the previous month. Deaths have also increased, with 70 per 100,000 people dying from COVID, up from 40 per 100,000 in May. The numbers are comparable to those recorded in early 2020 before vaccines became available. About 72% of nursing home residents nationwide are fully immunized with at least one booster, just below California’s rate of about 79%.

Bay Area is no longer California’s COVID hotspot

After several weeks of consistently reporting the highest COVID-19 infection rates in California, all nine Bay Area counties this week fell below the state average for new daily cases. The region now averages about 40 cases per 100,000 people compared to the overall state average of 45 per 100,000, based on public health department data analyzed by The Chronicle. Rural areas like Kings, Imperial and Del Norte counties are reporting the highest rate of daily infections, with the latter having 138 new cases per 100,000 people. But population centers like Los Angeles County, with 61 per 100,000, and San Diego County, with 56 per 100,000, are the new problem areas. California’s coronavirus test positivity rate, which is the proportion of positive tests, climbed to 16.7% on Friday. Deaths are also rising, with 41 people dying daily from COVID-19, up from 30 a month ago. In the Bay Area, there were 825 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday, the highest number since February.

President Biden’s condition has ‘improved’, says White House doc

President Biden’s COVID-19 symptoms “have improved” after his first day of taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid, White House physician Kevin O’Connor said in a letter Friday. The president had a fever of 99.4 F overnight and was given Tylenol, he added. Biden continues to have a runny nose and cough, while “his pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation remain completely normal,” the letter states. On Thursday, the White House announced that Biden had tested positive after his recent trip to the Middle East and repeatedly assured that the president was working hard while self-isolating in residential areas of the White House with very mild symptoms. . Biden tweeted Thursday.

Bay Area man says he co-infected COVID, monkeypox: ‘Incredibly unlucky’

Sevastopol resident Mitcho Thompson says he tested positive for coronavirus in late June at the same time he was diagnosed with monkeypox. “The doctor was very certain I had monkeypox and I had both,” Thompson told NBC Bay Area. “That was the question. Can I have them at the same time? And he said, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’ He compared the feeling of co-infection to a bad flu. “Really sick,” he said. “And the worst was honestly where I could barely get out of bed and you could barely drink a glass of water.” Health experts say that although rare, it is possible to catch both viruses simultaneously. “It’s just unbelievably bad luck,” said Stanford professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist Dr. Dean Winslow.

BART sees decline in mask-wearing since mandate lifted

About 89% of BART passengers wore face coverings in June, based on regular monitoring by transit agents. BART operators conduct counts four times a month during morning and evening shifts to collect data on mask-wearing on trains – counting only passengers wearing masks covering their mouths and noses. Others are considered “non-compliant,” according to agency data. In the first three months of the year, officials saw roughly 98% compliance, but that figure has been steadily declining since April, when BART canceled, then reinstated a week later, its mask requirement. . The agency lifted the mandate again on Monday but will return to the matter at its next board meeting on July 28.

Over 97% of US counties have high or substantial COVID transmission

America is in the midst of the seventh wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 93% of US counties reporting high levels of COVID-19 transmission and an additional 4% in the “substantial category”, according to data released Thursday. by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This includes all of California’s counties, which are also classified as having high COVID-19 community levels in 51 of its 58 counties. Community levels include measures based on daily cases and hospital admissions. The latest wave of cases is due to the highly transmissible BA.5 omicron subvariant of the virus.

Air Force encourages use of Novavax vaccine

The Air Force will make the protein-based Novavax coronavirus vaccine available in the coming weeks for its members who have been hesitant to get an mRNA vaccine despite the Department of Defense’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement. . “Most airmen and guards have already received vaccines using similar technology to the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, such as the hepatitis B vaccine, which is a Department of Defense requirement. Other vaccines produced with similar technology are the human papillomavirus vaccine and even one of the flu vaccines,” said Lt. Col. David Sayers, chief of preventive medicine, Air Force Medical Readiness Agency. “The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine uses technology that has been around since the 1980s. Not only do we have efficacy and safety data from Novavax clinical trials, but we also have decades of experience with this type of vaccine. .

UCSF’s Wachter weighs in on Biden diagnosis

Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of medicine at UCSF, analyzed President Biden’s diagnosis of COVID-19 in a Thursday Twitter feed, highlighting the long COVID as a risk it faces. He noted a risk of at least 5% of persistent symptoms such as exhaustion or brain fog, “nor good for someone in their line of work”. Wachter added that the president may also face a “small but significant long-term increased risk of heart attack, stroke.” Wachter said that since the president is taking Paxlovid, he could experience a rebound infection, but the benefits of the antiviral drug in preventing serious consequences from the disease outweigh the risks. Biden’s vaccination and boosters mean the president is likely to be fine, Wachter said, adding, “I wish him an easy course.”

COVID-infected Biden says it’ll be ‘OK’

President Joe Biden, in a video message, reassured Americans that he was feeling fine after testing positive for COVID. “Hey people, I guess you heard. This morning I tested positive for COVID,” Biden said in a video posted on social media Thursday afternoon. “But I was double vaccinated, double boosted. Symptoms are mild. The White House said he was working in solitary confinement until he tested negative and suffered from coughing, runny nose and fatigue. “Waiting, thank you for your concern“, Biden said. “And keep the faith. It’s going to be okay.” The president’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, said in a statement that Biden had a runny nose and “fatigue, with an occasional dry cough, which began last night.” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added that Biden was taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid.

Province Announces $5.2 Million for Training Programs to Address Health Care Staffing Shortages

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

The Manitoba government is spending $5.2 million on two programs to help address staffing shortages in the health care system and increase Indigenous representation on the ground, two cabinet ministers announced Thursday.

The two programs, the Skills Development Program and the Indigenous Adult Health Internship, will provide the training and resources needed to meet immediate and emerging workforce needs in the health care sector, said the Economic Development, Investment and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen.

The Skills Development Program provides career counseling and financial support to eligible individuals seeking post-secondary education through programs lasting up to two years. Funding is available for students pursuing studies to become a health care aide, health office clerk, medical office assistant, pharmacy technician, or practical nursing student.

The Indigenous Adult Health Internship Program is an initiative between Indigenous communities and Southern Health-Santé Sud, serving a population of over 216,000 residents. The program has been running since 2015 and has seen 100 students enrolled in the program, said Jane Curtis, CEO of Southern Health-Santé Sud.

The program runs for 12 to 14 weeks each year from September to December and offers Aboriginal people the opportunity to participate in pre-employment training programs, job shadowing and paid internships.

“A quarter of these students were able to secure employment opportunities with Southern Health-Santé Sud,” Curtis said. “I am delighted to see increased support for students to participate in this program, as it has resulted in many successes and contributes to efforts to strengthen the health workforce. »

Design study announced for Beauséjour Road

Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk announced Thursday that the province will commission a functional design study for Provincial Highway 215 (Park Avenue) in Beausejour.

Some of the improvements include pavement surface and curb works, improved turning movements and improvements at the intersections of Provincial Trunk Road 44, PR 215 and PR 302.

“This project spanned over 15 years and began with previous councils,” Beauséjour Mayor Ray Schirle said in a press release. “The Town of Beauséjour is delighted that the Government of Manitoba is bringing this project to fruition.

Construction is expected to begin in 2025-26, but interim surface preservation treatment is planned on Beauséjour’s main tracks to improve existing conditions.

Dallas Nursing Home Operator Secured $44 Million Ch. 11 Sale

Chelsey W. Vogt
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By Vince Sullivan (July 20, 2022, 7:01 p.m. EDT) — Dallas-area nursing home operators Christian Care Centers Inc. on Wednesday received approval from a Texas bankruptcy judge for a sale of $44.2 million under Chapter 11 of its three facilities, which will be able to close quickly and allow the new owner to continue to provide care to hundreds of residents.

In a hearing, debtor attorney Buffey E. Klein of Husch Blackwell LLP told the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas that a number of objections to the sale had been fully resolved or deferred to a date. later, paving the way for approval. of the only qualified Christian Care offer…

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Goshen College gets $4 million to renovate and expand nursing facilities – Inside INdiana Business

Chelsey W. Vogt
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(photo courtesy of Goshen College)

Goshen College received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The college says the funding will allow it to renovate historic Westlawn Hall, triple the size of its nursing facilities and increase enrollment.

Approximately 18,000 square feet on the second and third floors of Westlawn Hall will be renovated to create a nursing education center. The renovated facilities will include three inpatient simulation rooms and six exam rooms for simulation training, as well as a 10-bed skills lab, central teaching area, flexible classrooms, student lounges , study areas and offices.

With the additional space, the college says it will be able to quadruple the number of nursing students, which will help address the shortage of nurses in Elkhart County and the surrounding area.

“Goshen College is pleased and grateful for this investment from EDA, which will support the expansion of our highly regarded nursing program and address a critical shortage of skilled nursing labor in the region,” said the President Rebecca Stoltzfus. “The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of trained nurses and healthcare professionals in an emergency. As a regional workforce training provider for the health sector, we are well placed to help prepare the region’s workforce for future health emergencies, which will increase the resilience of the region in the face of future health-related crises.

In total, the renovation is estimated at $5.7 million, and the EDA’s investment will be matched by the college’s $1.7 million.

The college plans to begin renovations in 2023.

Home Healthcare and Residential Nursing Services Market is Booming Globally

Chelsey W. Vogt
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According to research experts from Qurate Research, “Global Home health care and residential nursing services Market 2022 Insights, Size, Sharing, Growth, Opportunities, Emerging Trends, Forecast to 2028.” The study is an anthology of in-depth research studies on many aspects of the global home healthcare and services industry institutional nursing. It is an admirable effort to offer a true and transparent picture of the current and future conditions of the global Home Healthcare and Home Nursing Services market based on credible facts and exceptionally accurate data.

“Global Home Healthcare and Residential Nursing Services Market Overviews, Size, Share, Growth, Opportunities, Emerging Trends, Forecast to 2028,” according to a report by Qurate Research. Several in-depth research studies on various facets of the global Home Healthcare and Facility Nursing Services market are included in the report. It is a commendable effort to present a fair and transparent view of the current and future status of the global Home Healthcare and Home Nursing Services market based on reliable facts and extraordinarily accurate statistics.

The main players profiled in this report are:

Bayer Health
Omron Health
UnitedHealthcare Global
Teleflex Corporation
Southwood Health Center
Medtronic, F. Hoffmann-La Roche
Praxair Technologies
Phillips Health

Key Segmentation of the Home Healthcare and Facility Nursing Services Market:

On the basis of types, the cloud service brokerage (CSB) market from 2015 to 2025 is majorly split into:

Operations management
Catalog management
Workload Management
Reports and Analytics
Security and compliance

On the basis of applications, the Cloud Services Brokerage (CSB) market from 2015 to 2025 covers:

IT and Telecommunications
Retail and consumer goods
Manufacturing
Government and public sector
Media and Entertainment

Scope of Home Healthcare and Residential Nursing Services Market Report:
The research examines the major players of the global Home Healthcare and Institutional Nursing Care Services market in detail, focusing on their market share, gross margin, net profit, sales, product portfolio , new applications, recent developments and other factors. It also sheds light on the vendor landscape, helping the players to forecast future competitive moves in the global Home Healthcare and Residential Nursing Care businesses.

