Passing of ‘superwoman’ Sherrie Dornberger, top NADONA exec for the last 20 years, leaves massive...
By
James M. Berklan
May 19, 2024
Sherrie Dornberger, the caregiving powerhouse who bounced back from her own life-threatening medical issues to assume one of long-term care’s top nurse leadership posts, died Wednesday after a two-week...
Congress as … good guys?
By
James M. Berklan
May 10, 2024
Face it: It’s easy to complain. About the boss, about the weather, about “the system.” And if you toil in long-term care, it’s really easy to fire up a narrowed down complaint list targeting two...
Push or pause staff mandate?
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 12, 2024
Lawmakers continued to spar over officials’ plans to finalize a first-ever nursing home staffing mandate as hearings poked through every layer of President Biden’s latest budget proposal.
A Medicare Advantage fix: What took so long?
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 12, 2024
Providers hoping that policy makers might some day show some backbone when dealing with Medicare Advantage plans can take heart. Well, at least a little.
[UPDATED] BREAKING: CMS proposes 4.1 percent nursing homes pay boost; staffing minimum not addressed
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 29, 2024
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Thursday proposed a 4.1% pay increase for nursing homes in fiscal 2025 but declined to issue an update on its staffing minimum proposal as part of its annual...
Hans and CMS: Two peas in a value-based pod
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 02, 2024
In another life, in another millennium, on another continent, your faithful scribe was an auto factory worker. This led to many unexpected insights into human nature that I still recall decades later....
It’s time to make that deserving leader a Women of Distinction nominee
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 22, 2023
The early deadline for the 2024 McKnight’s Women of Distinction awards program is just two weeks away and counting down. Prime time for action, in other words.
MedPAC plots policy for SNF payment adequacy next Friday
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 01, 2023
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission will delve into the adequacy of skilled nursing facility payment levels at the panel’s annual December meeting next Friday morning.
Managers at Veterans facility ruled immune from COVID prosecution, appeals court affirms
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 30, 2023
A federal appeals court has reaffirmed a decision that released top managers at a state-run long-term care facility from liability in a worker’s lawsuit alleging his constitutional rights to a safe workplace...
Fogg clears the air on skilled nursing ‘tailwinds’
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 26, 2023
The headwinds for skilled nursing operators are significantly more numerous than the potential tailwinds, but there are reasons for provider optimism.