April, 2010:

• Providers to sound off about CMS survey and certification process
• Another blow to brain fitness
• New chairman could help save celebrity nursing home, supporters hope
• Panel finds no evidence to support effective measures to prevent Alzheimer's
• House may resurrect measure allowing Medicare reimbursement for end-of-life consultation
• State officials raid Illinois nursing homes to find wanted criminals
• Medical directors release guidance on transferring patients from acute care to skilled nursing facilities
• CMS asks nursing homes for feedback on implementing healthcare reform
• A real brain teaser
• Congressman hints at five-year Medicare doc pay fix
• AstraZeneca settles for $520 million following investigation into improper marketing of anti-psychotic drug
• Nursing home costs rising faster than home-care costs, report finds
• What the long-term care world needs now
• One in five long-term elder care patients have MRSA in their noses
• New SEIU leadership still undecided, outgoing president says
• CMS to waive ban on nurse-aide training program in some civil monetary penalty cases
• DEA loosens grip on nursing home pain medications
• New InSiteRx remote dispensing technology automates pharmacy functions
• AALTCN offers discounts to celebrate National Nurses Week
• New scanner can be shared by two computers
• New guide helps providers understand nation's healthcare system
• Skechers shoes promise better physical fitness
• Medicare products and services are not misused, providers counter
• From "nana" to "ninja": safe martial arts training can reduce damage from falls
• Seniors still angry with healthcare law, but many approve of the changes
• HHS report on healthcare reform: Up to 15% of providers could fall into the red
• Medicare in Mexico? Experts discuss future of long-term care for Americans south of border
• Senate committee approves resolution freezing healthcare spending
• Delay of RUGs-IV confuses calculation of nursing home reimbursement rates, regulators say
• Don't forget Mother Earth
• Hopes expected to rise for a unified rollout of MDS 3.0 and RUGs IV
• Renew your subscription to McKnight's
• Florida House approves Medicaid managed care program expansion
• California nursing home group responds to allegations of improper use of funds
• CMS nominee Berwick may face questions on healthcare 'rationing' during confirmation hearings
• Post-acute providers need electronic health records, too
• Brain games do not improve people's cognitive skills, study finds
• Nursing homes in California under fire for cutting staff while receiving money for staffing
• CMS could improve oversight of Special Focus Facilities, GAO report finds
• New FDA site offers information on medical devices
• Kindred Healthcare makes Fortune 500 list
• American HealthTech adds three executive positions as part of 'Next Horizon' strategy
• Partnership helps facilities achieve higher inspection ratings
• Alzheimer's drug shows early promise
• Nasco releases educational materials catalog
• Briggs unveils MDS 3.0 product line
• Let's hope it's not a shocking development
• A proud day for Ohio nursing home
• It's time to renew your McKnight's subscription
• Federal law trumps state in use of nursing home arbitration agreements, Illinois high court rules
• Obama issues memo to ensure that hospitals honor patients' end-of-life wishes
• President nominates Berwick to run agency for Medicare, Medicaid
• They can dance if they want to: Dance therapy helps reduces falls risk among seniors, study finds
• Bell named chair of Certification Commission for Health Information Technology
• Use of managed care for long-term care could save $140 billion, insurance report finds
• Stern, a force in the labor movement
• Fresh off healthcare reform battle, Democrats pushing for financial regulatory reform
• Researchers look to hallucinogens to ease end-of-life anxieties
• SEIU boss Andy Stern makes retirement official
• Obama signs legislation delaying Medicare physician pay cut
• Space-age scheduling software could help healthcare workers, researchers say
• Doctors, nurses clash over plan to expand role of nurse practitioners
• Senate likely to vote today to delay Medicare physician pay cut
• Groundhog Day for Medicare physician payment cuts
• New guidelines help identify problem drivers with dementia
• Alabama high court upholds nursing home arbitration agreement that daughter signed
• Stern, president of SEIU, to resign
• Ask the treatment expert: Are wet-to-dry dressings substandard for optimal wound care?
• Maryland: Provider group supports higher assessment tax
• Smart Money: Questions for CFOs
• Ask the care expert: ideas for residents with heel pressure ulcers
• Profile: Robert Van Dyk - Long-term care suits him
• Ask the payment expert: When will we see the new Care Area Assessment?
• 60 Seconds with...
• Democrats tying their fates to passage of health reform?