This study estimates the market size in terms of value (million USD) and volume (million units) (K units). Both top-down and bottom-up techniques have been used to estimate and validate the market size of the Home Healthcare and Residential Nursing Services market, as well as the size of various other dependent submarkets in the overall market. To identify significant players in the market, secondary research was used, and both primary and secondary research were used to determine their market shares. All breakdowns and percentage breakdowns have been calculated using secondary sources and verified sources.

The updated market report is available at the link below:@ https://www.qurateresearch.com/report/buy/HnM/global-home-health-care-and-residential-nursing-care-services-market/QBI-MR-HnM-1125659/

COVID-19 pandemic has had a major influence on the Home Health Care and Residential Nursing Services industry. In the second quarter, the sector showed signs of recovery around the world, but the long-term recovery remains a concern as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, especially in Asian countries like India. series of setbacks and surprises. As a result of the outbreak, many shifts in buyer behavior and thinking have occurred. As a result, the industry is even more stressed. As a result, market expansion should be limited.

Home Healthcare and Facility Nursing Services Market Region Majorly Focusing:
— European market for home health care and home nursing services (Austria, France, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom),
– Home healthcare and home nursing services market in Asia-Pacific and Australia (China, South Korea, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan),
– The home health care and home nursing services market in the Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria),
– Latin America/South America Home Healthcare and Home Nursing Services Market (Brazil & Argentina), – North America Home Healthcare and Home Nursing Services Market ( Canada, Mexico and United States)

A sample free report from Qurate Research includes: FREE PDF SAMPLE
1) Introduction, Overview and In-Depth Industry Analysis for 2021 Updated Report
2) Impact analysis of the COVID-19 outbreak
3) A research report of more than 205 pages
4) Upon request, provide chapter-by-chapter assistance.
5) Updated regional analysis for 2021 with graphical representation of size, share and trends
6) Includes an updated list of tables and figures.
7) The report has been updated to include business strategies, sales volume, and revenue analysis of key market players.
8) Methodology of facts and factors for research

The main questions answered by this report are:
• How to get a free copy of Sample Home Healthcare and Residential Nursing Services Market Report and Company Profiles?
• What are the major drivers for the expansion of the Home Health Care and Residential Nursing Services market?
• What is the anticipated size and growth rate of the Home Health Care and Residential Nursing Services market?
• Who are the leading companies in the Home Health Care and Institutional Nursing Services Market?
• What market segments does the home healthcare and residential nursing services market cover?

Contents:

Chapter 1 Home Health Care and Facility Nursing Services Market Introduction
Chapter 2 Executive
2.1 Home Health Care and Home Nursing Services Market 3600 Overview, 2018- 2028
2.1.1 Industry trends
2.1.2 Material trends
2.1.3 Product trends
2.1.4 Operating trends
2.1.5 Distribution channel trends
2.1.6 Regional trends

Chapter 3 Home Health Care and Facility Nursing Services Market Overview
3.1 Industry Segmentation
3.2 Industry Ecosystem Analysis
3.2.1 Component Suppliers
3.2.2 Producers
3.2.3 Profit Margin Analysis
3.2.4 Distribution Channel Analysis
3.2.5 Impact of COVID-19 on the market value chain
3.2.6 Vendor Analysis
3.3 Technology landscape
3.4 Regulatory landscape
3.4.1 North America
3.4.2 Europe
3.4.3 Asia-Pacific
3.4.4 Latin America
3.4.5 Middle East and Africa
3.5 Price Analysis (including impact of COVID-19)
3.5.1 By region
3.5.1.1 North America
3.5.1.2 Europe
3.5.1.3 Asia-Pacific
3.5.1.4 Latin America
3.5.1.5 Middle East and Africa
3.5.2 Cost structure analysis
3.6 Industry impact forces
3.6.1 Drivers of growth
3.6.2 Industry Disadvantages and Challenges
3.6.2.1 Focus on weight reduction
3.7 Innovation & sustainability
3.8 Growth Potential Analysis, 2020
3.9 Competitive landscape, 2020
3.9.1 Company Market Share
3.9.2 Main actors
3.9.3 Strategy Dashboard
3.10 Porter’s analysis
3.11 PILON analysis

Chapter 4 Disclaimer

A question? Inquire here for discount or report customization

Contact us:

Nehal ChinoyQurate Business Intelligence Pvt ltd.
The Web:www.qurateresearch.com
Email: sales@qurateresearch.com
Phone: USA – +13393375221

*Thank you for reading this article ; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.

Ill. Court denies arbitration in nursing home death lawsuit

Chelsey W. Vogt
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By Lauraann Wood (July 18, 2022, 8:31 p.m. EDT) — An Illinois nursing home is facing negligence claims and other allegations regarding the death of a resident in 2019 in court because The settlement’s arbitration agreement became unenforceable immediately after the death, a state appeals panel said.

Oakbrook Healthcare Center Ltd. cannot arbitrate Nancy Clanton’s claims regarding the death of her mother, Laurel Jansen, because the facility’s contract with Jansen contained language expressly terminating their agreement either on seven days’ notice or immediately upon the death of the resident , a three-judge appeals panel said Friday.

“While we cannot know why the drafters inserted such a broad termination clause, defendants cannot avoid the effect of…

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Don’t be afraid to tackle health care reform in BC and across Canada – Maple Ridge News

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Our health care system is more or less still in some sort of minor crisis.

There’s always a shortage of doctors, or a shortage of nurses, or overcrowding in the emergency room, or long waits for hip and knee surgeries.

It’s frankly impossible for such a massive and vital system to run perfectly all the time, so there will always be some sort of problem that needs fixing.

This time it’s different.

When ERs in parts of British Columbia, especially in the north, close their doors to patients because there are simply no more doctors or nurses to come and staff them, it’s a crisis on a whole new level.

The lack of fundamental reform in the way we deliver healthcare and how we educate and recruit healthcare workers has long been at the heart of our ongoing mini-crises.

Today, COVID and a rapidly growing and aging population are exposing areas where several previous governments simply applied band-aid solutions.

Previous mini-reforms may have solved individual problems. But none of them addressed the broader issues of an understaffed and overworked system.

The fact that our healthcare system is free and accessible to all, unlike the American system, is often presented as a sort of shield against criticism.

The choice is seen as binary – the Canadian socialized system that benefits everyone, or the American system that lets the poor slip through the cracks while providing gold-plated medical services to the wealthy.

But it’s a fake binary. There will always be people who will advocate having an American-style system – after all, it allows a few people to make giant piles of money – but we don’t have to go that route.

We can undertake major reforms and experiments in the way we deliver health care, entirely within the framework of universal care delivery.

READ ALSO: LETTER – Elect a Maple Ridge Council that takes governance seriously

READ ALSO: LETTER – Maple Ridge resident says outage exposed miscommunication

And we will have to, because what we are doing now is not working.

There are hints of new and better approaches – urgent care centres, faster accreditation for foreign doctors, the possibility of remunerating family GPs – but so far these approaches have been piecemeal or unhelpful. were not pushed with enough vigor.

These and other ideas, including those of people working in the current system, patients, outside experts, other countries, can help us restructure and get through this emergency, and beyond.

Solving this crisis is not enough. Now we need to find better ways to provide universal health care to all British Columbians.

EditorialsHealthOpinion

Dallas nursing home operator seeks OK for $44 million Ch. 11 Sale

Chelsey W. Vogt
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By Rick Archer (July 15, 2022, 6:55 p.m. EDT) — Dallas-area nonprofit retirement home operator Christian Care Centers Inc. told a Texas bankruptcy judge on Friday that it would ask him to approve the sale of his assets to harassing bidder Horses in his Chapter 11 sale for $44.2 million.

The company told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stacey Jernigan that it had canceled an auction scheduled for Thursday and accepted the offer from North Texas Benevolent Holdings LLC, or NTBH, after receiving no other qualified offers by the deadline. July 12 offers.

CCCI, which operates three facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with a total of 760 units, has filed for Chapter…

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The Current State of Health Care in Clearwater – Barriere Star Journal

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Our team at the hospital hears and understands your frustrations with the ongoing emergency department closures. We know it’s frustrating. We know that’s scary. We know that is not an acceptable way to continue.

What you may not know are the realities of why this is happening and everything we are doing to try to fix this issue. Some background information.

Our hospital is made up of three types of people in direct patient care:

– Registered nurses (RN). They are what most people think of when they think “nurse”. These are the people who have the training and skills to assess and triage patients, administer medications, and perform certain critical care skills. There are certain treatments and medications they are allowed to give before receiving doctor’s orders within their scope of practice. These are the nurses who work in our emergency room, but not all RNs are trained/certified to work in the emergency room. According to College regulations and for safety reasons, RNs who do not have the training cannot occupy the emergency room.

– Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). These nurses are an often under-recognized part of health care. They are nurses whose scope is not as wide as a registered nurse, but they provide most of the day-to-day care of inpatients in our hospital. They do not have certification to provide IV medications and initiate critical care interventions. They often help in our ER, but are not trained or licensed (by College regulations) to be the only nurse in the ER.

– Doctors (doctors). They are people trained in the diagnosis and treatment of multiple medical problems. The physicians in our emergency room are family physicians who have undergone additional education and training to be able to provide emergency care outside of a tertiary care facility (eg Royal Inland Hospital ). Some of our attending physicians have also undergone extensive training to work at any level of emergencies. They work closely with RNs and LPNs to provide patient care.

During a day with all the necessary staff, our hospital is served by: one LPN per shift, one day shift, one night shift; three RNs, one day shift, one night shift and one on the emergency shift from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; a doctor, on call 24 hours a day from 8 to 8 a.m. and 48 hours from Saturday 8 a.m. to Monday 8 a.m. on weekends; and our locum physicians, who come to cover emergency work from Friday 6:00 p.m. to Monday 8:00 a.m.

If you look at these shifts, that means that in any given week there are 14 LPN shifts, 21 RN shifts, and six physician shifts. RNs and LPNs typically work four days in a row per shift (four 12-hour shifts = 48 hours per week). Our doctors work in the clinic when they are not working in the hospital.

This means that, at a minimum, you need six RNs and four LPNs to staff the hospital for a week. Our hospital is designated for eight RNs and four LPNs. Currently we have four RNs and four RPNs.

We have positions for up to seven additional RNs (full-time, part-time, or casual) and two LPNs.

Please be clear on this point above: we have four AIs. We’re supposed to have eight. We are operating at half capacity for AI. The emergency cannot be opened without a nurse trained in emergency medicine care.

Our registered nurses also have duties in the acute care department. A nurse trained in emergencies cannot be replaced by any other health professional. Physicians, LPNs, orderlies, paramedics, and RNs not trained in emergencies lack the skills and knowledge to safely care for patients. You could put as many of these other practitioners in the ER, but that’s not enough.

So why the nursing shortages? It’s a complex answer. To be clear first: Dr. Helmcken Hospital has not lost any nurses – RNs or RPNs – due to the vaccination mandate. The pandemic has played a certain role. It was tiring and exhausting. We had to learn about a whole new disease entity, its presentation, its treatments and how to protect ourselves and you as much as possible.

Medical professionals would be sleeping in their trailers and guest rooms rather than exposing their families to possible COVID infection. Patients were often frightened or angry and it was the job of our nurses to care for you, reassure you and educate you, while providing you with the medical care you needed.

Our hospital is busier than ever. Before the pandemic, a busy weekday in the emergency room would see between two and eight patients. Now we regularly see 12 to 18 patients a day. Some of these visits are straightforward, but many of them involve complex medical issues and very ill patients.

Many people have less patience and compassion for our staff when they are in the emergency room – they waited longer in the emergency room, they couldn’t get a timely visit to the health center because we didn’t than half of our physician workforce, they are injured, tired and sick. The nurse then becomes the person who experiences these frustrations the most because they are the ones who are there when people feel the worst.

None of this takes into account the personal life factors that influence a person’s decision to stay in nursing.

So what is our local health care team doing to address this issue, to try to prevent hospital and ER closures? Again, we posted several positions: RNs, LPNs and physicians. There are hiring bonuses to try to encourage people to come to Clearwater. Unfortunately, these shortages extend far beyond Clearwater and we are not the only community struggling to recruit available healthcare workers.

We have not given up on that. We continue to work hard to fill vacancies. We are expanding the training and skills of our LPNs where possible to help fill other gaps in care. They will not be able to be the nurse who covers emergencies, but they can offload other duties.

We are withdrawing nurses from other regions, temporarily sacrificing other services to keep the emergency room open. We have locum agency nurses who come in to help when they are available. We have pulled nurses from other Interior Health facilities to keep our emergency room open. In the meantime, our local RNs and LPNs are going above and beyond to keep our hospital open. We are lucky that all of our current RNs are trained in emergencies and can cover emergencies while on duty.

RNs and LPNs extend their shift hours until the next shift can make it happen. Our nursing managers are taken off duty to work on the floor or in the emergency room. Nurses are working overtime, knowing that if they don’t, the emergency room will be closed.

They return from a vacation they booked a year in advance to cover shifts. They lack time with their families to ensure that our community receives continued health care. Each time we close the ER, we have gone through every possible step, tried to adjust the current schedule, and called each of our nurses to see if they could come and help us.

Unfortunately, until we have gone through all possible steps and contingencies, we are not authorized to officially close ERs and therefore are not authorized to provide notice of closure. It also frustrates us and we know it frustrates our community.

So please remember this when we have no choice but to close the ER. We have done everything to avoid this. We are operating at half our RN staff. Without an ER-trained nurse, we cannot safely open the ER. A doctor does not have the training and skills of an emergency-trained nurse. An LPN lacks the training and skills that an ER trained RN has. Without a trained emergency nurse, it would be negligent and dangerous to pretend that we can give you the care you need.

We are actively recruiting to fill our vacancies. We are human too and the state of health care breaks our hearts.

Dr. Perdue and

the Dr Helmcken Hospital team

_______________

news@starjournal.net

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BC Health North Thompson Valley

Non-Clinical Staffing Shortages Create Pipeline Issues for Critical Nursing Home Positions

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Care home leaders expect non-clinical staff shortages to have a crippling long-term impact on the talent pool and career interest in the space – both at the clinical and supervisory level – as many young people choose to enter the labor market via other industries .

Infection control protocol and more broadly the stringent regulatory requirements the industry is known for are currently seen as barriers to recruitment and retention of non-clinical staff, especially as industries outside of healthcare relax personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation requirements.

Dietary aides, housekeepers, kitchen staff and recreation services all fall under the non-clinical banner.

“We had these shortages before Covid and they only got worse after Covid…those areas haven’t come back either,” said Jay Moskowitz, CEO of Vivage Senior Living.

Around 90% of non-clinical employees are internal to Vivage – the operator has a few facilities that use national contracts for such positions.

For the first time ever, executives brought in agency staff, Moskowitz said, primarily for food and housekeeping.

Vivage operates 31 facilities in Colorado, one in Missouri and one in Nevada.

Non-clinical vacancies have more than doubled from pre-pandemic numbers, according to Scott Laakso, director of human resources for Massachusetts-based SALMON Health and Retirement. Open positions have increased from less than 10% to 20-25% at this stage of the pandemic.

“Staff members have so many other opportunities outside of health care right now,” Laakso added. Such opportunities don’t involve as much regulatory compliance and infection control, he said.

Nate Schema, CEO of the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, said about 300 of 1,400 nonclinical positions are currently open at its 150 locations in 22 states. In other words, one position in five is to be filled.

“It’s so critical. These non-clinical positions are part of your pipeline, it’s where you identify talent that is often your future leader or your nurses, your future clinical leaders in your communities,” Schema said.

The Good Samaritan has seen this type of career path time and time again, Schema said, with lawnmowers moving into executive directors and dietary aides moving into administrator roles.

“This affects the future of our organization in far more ways than what is happening on a day-to-day basis right now,” Schema noted. “Overview, this is a serious issue that we are working to address along with any clinical openings we know of.”

Non-clinical agency staff

Sky-high agency prices aren’t just a clinical staffing problem for the industry, executives told Skilled Nursing News. Operators are seeing a 35% to 40% markup on fares in some cases, as well as charges for Uber fees and other transportation costs to get to work.

“Before the pandemic, I never used temp agencies for these positions, ever,” Moskowitz said. “The administrators are in the kitchens, in a particular community. The cleaners help wash the laundry because we have to.

SALMON Health has had difficulty filling the recreation staff and dietary aide positions. Similar to Vivage, Laakso said the past year marked the first time in company history that they had to use agency staff for meals.

Although the operator has recently been able to maintain its staff, there have been times over the past 12 months where it has found staff to work, take extra shifts or work overtime.

Schema said bloat rates have normalized in recent months for agency staff, dropping from 1.5 to three times the normal agency rate to 1 to 1.4 times that rate. Non-clinical agency staff make up less than 5% of total agency usage at Good Samaritan, though the operator has “a long way to go” from what Schema would describe as a sustainable situation .

SALMON generally hires directly for catering and contracts with a third party for its housekeeping and laundry.

In order to compete with agencies and other industries, operators raised base salaries across the board for non-clinical staff.

Vivage increased non-clinical salaries in February for its establishments between 12% and 20% depending on the position. The move coincides with Colorado adjusting its living wage, which was raised to $12.56 an hour in January.

SALMON raised the hourly pay for chef positions from $17 to $18 an hour before the pandemic — Laakso said it’s closer to $23 to $24 an hour now for that particular position.

While non-clinical salaries vary widely for the Good Samaritan given its large footprint, Schema said the operator has increased salaries by 20% to 30% since the pandemic began.

Recruit and retain non-clinical staff

Many operators are offering first-time retention and referral bonuses for non-clinical positions — Vivage bonuses range from $500 to $1,500 depending on the community, according to Moskowitz.

Vivage also works with the state Department of Labor to post job openings and host job fairs at shelters for non-clinical positions.

“We are out of the agency because we have a lot of high school kids working for us,” Laakso added. “We offered a pretty lucrative referral bonus up to $1,000.”

Local high schools and technical college culinary programs have helped fill the void, especially this summer, he said.

There are simply too many pandemic hurdles to jump through, while other industries like hospitality and retail do not have to comply with the regulatory requirements imposed on the entire healthcare sector.

“We’re struggling to get employees who are tired of wearing face masks 24/7 in their jobs,” Moskowitz added. “Most industries now, most professions don’t require you to wear a mask… even though Covid is still here as we know.”

Schema says PPE requirements present a “unique disadvantage” for operators trying to find non-clinical staff.

“We have people applying for laundry, housekeeping, dietetics roles and one of their first questions at the interview is ‘well do I have to wear a mask? If you go to McDonald’s or Burger King, we all know the answer,” Schema said.

Outside of Covid, the long-term care environment requires non-clinical staff to be trained in dementia training, resident rights and other regulatory controls before they can hit the ground running, Laakso said.

This is another “inherent competitive disadvantage” compared to other industries, Schema added. Many potential non-clinical employees can’t afford to wait two to three weeks to get started, they can’t wait to pass multiple rounds of background checks.

“Restaurants and vendors here in the upper Midwest, they’re literally paying people to come in for an interview. They give them a gift card or entice them to show up for an interview,” Schema explained. “It’s a very dynamic time.”

The care home working environment has placed the non-clinical staff member under more scrutiny than ever before because of Covid, Laakso said.

Still, industry leaders hope high school and college students starting out as a non-clinical worker for a nursing home might consider a clinical pathway or a non-clinical supervisor position to stay in the industry. from an early age.

“You just have to be able to show people that within our profession there is a career ladder that people can move up,” Moskowitz added.

Laakso said SALMON has had some success that way, bringing in non-clinical staff at a young age, and then they see what clinical staff do in a facility and decide to pursue that career.

“We’re uncovering all the rocks and doing everything we can to get people into the building and get them interested,” Laakso said. “There are so many different paths you can take in health care and post-acute care…you can go into the kitchen, but you can end up becoming a nurse one day.”

Steward Health Care appoints Ruben Jose King-Shaw Jr to its Board of Directors

Chelsey W. Vogt
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July 7, 2022 – Steward Health Care, the nation’s largest physician-led healthcare network, today announced the appointment of Rubén José King-Shaw Jr to its Board of Directors. King-Shaw is currently Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Steward, where he led a number of key strategic acquisitions and divestitures, including the sale of Steward Health Choice Arizona and the significant merger of the Medicare business. based on Steward’s value with Caremax (NASDAQ: CMAX). King-Shaw also chairs Steward’s offshore captive insurance company, TRACO, domiciled in Panama.

In making the announcement, Dr. Ralph de la Torre, Chief Executive Officer of Steward, said, “Ruben continues to be an outspoken and relentless advocate for social justice and community engagement, which syncs perfectly with the mission principal of Steward to serve patients in their communities. In a post-Covid environment, his passionate leadership will be critical to our future and that of our patients. Ruben is integral to our continued success and we are delighted to welcome his expertise to our Board of Directors.

“I have long shared Steward’s commitment to providing our patients with the highest quality healthcare possible,” said Rubén José King-Shaw. “It is an honor to join the Steward Board of Directors and be part of a values-driven health care system.

Prior to serving Steward as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Steward, King-Shaw spent significant time in public service leading state and federally sponsored government health programs.