• For states, the worst ahead, governors say
• Healthcare reform law will change eldercare
• Ask the nursing expert: contacting the regional nurse supervisor, convincing management to implement stronger restorative care program
• Ask the legal expert: Is pressure to contribute to my boss's favorite charity legal?
• How to do it... Transportation
• Briggs earns ISO designation
• Engineers design pill that signals it has been swallowed
• FDA warns of increased myopathy risk with high dose Zocor
• ECG system gets federal approval
• Rubbermaid launches new line of indoor recycling receptacles
• Dressing helps reduce infection rates
• Spray on bandages could revolutionize wound care
• 2010 Washing Machines Purchasing Report
• 2010 Wandering Management Purchasing Report
• 2010 Vehicles Purchasing Report
• How technology has changed our delivery of care
• 2010 Foam Mattresses Purchasing Report
• 2010 Room Sets Purchasing Report
• 2010 Floor Lifts Purchasing Report
• 2010 Resident Seating Purchasing Report
• 2010 Personal Emergency Response Systems Purchasing Report
• 2010 Fall Prevention Purchasing Report
• 2010 Overbed Tables Purchasing Report
• 2010 Electric Beds Purchasing Report
• 2010 Nurse-Call Systems Purchasing Report
• 2010 Dryers Purchasing Report
• 2010 Non-Electric Beds Purchasing Report
• 2010 Ceiling Lifts Purchasing Report
• 2010 Carpeting Purchasing Report
• 2010 Bathing Equipment Purchasing Report
• 2010 Alternating-Pressure Mattresses Purchasing Report
• CMS notifies Medicare Part D provider Aetna of possible sanctions
• Break-away union to pay $1.5 million in damages to California SEIU
• Senate to vote on bill to extend Medicare physician pay
• Aegis 2010 Spring Supplement
• New report analyzes effect of healthcare law on long-term supports and services
• New Medicare payment board to play role in lowering deficit, Orszag says
• CMS provides first guidance letter about Medicaid changes
• More states challenge healthcare reform law
• New makeup of National Labor Relations Board could lead to decisions favoring unions
• Bernanke: Medicare, Social Security could be casualties of mounting deficit
• Fourth Annual McKnight's Online Expo sets records
• MDS 3.0 training to start next week — for nursing home teachers
• Therapy policies in need of rehab
• Universal flu vaccinations a cost-effective strategy, Canadian researchers find
• Seniors who work longer could be helping to save Medicare, Social Security
• Stalled physician pay bill affects Medicare Part B skilled nursing therapy rates
• Mobility, ADL difficulties rising among middle-aged Americans
• Release of annual Medicare report delayed to calculate effects of reform
• Weems: Berwick and Blumenthal would be information technology 'dream team'
• 'Distributor of the Year' honors go to Owens & Minor
• Drug sales up 5% in 2009, according to IMS Health
• Millennium Pharmacy Systems offers expanded services
• George Mason University to offer senior housing master's degree
• App makes it easier to solicit donations
• Medication crusher packs a punch
• Cheaper RFID tag could replace bar codes in long-term care
• CLASS caveats
• Intentional weight-loss lowers mortality rate for seniors, research shows
• MedPAC: Promising care models for dual eligibles face challenges
• Congresswomen ask Budget Committee to preserve Medicare, Medicaid funding in fiscal year 2011
• Erickson, Sunrise suffer tragic fates
• Many seniors will lose the ability to make their own health decisions, research shows
• Appellate court lifts ban on nursing home fines in Illinois
• RAC program fails to adequately reduce improper payments: GAO
• Nursing homes begin receiving census forms
• Advancing Excellence campaign releases nursing home checklist for consumers
• Some states could benefit from early Medicaid expansion funding, news report says
• The BIG Picture: a sense of entitlement
• It's about teamwork
• Empathy crash course
• Handle with caution: difficulties persist with nursing home medication management
• What's in IT for you: Providers can see the benefit of healthcare technology investment
• The task masters: recognizing occupational therapists during occupational therapy month
• Starting a new tradition: better quality of life through better quality of design
• Editor's Desk: Some of this reform stuff will be tough to swallow
• For some seniors, family support increases end-of-life fears
• Opinions differ on changes to Illinois' nursing home system
• HHS releases stimulus funds to help seniors fight chronic conditions
• The question becomes: How much will Congress boost physicians' pay?
• Lawmakers playing nice? Ha! April Fools'!