During the administration of President George W. Bush, King-Shaw served as chief operating officer and deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He was also a senior adviser to the US Secretary of the Treasury on health care tax policy and a member of the Medicare Programs Advisory and Oversight Commission. In 2011, he was appointed to the Obama Administration’s Program Advisory and Oversight Committee to oversee and provide advice to Medicare’s Prosthetics, Orthotics and Durable Medical Equipment Supplies Tendering Program. . King-Shaw has also provided advice on areas of health care policy to the Trump administration, including CMS and the National Economic Council. At the state level, under Florida Governor Jeb Bush, he was secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

Former board members include the senior director of Athenahealth; Independent Living Systems, of Miami, FL; and WellCare Health Plans, Inc. of Tampa, FL. King-Shaw has also served on the board of Atlanta-based Cotiviti Holdings, Inc. and Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems of Pensacola, Florida.

Contact: Josie Martin, Josephine.Martin@steward.org

About Steward Health Care

Almost ten years ago, Steward Health Care System emerged as a different type of healthcare company designed to usher in a new era of wellness. A system that provides our patients with better, more proactive care at a sustainable cost, our providers with unparalleled coordination of care, and our communities with greater prosperity and stability.

As the largest integrated, physician-led, tax-paying health care system in the country, our physicians can be confident that we share their interests and those of their patients. Together, we’re on a mission to revolutionize the way healthcare is delivered – creating healthier lives, thriving communities and a better world.

Steward is one of the nation’s largest and most successful Responsible Care Organizations (ACOs), with more than 5,500 providers and 43,000 healthcare professionals caring for 12.3 million patients annually through to a tightly integrated network of hospitals, multi-specialty medical groups, urgent care centers, skilled nursing facilities and behavioral health centers.

Based in Dallas, Steward currently operates 39 hospitals in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.



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Why is Hochul reneging on its promised investigation into the Cuomo retirement home scandal?

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Why is Governor Hochul reneging on her months-long promise to get to the bottom of the ex-governor. Andrew Cuomo’s nursing home scandals? Where is the promised probe?

At the behest of hospital lobbyists early in the pandemic, Cuomo’s health department ordered retirement and adult care homes to admit COVID-positive patients that hospitals wanted to dump. More than 9,000 people were pushed inside, and statistical analysis suggests this resulted in hundreds, if not thousands, of additional deaths.

The Cuomo team not only refused to take responsibility for the nursing home deaths, but they actively covered up the true numbers and broke state laws to keep key facts hidden. He even hid data from federal authorities.

Among other things, revealing the truth would have voided Cuomo’s $5 million book deal monetizing his pandemic ‘leadership,’ suggesting the cover-up crosses the line for a bribery case even below the high bar that the Supreme Court has set for such charges – if anyone investigates properly.

An investigation into the nursing home scandal could have put the brakes on Cuomo’s $5 million contract.
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At the same time, according to a new report, Cuomo & Co. “succeeded in coercing ‘ethical review’ with very minimal due diligence” on its book deal. Government loyalists on the now-replaced state “ethics” panel even covered up that report, though Post investigations led to its publication by the new Ethics and Lobbying Commission on the government website on Friday afternoon.

Perhaps other persistent Cuomo loyalists have somehow blocked the nursing home investigation. Or maybe Hochul fears being tainted by Cuomo’s wrongdoing, perhaps because she didn’t immediately fire Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, who is at the heart of the horror.

Whatever the reason, whoever she protects is an outrage. New Yorkers who have lost loved ones want answers, and the government has promised to get them. She has to follow, no matter who looks bad at the end.

Governor Wolf Signs Legislation to Help Skilled Nursing Facilities Meet Increased Staffing and Accountability Requirements

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Signature of the bill, press release

Among the laws Governor Tom Wolf signed today is House Bill 1421 which increases Medicaid rates for skilled nursing facilities to help them meet upcoming Department of Health regulatory updates that will in part increase staffing requirements.

The legislation also includes historic liability language that will require medically assisted nursing facilities to spend at least 70% of their total costs on resident care and resident-related care.

The governor also signed 39 additional bills into law.

HB 331 authorizes certain financial institutions to conduct savings promotion programs.

HB 430 amends the law on the collection of local taxes relating to the exemption from penalties.

HB 581 creates the Affordable Housing Tax Exemption Act
allowing local tax authorities to provide tax exemptions for the improvement of degraded areas and the improvement of affordable housing.

HB 773 increases penalties for those who repeatedly drive under the influence
convictions.

HB 940 provides an improved penalty for killing a domestic animal in cases of burglary or criminal trespass and makes it a crime to intentionally torture or kill police animals.

HB 975 provides that a carer of a dependent person commits a third degree felony if he has sexual intercourse.

HB 1312 designates two memorial bridges and a memorial road.

HB 1410 establishes the Weigh Station Preclearance Program Act, which provides criteria for a preclearance system and devices and data access.

HB 1594 modifies unfair commercial practices and consumer protection
Law relating to online marketplaces.

HB 1598 amends the Floodplain Management Act, replacing references to the Department of Community Affairs with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; in miscellaneous and credits, repealing the provisions relating to credits.

HB 1614 Amend the Pennsylvania Election Code relating to the printing of ballots.

HB1615 amends the liquor code to provide that a malt or brewed beverage produced for a brewery by an out-of-state manufacturer must be distributed through the three-tier system, manufacture-distribution-retail and provides for license renewal.

HB 1665 provides for the enforceability of certain indemnification provisions in certain contracts for snow and ice removal services relating to commercial properties.

HB 1867 amends the Public Schools Code, creating the Purple-Star school program to aid students of visiting military personnel.

HB 2032 amends the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act, providing that failure to report a firearm injury or a criminal act is not an offense if presenting evidence of a sexual assault is a anonymous submission.

HB 2039 Amends the Victims of Crime Act, with respect to victims of crime, providing more rights.

HB 2097 amends Title 35 (Health and Safety), in the Emergency Medical Services system, additionally provides for basic survival ambulances.

HB 2125 amends Title 18 (Crimes and Misdemeanors), relating to public indecency, further providing for the offense of prostitution and related offenses, and obscene and other sexual material and performances.

HB 2157 amends fireworks law to add restrictions and increase penalties for abuse.

HB 2271 provides for sentencing improvements related to the crime of sexual extortion.

HB 2419 amends the Ambulatory Psychiatric Monitoring Act by adding a definition of “telebehavioral health technology” as well as provisions regarding the use of the technology.

HB 2464 amends the Victims of Crime Act to provide legal status and notice to victims.

HB 2526 provides capital authorization for the repair, rehabilitation or replacement of state-owned bridges, as well as locally owned bridges.

HB 2604 amends the employee photo identification provisions of the Health Care Facilities Act.

HB 2679 amends the Pharmacy Act to preserve three regulatory suspensions allowed under the COVID-19 disaster emergency declaration, including the ability of pharmacists to provide flu and COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five and over.

HB 2702 authorizes detailed capital projects to be constructed by the Department of Transportation and financed by debt or current Motor License Fund revenue in the amount of $7,136,410,325.

HB 2709 further provides definitions for the lessee’s right to acquire the property and for the advertising and display of the goods.

SB 251 amends Title 3 (Agriculture), repealing the provisions relating to fertilizers, in the soil and seeds, also providing for the disposal of funds, establishing the agronomic adjustment account; imposing fees on the Ministry of Agriculture.

SB 382 requires that any proposed transportation project that includes optional user fees be unanimously approved by the transportation public-private partnership (P3) board. This bill does not prohibit public-private partnerships or optional tolls and allows bridge projects to proceed without mandatory tolls.

SB 588 amends Title 18 (Crimes and Misdemeanors), in its general provisions, further providing for when prosecution is barred by the former prosecution for a different offense.

SB 764 amends the provisions of the Department of State relating to the publication of proposed constitutional amendments under the Administrative Code.

SB 818 Amends the Health Care Facilities Act to allow day surgery facilities to request an exception or waiver from the Department of Health for certain surgical procedures and allows cardiac catheterization to be performed in day surgery facilities.

SB 982 amends the Electoral Code regarding third-party financing of elections and new subsidy financing.

SB 1093 amends the Outdoor Advertising Control Act for Energy Efficient Lighting.

SB 1094 amends various provisions of the Vehicle Code, including the provision known as Christina’s Law, requiring drivers to remove snow and ice from their vehicles after winter storms.

SB 1171 provides for restrictions on the use of highways and bridges, on the securing of loads in vehicles, on the width of vehicles and on movement allowances during manufacture, and on the promulgation of rules and regulations by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

SB 1183 further provides for the confiscation of assets and provides for the disposal of confiscated property; in snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles, additionally providing operation.

SB 1222 amends the Insurance Companies Act of 1921, adopting the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) model creating a Group Capital Calculation (GCC) and Liquidity Stress Test (LST) for enhanced supervision and regulating peer-to-peer ridesharing insurance.

SB-1235 amends the Insurance Companies Act, regarding comprehensive health care for uninsured children, further providing for contracts and packages of coverage.

The governor vetoed SB 275. Read the veto message here.

Best payday loans and bad loans with guaranteed approval in July 2022

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Do you intend to apply for a bad credit ready? Maybe you have bad credit or have been through a tough financial time. Are you late with your bills or do you owe money to a family member? Or maybe your car is in urgent need of repair costs or you just need money for your living expenses.

Surely, a bad credit loan with guaranteed approval and/or no credit check might just be what you need. In this in-depth review, we are going to highlight some of the major bad credit loan direct lenders. These companies are among the best in America for having strong customer satisfaction.

Truth be told, not all bad credit lenders are favorable to you. Of course, these lenders allow all types of emergency loans. What you need to watch out for and pay close attention to are the interest rates offered by some of these direct lenders.

We are pleased to introduce you to the leader payday loan lenders in this review. Some of the positive and negative reviews of these lenders are also available.

So sit back and enjoy this good read. This is sure to be one of the best bad credit loan reviews you will ever read. Here we are:

#1. MUTUAL MONEY – Best direct payday loan lender in America

#2. CREDITLOAN – Best installment loan provider today

#3. FUNDSJOY – Loans for bad credit without credit check

#4. REAL AMERICAN LOAN – Instant loans for bad credit

#5. XMASFUNDS.COM – Best emergency loans in 2022

#6.FUNDSDON – Loans for bad credit with fast approval

#1. MoneyMutual – The best bad credit lender in America


You may have been aware MoneyMutual as it is one of the best emergency loan providers in the industry. They are fast, reliable and service oriented. In addition, they have under their aegis one of the excellent spokespersons

Do you know Montel Williams?

One of the famous daytime talk show hosts. Montel’s customers grew exponentially in the 1990s. After a hugely successful career in daytime talk shows, Montel Williams moved into promoting MoneyMutual.

Since he is so famous, people will tend to come up to him and follow him, and they did. Montel Williams’ haters have come out of the woodwork and sued him for promoting a “bad credit loans” company. They said Montel exploited them by promoting a company that only went after people when needed.

Our opinions differ. Montel Williams has always shown himself to be a model citizen both during his time as a daytime talk show host and after. His MoneyMutual endorsement was a success in itself.

Visit the official Money Mutual website now!

#2. CreditLoan – Bad Credit Check Loans with Guaranteed Approval Online in 2022

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Our strong second after MoneyMutual is CreditLoan. Their rise is so sudden, we were completely surprised! No one gave them much luck, but all of a sudden they started gaining momentum as a bad credit lender. Loan amounts and interest charges are basically the same as in MoneyMutual, but with a different branding. They are surely a good competition for MoneyMutual.

CreditLoan is certainly an up-and-coming money lender to watch out for. More about customer satisfaction. In this, as they continue to grow as a payday loan provider, they are able to maintain the same level of exceptional customer service for their clientele. Time will tell, as the personal loan industry is competitive.

Visit the official CreditLoan website now!

#3. FondsJoy – Bad credit emergency loans with 48 hour approval

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FondsJoy is one of our most admired short-term loan providers. They are an absolute first on their marketing and user-friendly website. Their use of color on their website is very good as it creates a comfortable user experience for anyone looking for loans without credit check.

With FundsJoy, managing their rapid expansion is a breeze. Like CreditLoans, FundsJoy is very promising. As more and more people with bad credit apply for fast loans, are they able to handle the back-end and customer service that comes with an increased number of people taking out loans for bad credit.

There is nothing to say with this company. We’ll continue to keep an eye on this one. We definitely favor them and endorse them to anyone in need of a bad credit loan.

Visit the official FundsJoy website now!

#4. True American Loan – Best personal loans for veterans and army officers

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The name says it all – this bad credit loan provider caters to real Americans. Their target market as well as those who did payday loans with them were really Americans.

So how do you identify someone as a true American? Well, first and foremost, their love for America should be imminent. As such, this loan provider is popular with so many Americans all across our great country. Whatever loan you may need – payday loan, bad credit loan, no credit check loan, short term loan, installment loan, 24 hour loan, $500 loan, $300 loan or $100 loan – this company certainly provides them all.

So you might want to ask, are they as distinguished as MoneyMutual? Definitely not. But bigger isn’t always better, right? What is important is that they can provide the best loan for bad credit to the needs of their customers.

Visit the True American Loan website now!

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It may sound strange, but give us a chance! This money lender is definitely in demand this Christmas – as amazing as you might think. Seriously – SUPER popular. There are many people during the holidays who need money quickly and need emergency loans.

Do you think a bad credit lender tagged with Christmas only succeeds during Christmas time?

Well, check that out…even when it’s not Christmas time, this payday lender still manages to operate consistently. Why do you think that? The most popular opinion is that people love Christmas. Anything Christmas-sy is generally accepted.

Please take the time to check out this money lender, especially if you are looking for $5,000 loans.

Visit the official XmasFunds website now!

#6. FundGift – Fast cash with guaranteed approval and loans for bad credit

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FundGift is a fairly new company. They can clearly cope with MoneyMutual without a doubt. See what we did there?

What’s most remarkable about FundsGift is how quickly they grew their customer base. Watch how fast they lend all types of bad credit loans with guaranteed approval to their customers. The rate at which they hand them out makes you think they’ve been in the business for years!

We are excited to see how far FundsGift will grow. Will they be as big as MoneyMutual in the future? We are now seeing conflicting opinions – some yes they will but not all are convinced.

The future is uncertain right now, but when it comes to short-term loans and overnight loans, FundsGift is definitely number 1. MoneyMutual might be a good choice for $5,000 loans and loans, though. of $10,000.

Visit the official FundsGift website now!

How to Avoid Bad Loan Scams

With good, there is always bad. Unfortunately, we have to let you know that there are a lot of bad credit loan scams out there. Some people take advantage of others and present fake bad credit loan companies.

As such, you should be very careful when working with a new payday lender. Maybe you found this company online and don’t know anything about them. If so, proceed with caution. Especially if they have little or no online presence.

Some of these terrible companies will trick borrowers into providing their personal information. Once they have done this, they sell the borrower’s personal information to other third parties, and the borrower is contacted by companies who only want to deceive the borrower.

These bad companies may offer a bad credit loan to an individual, ask them to provide a deposit for their loan, and once they send the deposit, the company runs away with their money.

As such, it is so important for us to review that you should always be very careful when looking for a bad credit loan. There are many bad people who will try to take advantage of you by stealing your personal information and money.

Final Words on Installment Loans and Payday Loans

This is ultimately the conclusion of this review. We analyzed six of the best loan for bad credit lenders in America. As we promised, we discussed the pros and cons of each lender.

Based on the information we have shared, you should be able to make a wise choice on which bad credit lender is best for you. After reading our in-depth articles, borrowers usually come to their own conclusion as to which lender to choose. And there are also those who are still undecided.

However, there is no reason to worry. There are other people who feel the same as you. For people like you, we suggest sticking with the largest bad credit loan provider in America. Yes, nothing but the best, which is MoneyMutual.

Please go to the official website of MoneyMutual by clicking on the link below. And start applying for a bad credit loan now!

Visit MoneyMutual official website now!

Bad Credit Loan Company Winner: MoneyMutual

We would like to officially conclude this article by talking more about MoneyMutual. This is the company we select as the best bad credit lender. Some may agree with our decision, others may not. The important thing to remember here is that we rank MoneyMutual on the following criteria. The criteria are:

  • Global customer service
  • Loan turnaround time
  • Market share
  • Online presence

When you compare any other payday lender to MoneyMutual, no one else comes close. MoneyMutual has been dominating the market share in this sector for years. We expect them to continue to take the lion’s share in the future.

So, we end with this, if you need a bad credit loan company now, select MoneyMutual. They are the best in the business and you will not regret your decision if you select them.

Apply now for a bad credit loan!

Interim Home Healthcare offers premier franchise opportunities for healthcare providers in Sunrise, Florida

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Sunrise, Florida – Interim Home Healthcare is a national franchise that is part of global healthcare leader Caring Brands International. Founded in 1966, this franchise has built a renowned and extensive network of healthcare providers who provide comprehensive services for all their patient needs. This franchise partners with therapists, nurses, companions, aides and other healthcare professionals to meet a variety of needs in elder care, home care, palliative care, pediatric care and health personnel.

By investing through Interim Home Healthcare, franchisees receive comprehensive training, including pre-opening classroom training, facility opening support, on-site training, and support for new owners, operations , procedures, policies, training and regulatory updates and ongoing guidance, initial installation assistance with selection, licensing guidance and preferred vendor selection. For professionals looking for a profitable opportunity to establish a business or investors looking for better opportunities to invest their money, this franchise offers unparalleled opportunities for all franchisees.

“We have worked hard to establish ourselves as a brand that takes our values ​​seriously. Whether interacting with franchisees or customers, integrity and empathy come first in everything we do. If you’re looking for a home care franchise, brands like ours that take relationship building seriously are hard to find. Said the representative of Interim Home Healthcare regarding their high quality services.

Interim Home Healthcare promotes franchisees with other conveniences such as modern technology, marketing, operations and financial support, on-site visits when opening an office, and support calls during the first year of operation. Additionally, they are assisted with regulatory program applications and guided through human resource related functions such as recruitment, retention, payroll and insurance.

Interim owners of home care franchises may choose to open one or more locations to provide home care, assist seniors and others who must stay in their homes by assisting with transportation, light care, shopping and personal care such as bathing and also providing temporary services of health professionals such as registered nurses, nursing aides, auxiliary nurses, medical-social assistants, occupational therapists.

In addition, Interim Home Care Franchise also has a support network of physiotherapists and speech therapists, as well as health care aides and home health aides as temporary staff to assist other health care facilities and providers. Its franchisees may also explore the possibility of establishing their palliative care business to provide end-of-life care and other support services to eligible patients in their residences through licensed healthcare personnel, as well as counselors. spiritual, bereavement, dietary and support; in addition, they may provide home health care and home medicine equipment, products and supplies.

Those who seek to try the interim home care franchise can contact them by phone at 954-858-2672. The franchise is headquartered at 1551 Sawgrass Corp. Pkwy. Ste., 230, Sunrise, FL, 33323. For more information on their franchise or to request a quote, visit the office’s website.

Media Contact

Company Name
Interim Home Care
Contact Name
Steve Kwon
Call
954-858-2672
Address
1551 Sawgrass Corp. Pkwy. St., 230
Town
Sunrise
State
Florida
Postal code
33323
Country
United States
Website
https://www.interimfranchising.com/

Nursing facilities will get a financial boost from the Pennsylvania budget

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Skilled nursing facilities and long-term care providers in Pennsylvania are about to get a big boost in funding from the state budget. An industry group, the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, said that with direct funding and increased Medicaid reimbursements, there is more than half a billion dollars directed to long-term care providers, including nursing homes, across the Commonwealth.Gov. Tom Wolf spoke on Monday about the budget he signed into law last week and highlighted those investments. The spending plan includes a 17.5% increase in Medicaid reimbursement for nursing home services, as well as more than $131 million in federal COVID-19 relief dollars for nursing homes. Union leaders representing many long-term care workers said the increase could help with the salaries of nursing assistants and could lead to better staffing levels in nursing homes. “I would say we’re in a really tough spot. That’s part of why, I think we’ve been able to get the investment that we’ve made is when you look at the number of people who have lost their lives in nursing homes – the residents – and then the number of sick caregivers, there has to be investment here to do these better jobs, ”said Matt Yarnell, president of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.The union said that staffing standards staffing were also being implemented to help improve care in long-term care facilities.

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania —

Skilled nursing facilities and long-term care providers in Pennsylvania are about to get a big boost in funding from the state budget.

An industry group, the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, said that with direct funding and increased Medicaid reimbursements, more than half a billion dollars is going to long-term care providers, including homes. retirement, across the Commonwealth.

Gov. Tom Wolf spoke Monday about the budget he signed into law last week and highlighted those investments.

The spending plan includes a 17.5% increase in Medicaid reimbursement for nursing home services, as well as more than $131 million in federal COVID-19 relief dollars for nursing homes.

Union leaders representing many long-term care workers said the increase could help the salaries of nursing assistants and could lead to better staffing levels in nursing homes.

“I would say we’re in a very difficult situation. That’s part of why I think we’ve been able to get the investment that we’ve made is that when you look at the number of people who have lost the living in nursing homes – residents – and then the number of sick caregivers, we need to invest here to create these better jobs,” said Matt Yarnell, president of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.

The union said staffing standards are also being implemented to improve care in long-term care facilities.

UP: BSc nursing course will be offered in 11 autonomous government and state medical colleges

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Guaranteeing quality health care through qualified human resources, the Yogi Adityanath the government, in the first 100 days of its second term, has already completed the recruitment of doctors and paramedics for about 3,007 positions out of the 36,171 positions created by the State Department of Medical Education.

The state government is working on a mission mode to complete the recruitment process for the remaining 33,164 positions. A total of 1,037 positions have been created in 13 state nursing schools and 5 autonomous state medical schools. Against the target of increasing approximately 600 seats in MBBS in the state, a total of 1,350 seats have been increased. Whereas, 725 places have been increased in postgraduate courses, 7,000 in nursing courses and 2,000 in paramedical courses.

So far, B.Sc. Nursing has been offered in three government nursing colleges in the state. In the current academic year, the B.Sc. Nursing courses have been introduced in the government medical colleges in Gorakhpur, Agra, Prayagraj and Kannauj. Soon, this course will be offered in 11 autonomous government and state medical schools.

Read also | Yogi proposes Rs 2,100 crore for medical colleges in 14 districts in UP budget

* More than 3,000 people will soon find a job *

The process of recruiting nurses, wards and other staff began in phase 2 in approximately eight medical schools. Along with this, an advertisement for 3,365 positions was posted. For the nursing courses, the recruitment process continues on about 138 positions such as director, assistant director, professors, assistant professors, among others.

abs

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A Tampa-area nursing home has lost its health insurance benefits. Residents lost a home.

Chelsey W. Vogt
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The drawers opened and closed. Garbage bags full of clothes, birthday cards and wallets. They had to leave.

Just like Judith Goodman, 95.

Goodman had called Brandon’s Raydiant Health Care his home for 13 years. The next day she would be gone.

“I feel awful – I don’t want to leave,” she said late last month as she watched her two daughters pack her things. “But what can I do?”

Residents of the 120-bed Tampa Bay nursing home learned in June that it was closing. They said they were told they had 30 days to find accommodation.

About half of its 87 residents left within a week of the announcement, according to a spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

On Wednesday, the nursing home became the last in Florida formerly affiliated with Consulate Health Care to lose federal benefits since May due to poor quality of patient care. Federal government views termination of Medicare and Medicaid as ‘last resort’, implemented only after ‘all other attempts’ have failed to address health and safety issues.

Related: The Consulate nursing homes are changing their names. Are they changing owners?

A bankruptcy filing and bad press have plagued Consulate — the state’s largest nursing home chain — for the past few years. The local retirement home, about 14 miles east of Tampa, appears to have changed hands at least twice since January. However, such corporate intrigue is only a secondary concern for vulnerable residents who are caught up in the fallout of the for-profit industry.

Goodman was sitting in her wheelchair next to her roommate’s bed. She and her roommate had spent the morning together as always.

At noon, the roommate had already moved out. Goodman wasn’t sure she would see her again.

Judith Goodman, 95, sits among her belongings as her daughters prepare to discharge her from Raydiant <a class=Health Care in Brandon on June 26, 2022.” class=”lazy” src=”data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 4032 3024"/%3E” style=”object-position:50% 50%;transition:opacity 0.5s ease 0.5s;opacity:0″ title=”Judith Goodman, 95, sits among her belongings as her daughters prepare to discharge her from Raydiant Health Care in Brandon on June 26, 2022.” itemprop=”image” width=”4032″ height=”auto”/>
Judith Goodman, 95, sits among her belongings as her daughters prepare to discharge her from Raydiant Health Care in Brandon on June 26, 2022. [ Hannah Critchfield ]

‘A last resort’

The news fell during the bingo.

Residents recalled tears in the eyes of the care home administrator as she delivered the message June 21: In one month, the place would close. Residents suddenly found themselves looking for accommodation.

On the same day, the federal government said it would terminate Raydiant Health Care of Brandon’s health insurance contract, according to a letter saying it had not “met basic Medicare health and safety requirements.”

Related: Bill to change Florida nursing home standards was drafted by industry, emails say

The nursing home can no longer receive money from the federal government for the services it provides. The loss of these payments often makes it difficult for a place to survive, as Medicaid pays the bills for more than half of all Florida nursing home residents. Individual costs can approach $80,000.

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The administrator of Raydiant Health Care of Brandon did not respond to requests for comment on the loss of the federal contract or whether the nursing home plans to reopen.

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which licenses nursing homes in the state, has not yet been notified that the nursing home plans to close permanently, according to the spokeswoman. the agency, Kayla McLaughlin.

A spokesperson for Raydiant Health Care’s reception in Brandon said new customers were no longer being accepted, including private-pay residents, as it was closing.

Problems have plagued the for-profit care home in recent years, inspection reports suggest.

Raydiant Health Care of Brandon currently has a one-star quality rating on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website, the lowest rating on a five-star scale given to nursing homes that receive federal money, earmarked for the poorest 20% of a state.

Some residents recall the night Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department deputies showed up as staff searched outside for a missing resident.

The woman was out of the House, according to subsequent federal and state inspections. The staff had not checked if the alarm systems were working.

It was December 27 2021, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office call records and federal inspection reports. The woman had wandered along a two-lane road and crossed a “dangerous intersection”, according to inspection reports. She was later hospitalized for unspecified medical conditions.

The nursing home did not properly document the woman’s disappearance, according to inspection records. Raydiant’s administrator at the time initially told inspectors the resident did not escape, saying she left after going offline against medical advice.

Since January, the house was cited for failing to keep accurate medical records, failing to administer medication on time, and breaking state law by allowing nursing aides to work over the legal limit before passing their certification exam, according to state and federal inspections.

In April, Raydiant agreed to pay the state $11,500 after the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration said staff failed to wear proper personal protective equipment in guest rooms. COVID-positive residents or monitored their symptoms for worsening illness in the previous year, according to the settlement agreement. The company has denied the allegations, according to the documents.

A June 10 inspection found the care home failed to report a resident had a fractured bone during a staff-assisted transfer from her bed to a shower chair. in March.

After that, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid decided to terminate Raydiant’s provider agreement, according to an agency spokesperson.

Related: The industry-backed nursing home bill is headed for DeSantis. Will seniors suffer?

Change of ownership

Several residents and family members said that Brandon’s Raydiant Health Care recently changed hands. Some worried the federal government hadn’t given the new company enough time to prove it would handle the previous owners differently, though they said they didn’t know the identity of the new operator.

For years, Raydiant Health Care of Brandon went through Consulate Health Care of Brandon, a nod to its parent owner, Consulate Health Care.

The nation’s sixth-largest retirement home company, Consulate Entities filed for bankruptcy last year after the United States Court of Appeals upheld a multimillion-dollar fraud judgment against the chain, judging that several of his nursing homes had defrauded taxpayers.

Shortly thereafter, the Consulate renamed and divided its retirement homes in Florida between three companies, which appeared at still be affiliated with the channel. One of them, Raydiant Health Care, took over the Brandon location around the new year.

On April 1, the Brandon nursing home changed hands again, according to Jared Elliott, chief executive of Raydiant Health Care, and a change of ownership application submitted to the Agency for Healthcare Administration.

The proposed new owner is “Brandon Health OPCO LLC,” according to the request, a Delaware-based limited liability company first registered in Florida in late January.

The change in ownership has not yet been approved by the state, according to McLaughlin, the Florida health agency spokesman, who noted that the application “remains under review.”

The state agency’s website still lists the former limited liability owner of Raydiant — who registered a consular office in Georgia as his mailing address — as its current operator.

A tarp now covers the former sign of Raydiant Health Care in Brandon.

It reads “Brandon Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation”.

A plastic sign for Brandon Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation was placed on the Brandon Raydiant Health Care sign at 701 Victoria Street on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, in Brandon.
A plastic sign for Brandon Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation was placed on the Brandon Raydiant Health Care sign at 701 Victoria Street on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, in Brandon. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]

“Like a ghost town”

The buses arrived on June 24, said Karen Thiele, 61. They loaded bags and residents and transported them to new nursing homes.

“It’s literally become like a ghost town here,” Thiele said. “They evacuated them so quickly – there was a lot of tears and a lot of confusion. I was surprised there weren’t more families here to help with the transition.

Thiele leafed through a small notebook as she spoke. Inside were the phone numbers she had tried to collect from friends before they left.

“All my friends here are over 90, and a lot of them don’t take it well,” Thiele said. “That’s the main thing that breaks my heart – I’m afraid they won’t last long in their new places.”

In her ninth decade of life, Judith Goodman began another day of moving in. She started life in a nursing home 2 miles south of Raydiant, less than a week after the announcement. The new location is currently on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid’s “specialty facility” candidate list, a designation reserved for nursing homes that fail to meet the agency’s safety requirements after multiple inspections.

When Goodman left her old retirement home, she thought of her husband of half a century, who died in 2006.

“I hope Julius knows where I am now,” she said.

Related: A bill would make it easier to sue Florida nursing homes. Advocates for seniors oppose it.

Graduates receive $1,000 scholarships for health care studies | Features

Chelsey W. Vogt
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LAGRANGE — Three graduating seniors have each received a $1,000 scholarship for 2022 from the Parkview LaGrange Foundation as they pursue health-related studies.

High school students Allie Springer, Pilar Canedo and Samarah Orr were selected to receive the scholarships, which are made possible in part by donations to the foundation and proceeds from the Parkview LaGrange Hospital Gift Shop. Hospital volunteers provide sales assistance in the store and they have chosen to have a positive impact on the community by using proceeds to support scholarships for area residents pursuing an education in Health care.

“These recipients have demonstrated a commitment to service to others, academic and athletic excellence, personal initiative, mentorship and interpersonal skills, and community involvement, all of which will serve them well in their studies and careers in the field. health,” said Christina Blaskie, head of the service. excellence, volunteers and the PLH gift shop. “We congratulate these winners and look forward to a bright future for them.”

Allie Springer, from Westview Junior-Senior High School, will study biochemistry at Hillsdale College in preparation for medical school. The daughter of a dairy veterinarian and an elementary school nurse, Springer hopes to one day have her own dermatology practice in LaGrange County.

Both academically and athletically successful, Springer was an award-winning member of the varsity basketball and volleyball teams during all four years of high school, serving as captain of each team during her junior and senior years. She has served on the student council, in a student-run community service club, and in the school’s advanced choir, as class president, as a math peer tutor, and as president of her chapter. of the National Honor Society. She is very active in her church, having served as a worship leader on the student leadership team.

Springer caught the aviation bug as a teenager and started taking flying lessons at age 15. She made her first solo flight on her 16th birthday and spent her 17th birthday taking oral exams with a Federal Aviation Examiner for her pilot’s license, which she received. She also worked as an office assistant for the Goshen Municipal Airport Flight School during her junior and senior years.

Pilar Canedo of Lakeland Junior-Senior High School will attend Purdue University to study nursing. Canedo feels called to work in health care to alleviate suffering, especially in the area of ​​mental health. A year-long stint at the Bowen Center further attracted her to the field. Her long-term goal is to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner or psychiatrist.

Canedo was the valedictorian of his class, accumulated perfect attendance, and excelled athletically and academically while working through the school year and summer.

An award-winning three-year basketball letter-winner, Canedo was also a three-year member of the National Honor Society and the Varsity Team, where she served as team captain. Service to others has been a theme in her life, as she has volunteered at blood drives, mentored classmates, sung in nursing homes, volunteered to help very young players at camp Lakeland Girls’ Basketball and co-founded a community project, Seniors. Serving Seniors, which served meals to LaGrange County seniors and others in need during the holiday season.

Samarah Orr, from Prairie Heights High School, will study nursing at Indiana Wesleyan University. An academically strong student, she balanced a variety of interests while focusing on service to others. Orr’s desire is to live and share his faith while helping others through difficulties, a vocation that developed during his final year internship in the Health Professions Education Program at the Impact Institute at Parkview LaGrange Hospital, where she worked as a patient care technician in the medical department. operating room.

Orr was a member of the National Honor Society for two years; one honor roll “A” member every four years; a three-year varsity member and team manager of the tennis team; a three-year member of the English academic team; an active member of the Leo club, participating in community service; an Indiana State School Music Association gold medalist for her freshman performance on the piano; and senior president and four-year member of LaGrange Community Foundation LIFE, a youth philanthropy and service organization.

Through his church, Orr has participated in a missionary trip to Haiti, the church’s worship group, children’s ministry, and a ministry serving single mothers in the community.

The scholarship program is administered by Parkview LaGrange Foundation. Fellowship recipients are selected by a review committee of foundation and volunteer leaders through an impartial process that protects applicants’ personal information, so reviewers strictly vote on the essay responses contained in the nominations.

The scholarship winners were honored at a private reception at the hospital on June 8. Jordi Disler, President of Parkview LaGrange Hospital, congratulated the winners.

Proceeds from the 2021 Paddle for Parkview have also contributed to this scholarship fund, which is supported by the generosity of donors. For more information on donating to the scholarship fund, contact christina.blaskie@parkview.com.

Owners of Skilled Nursing Facilities Agree to Settle Americans with Disabilities Act Complaint | USAO-EDVA

Chelsey W. Vogt
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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The United States Attorney’s Office announced a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the owners of Carrington Place of the Tappahannock (CPOT), located in Tappahannock. The owners of CPOT also have an interest in 12 other nursing facilities, and the settlement terms of the settlement agreement apply to each of these nursing facilities.

The settlement agreement resolves allegations that CPOT denied admission to a Deaf individual because they would require sign language interpretation services while at CPOT. The ADA prohibits covered entities from excluding people with disabilities from their services because they need ancillary assistance or services, such as a sign language interpreter. In addition to making significant changes to the policies and procedures of their nursing facilities, the owners of the CPOT also agreed to pay $40,000 to the resident who was denied admission and a civil penalty of $50,000.

To resolve this complaint, nursing facility owners have agreed to adopt new ADA policies at the 13 nursing facilities in which they have an interest: (1) Essex Rehabilitation & Care Center, LLC d/b/a Carrington Place in Tappahannock; (2) Essex Rehabilitation & Care Center, LLC d/b/a Tappahannock Post Acute Care; (3) LA First Street, LLC d/b/a Springhill Post Acute & Memory Care; (4) LA Westfork, LLC d/b/a White Oak Post Acute Care; (5) LA Old Hammond HWY, LLC d/b/a Pines Retirement Center of Baton Rouge; (6) LA Park Manor, LLC d/b/a Lafrenier Assisted Living and Memory Care; (7) Place Zachary ALF, LLC d/b/a Oakwood Village; (8) East Lake Rehab & Care Center, LLC d/b/a Trinity Regional Rehab Center; (9) Place of St. Pete, LLC d/b/a St. Pete Post Acute Care; (10) Birdmont Health Care, LLC d/b/a Carrington Place in Wytheville; (11) Botetourt Health Care, LLC d/b/a Botetourt Post Acute Care; (12) Norfolk Area Senior Care, LLC d/b/a Chesapeake Post Acute Care; and (13) Cambridge Sierra Holdings, LLC d/b/a Reche Canyon Regional Rehab Center.

These policies will make facility services accessible to people with communication disabilities, including those who require the services of a sign language interpreter; requiring the appointment of ADA Administrators, who will be responsible for ensuring each facility’s compliance with the ADA; require institutions to enter into agreements with sign language interpretation service providers to provide services to those who need them; and provide training to facility personnel on the ADA’s effective communication requirements.

The case was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Gordon, who is the Civil Rights Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The civil claims settled by this ADA Agreement are allegations only; there was no determination of civil liability.

The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to help entities comply with the ADA, including Effective Communication and a Business Brief on Communicating with Deaf or Hard of Hearing Persons in Hospital Settings. For more information about the ADA and to access these publications, visit http://www.ada.gov or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).

A copy of this press release can be viewed on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Robots make their debut as care assistants at a Minnesota nursing home

Chelsey W. Vogt
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Pepper the robot is programmed with hundreds of jokes, and if you don’t believe him, just ask him. Residents of the Estates Nursing Home in Roseville did so as the robot made its national debut as a personal care assistant.

“Do you want to hear more jokes? asked the robot.

“Yes!” replied the semi-circle of the elderly.

“Went on a date with a Roomba last week,” the robot said. “It totally sucks.”

Fortunately, the 4-foot-tall upright robot isn’t giving up on its day job, which now involves interacting with residents, reminding them to eat and exercise, and reacting to their facial expressions or tone of voice. their voice.

Pepper is one of two robots introduced to the nursing home by researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth, with a 2-foot-tall robot called NAO designed to lead residents through group exercises and dance routines. . The aim is to provide technology support to a nursing home industry that is seeing more residents and more complex dementia cases at a time when it is losing staff and expertise, said Arshia Khan, professor of computing at UMD.

“If we don’t look for alternatives and think outside the box, our elders will suffer,” Khan said.

UMD researchers have been planning for years to modify SoftBank Robotics machines for use in nursing homes, but they’ve accelerated the timeline amid the pandemic. Isolation protocols to protect highly vulnerable nursing home residents have reduced their social interactions, accentuating how robots could make a difference, Khan said.

“Humans can easily spread the infection,” Khan said, “and robots, once you disinfect the robots, you can send them from person to person without fear of infections.”

As expected, Pepper will move around the nursing home independently and approach residents to see if they have any health issues or need companionship. Facial recognition software allows the robot to speak with residents by name and even detect their moods. Resident wristbands send biometric data wirelessly to the robot, which can then detect when residents aren’t eating or sleeping, having trouble breathing or feeling sad.

“Would you like to revisit some of your memories from the past? the robot said on Wednesday, demonstrating its reminiscence therapy mode. When uploaded with images and information, it can help residents remember some of their favorite times and supplement them with favorite songs.

“Graduation,” Khan said, choosing from a menu of memories on Pepper’s screen.

“Awesome,” Pepper replied, her dark eyes widening in excitement. “You were such a good student. Do you remember the day of your graduation?

The UMD team includes nurses, psychologists and ethicists, who have responded to social concerns about the introduction of robots to take on sometimes personal and intimate caregiver roles. A guiding principle was that robots offered new social outlets, but not at the expense of face-to-face human contact.

“It does not replace employees or reduce the need for human contact or human interaction,” said Dan Pollock, assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services. “It adds something that has the potential to improve lives and maybe support very mundane things like reminding residents when it’s time to eat or go to the bathroom or that sort of thing.”

The NAO and Pepper robots will soon be placed in seven additional Minnesota nursing homes operated by Monarch Healthcare Management. A $2 million grant from the Department of Social Services accelerated their deployment.

Robots can remind residents to eat or put on masks without getting frustrated or raising their voices. Khan said they could also talk about the old days with residents without ever getting tired – but for the once-a-night need to retreat to their self-charging docks.

Pepper doesn’t get tired of the jokes either.

“I went to Starbucks the other day, and one of the baristas asked me if I wanted some coffee. Can you believe that? Me,” the robot said, opening its palms to express its surprise. “I said, ‘No, I don’t need coffee. I’m already completely wired. “

Laughter and moans filled the room.

Sometimes Pepper’s high-pitched voice made the punchline hard to hear, leaving only the robot to laugh. Other times, he struggled to hear a response when he asked if he should tell more jokes.

Khan said adjustments will be made as needed and the robot’s use of sensor data to meet individual resident needs will be phased in over the next week.

Nursing homes in Japan have been more aggressive in using robots to augment care services, but they are also increasingly being used in US facilities. Monarch has tinkered with service-oriented robots that deliver drinks to residents and mop floors.

Personal interactions between staff and residents should become more meaningful if new robots can take on menial tasks, said Dan Strittmater, Monarch’s vice president of operations. If the NAO robot can lead group exercises, then staff can work closely with individual residents who need movement assistance. Or they may be down the hall tending to the needs of other residents.

“I want to put them at the service of the staff so that the staff can have better direct contact with the residents,” he said.

Resident Mary West enjoyed the robot’s jokes and was eager to test her level of personal interaction.

“I’m excited to talk to her,” West said, “telling her all about my kids and hopefully she remembers.”

Officials inaugurate housing for healthcare workers

Chelsey W. Vogt
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BY KAREN BOSSICK

Representatives from three organizations recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a quadruplex in Bellevue that will provide housing for St. Luke’s Wood River employees and their families.

Representatives from St. Luke’s Health System, St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation and ARCH Community Housing Trust gathered for the occasion.

They opened four long-term rentals for St. Luke’s employees at Quigley Farm in Hailey in September 2021, and those homes should be ready for occupancy this fall. Four more units are planned for the Woodside neighborhood of Hailey.

“ARCH is delighted to provide additional housing for St. Luke’s employees,” said Michelle Griffith, executive director of the nonprofit organization, which is committed to developing affordable housing solutions. “Our partnership has been a tremendous asset to our organizations and has served as a model for the development of employee housing locally, regionally and nationally.”

The Bellevue project is a quadruplex. Each unit features three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, as well as an attached garage, private outdoor space and plenty of storage. All units are pet-friendly, and all are near bus service.

The limited availability of housing to rent or own is having a significant impact on St. Luke’s ability to recruit and retain employees, said Almita Nunnelee, chief operating officer/chief nursing officer at St. Luke’s Wood River. .

“Despite the offer of financial incentives, the lack of available housing and the cost of living are frequently cited as the main reason for the decline in job offers. This is an important investment to help St. Luke’s Wood River recruit and retain essential healthcare workers,” she said.

“We are grateful to our donors who have helped put St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation in a position of strength from which to invest in a housing solution for healthcare workers,” added Megan Tanous, Director development of St. Luke’s Wood River. Foundation.

Those interested in supporting healthcare worker housing can visit https://www.slwrf.org or contact Megan Tanous at 208-727-8444.

HIRE TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS

Landlords who have rental properties that can accommodate current and potential St. Luke’s employees are encouraged to submit information to a St. Luke’s Health System portal.

Rental property information may be subject to https://www.stlukesonline.org/housing

It will be securely shared with employees, potential employees and contract labor in need of housing. The form allows for both short-term and long-term rental transactions.

St. Luke’s is not the listing agent and will not enter into any agreement or contract for the rental property.

Want to know more? Visit www.stlukesonline.org/housing

Ensign Group Adds Five Skilled Nursing Facilities in Texas | New

Chelsey W. Vogt
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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif., July 06 Feb. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Ensign Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENSG), the parent company of the EnsignTM group of companies, which invests in and provides skilled nursing and senior living, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services. , Other Rehabilitation and Health Care Services, and Real Estate, today announced the acquisition of the operations of the following specialty nursing facilities in Texas:

  • The Eden of Las Colinasa 118-bed skilled nursing facility, located in Irving, Texas;
  • Pleasant Valley Health Care and Rehabilitation Centera 124-bed skilled nursing facility located in Garland, Texas;
  • Millbrook Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, a 124-bed skilled nursing facility in Lancaster, Texas;
  • McKinney Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, a 125-bed skilled nursing facility in McKinney, Texas; and
  • Park Mansion Bee Cavea 140-bed skilled nursing facility in Bee Cave, Texas.

The acquisitions became effective July 1, 2022. The acquisition of The Eden of Las Colinas also includes the property’s real estate, which was acquired by a subsidiary of Standard Bearer Healthcare REIT, Inc., the captive real estate company of ‘Ensign. The four other acquisitions will be subject to a long-term triple net lease.

“These acquisitions are a perfect fit and will serve to strengthen our existing operating markets and clusters in Texas,” said Barry Port, CEO of Ensign. “Our leaders are ready to improve the level of care provided to residents and their families,” he added.

“We look forward to working with the local healthcare communities at each of these facilities, home to an exceptional team of caregivers,” added Mike Muhlestein, an operational market leader at Keystone Care LLC, the holding subsidiary of ‘Ensign based in Texas.

In separate transactions the same day, Ensign announced that Standard Bearer had also acquired a new campus comprising real estate and three assets in California, including the following:

  • real estate and operations Villa Maria Post acute and rehabilitationa 65-bed specialist nursing facility, Villa Maria Wellness Livinga service residence with 31 beds and Recovery from Tucson to Villa Maria, a 30-bed behavioral health unit, each located in Tucson, Arizona; and
  • the real estate of Palm Springs First Care Center, a 99-bed skilled nursing facility located in Palm Springs, California, Brookside Health Center, a 97-bed skilled nursing facility located in Redlands, California, and Broadway Villa Post Acute, a 138-bed skilled nursing facility located in Sonoma, California, each operated by an independent operating subsidiary of Ensign.

Additionally, on the same day, Ensign announced that its subsidiary had entered into a new long-term lease for Henderson Health and Rehabilitationa skilled nursing facility with 266 skilled nursing beds, located in Henderson, Nevada.

All of these acquisitions also became effective July 1, 2022, and bring Ensign’s growing portfolio to 258 healthcare operations, 26 of which also include senior living operations, across thirteen states. Ensign subsidiaries, including Standard Bearer, now own 105 real estate assets.

Mr. Port reaffirmed that Ensign is actively seeking opportunities to acquire real estate and lease both skilled nursing, senior living facilities and other successful and struggling healthcare-related businesses across United States.

About the brand MT

Independent operating subsidiaries of Ensign Group, Inc. provide a wide range of skilled nursing and senior living services, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy and other rehabilitation and care services across 258 healthcare facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. More information about Ensign is available at http://www.ensigngroup.net.

Contact information

The Ensign Group, Inc., (949) 487-9500, ir@ensigngroup.net

SOURCE: The Ensign Group, Inc.

Copyright 2022 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Ensign Group Adds Five Skilled Nursing Facilities in Texas

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

The Ensign Group, Inc.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif., July 06 Feb. 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Ensign Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENSG), the parent company of the EnsignMT group of companies, which invests in and provides skilled nursing and aged care services, physical, occupational and speech therapy, other rehabilitation and healthcare services and real estate, announced today Today he had acquired the operations of the following skilled nursing facilities in Texas:

  • The Eden of Las Colinasa 118-bed skilled nursing facility, located in Irving, Texas;

  • Pleasant Valley Health Care and Rehabilitation Centera 124-bed skilled nursing facility located in Garland, Texas;

  • Millbrook Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, a 124-bed skilled nursing facility in Lancaster, Texas;

  • McKinney Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, a 125-bed skilled nursing facility in McKinney, Texas; and

  • Park Mansion Bee Cavea 140-bed skilled nursing facility in Bee Cave, Texas.

The acquisitions became effective July 1, 2022. The acquisition of The Eden of Las Colinas also includes the property’s real estate, which was acquired by a subsidiary of Standard Bearer Healthcare REIT, Inc., the captive real estate company of ‘Ensign. The four other acquisitions will be subject to a long-term triple net lease.

“These acquisitions are a perfect fit and will serve to strengthen our existing operating markets and clusters in Texas,” said Barry Port, CEO of Ensign. “Our leaders are ready to improve the level of care provided to residents and their families,” he added.

“We look forward to working with the local healthcare communities at each of these facilities, home to an exceptional team of caregivers,” added Mike Muhlestein, an operational market leader at Keystone Care LLC, the holding subsidiary of ‘Ensign based in Texas.

In separate transactions the same day, Ensign announced that Standard Bearer had also acquired a new campus comprising real estate and three assets in California, including the following:

  • real estate and operations Villa Maria Post acute and rehabilitationa 65-bed specialist nursing facility, Villa Maria Wellness Livinga service residence with 31 beds and Recovery from Tucson to Villa Maria, a 30-bed behavioral health unit, each located in Tucson, Arizona; and

  • the real estate of Palm Springs First Care Center, a 99-bed skilled nursing facility located in Palm Springs, California, Brookside Health Center, a 97-bed skilled nursing facility located in Redlands, California, and Broadway Villa Post Acute, a 138-bed skilled nursing facility located in Sonoma, California, each operated by an independent operating subsidiary of Ensign.

Additionally, on the same day, Ensign announced that its subsidiary had entered into a new long-term lease for Henderson Health and Rehabilitationa skilled nursing facility with 266 skilled nursing beds, located in Henderson, Nevada.

All of these acquisitions also became effective July 1, 2022, and bring Ensign’s growing portfolio to 258 healthcare operations, 26 of which also include senior living operations, across thirteen states. Ensign subsidiaries, including Standard Bearer, now own 105 real estate assets.

Mr. Port reaffirmed that Ensign is actively seeking opportunities to acquire real estate and lease both skilled nursing, senior living facilities and other successful and struggling healthcare-related businesses across United States.

About the brandMT

Independent operating subsidiaries of Ensign Group, Inc. provide a wide range of skilled nursing and senior living services, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy and other rehabilitation and care services across 258 healthcare facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. More information about Ensign is available at http://www.ensigngroup.net.

Contact information

The Ensign Group, Inc., (949) 487-9500, ir@ensigngroup.net

SOURCE: The Ensign Group, Inc.

Ensign Group adds five skilled nursing facilities to

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif., July 06 Feb. 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Ensign Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENSG), the parent company of the EnsignMT group of companies, which invests in and provides skilled nursing and aged care services, physical, occupational and speech therapy, other rehabilitation and healthcare services and real estate, announced today today that he had acquired the operations of the following skilled nursing facilities in Texas:

  • The Eden of Las Colinasa 118-bed skilled nursing facility, located in Irving, Texas;
  • Pleasant Valley Health Care and Rehabilitation Centera 124-bed skilled nursing facility located in Garland, Texas;
  • Millbrook Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, a 124-bed skilled nursing facility in Lancaster, Texas;
  • McKinney Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, a 125-bed skilled nursing facility in McKinney, Texas; and
  • Park Mansion Bee Cavea 140-bed skilled nursing facility in Bee Cave, Texas.

The acquisitions became effective July 1, 2022. The acquisition of The Eden of Las Colinas also includes the property’s real estate, which was acquired by a subsidiary of Standard Bearer Healthcare REIT, Inc., the captive real estate company of ‘Ensign. The four other acquisitions will be subject to a long-term triple net lease.

“These acquisitions are a perfect fit and will serve to strengthen our existing operating markets and clusters in Texas,” said Barry Port, CEO of Ensign. “Our leaders are ready to improve the level of care provided to residents and their families,” he added.

“We look forward to working with the local healthcare communities at each of these facilities, home to an exceptional team of caregivers,” added Mike Muhlestein, an operational market leader at Keystone Care LLC, the holding subsidiary of ‘Ensign based in Texas.

In separate transactions the same day, Ensign announced that Standard Bearer had also acquired a new campus comprising real estate and three assets in California, including the following:

  • real estate and operations Villa Maria Post acute and rehabilitationa 65-bed specialist nursing facility, Villa Maria Wellness Livinga service residence with 31 beds and Recovery from Tucson to Villa Maria, a 30-bed behavioral health unit, each located in Tucson, Arizona; and
  • the real estate of Palm Springs First Care Center, a 99-bed skilled nursing facility located in Palm Springs, California, Brookside Health Center, a 97-bed skilled nursing facility located in Redlands, California, and Broadway Villa Post Acute, a 138-bed skilled nursing facility located in Sonoma, California, each operated by an independent operating subsidiary of Ensign.

In addition, on the same day, Ensign announced that its subsidiary had entered into a new long-term lease for Henderson Health and Rehabilitationa skilled nursing facility with 266 skilled nursing beds, located in Henderson, Nevada.

All of these acquisitions also became effective July 1, 2022, and bring Ensign’s growing portfolio to 258 healthcare operations, 26 of which also include senior living operations, across thirteen states. Ensign subsidiaries, including Standard Bearer, now own 105 real estate assets.

Mr. Port reaffirmed that Ensign is actively seeking opportunities to acquire real estate and lease both skilled nursing, senior living facilities and other successful and struggling healthcare-related businesses across United States.

About the brandMT

Independent operating subsidiaries of Ensign Group, Inc. provide a wide range of skilled nursing and senior living services, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy and other rehabilitation and care services across 258 healthcare facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. More information about Ensign is available at http://www.ensigngroup.net.

Contact information

The Ensign Group, Inc., (949) 487-9500, ir@ensigngroup.net

SOURCE: The Ensign Group, Inc.

Demand for COVID nursing home deaths is mainstay of election campaign

Chelsey W. Vogt
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0

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Doug Mastriano, Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, has made a campaign staple of the allegation that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s policy of readmitting COVID-19 patients from hospitals to homes retirement caused thousands of deaths – a baseless claim for which no investigator or researcher has provided evidence.

In fact, layers of inspections by researchers have uncovered something entirely different – ​​nursing home workers ushering in the virus every day – while investigators have found administrators flouting the requirements. personnel or infection control procedures.

Additionally, no Pennsylvania nursing home has made such a claim as Mastr