On behalf of all of us here at Extended Care we wish our consulted facility staff a happy, healthy and safe new year. 2019 will be another year of changes for Nursing Homes – don’t we say that every year? Two new programs started in October 2018 for CMS that affects our facilities operations and one new program starts in October 2019. All three programs need our staff’s commitment in training and helping each facility be successful. These programs are: • Quality Reporting Program (QRP) - QRP started in October 2018 and if a facility is not performing well (or close to National Rates) the facility’s Medicare payment rate may be reduced up to 2%. These Quality Reports are on care issues that we have been focusing on heavily over the last few years like: Pressure Sores developing or worsening in a facility and Falls with Major Injuries. So our work in these areas must continue and everyone needs to be involved. • Value-Based Purchasing Program (VBP) - VBP started in October 2018 and focuses on better outcomes to the residents with Medicare (hospital stay) particularly focusing now on reducing hospital readmissions. This is also something we have been working with our facilities on adding Nurse Practitioner programs to some facilities; working with the residents’ Physicians are not immediately giving discharge orders but assessing concerns and working with facility staff on keeping the residents out of the hospital; create a “hot list” of those residents in their first 30 day window of admission to the facility to monitor even more closely to avoid having to send to the hospital. • Patient Driven Patient Model (PDPM) – PDPM starts October 2019 and shifts a facility’s Medicare Part A stay in a nursing home away from therapy minutes as the driver of the stay and creates a model of therapy linked to clinical characteristics of the resident and creates a separate payment piece for non-therapy ancillary services. Additional training will be conducted over the next several months so we are all ready for the October change. So what can our consulted facility staff do to help in these new programs? Educate yourself on these changes, listen to leadership in changing the way we do things and practice good, safe care of our residents. It is not too late to get your FLU Vaccine. Influenza (flu) is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently, but millions of people get the flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands or tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year. Ron Nunziato CEO, Extended Care @extendedcarellc Goldsmith, Jummy O. 1/3 Pritchard, Felicia 1/5 Gatewood, Barbara 1/6 Smith, Naomi R. 1/6 Krzywosz, Judi 1/6 Njoku, Francis C. 1/8 Milewski, John 1/10 Jones, Coretta 1/11 Blacktom, Linda 1/12 Waterman, Angela 1/12 Pisciotta, Cailene A. 1/22 Perkins, Sirmara C. 1/23 Cooper, Jesse 1/23 Suprenant, David 1/27 Johnson, Gary 1/30 Thigpen, Delilah A. 1/2 Harris, Tatiana 1/2 Camp, Antone 1/5 Torres, Judith 1/8 Terry, Sha-Rhonda 1/8 Henry, Chanel A. 1/9 Nelson, Brenda A. 1/10 Smith, Dache’ M. 1/11 Sheko, Diane 1/12 King, Rose M. 1/15 Parks, Dominique 1/16 Carter, Larenda 1/18 Morrison, Betty Ann 1/18 Davidson, Sandra D. 1/19 Johnson, Krystal 1/20 Leavelle, Lea E. 1/22 Awanya, Rosa 1/22 Hopkins, Arnette A. 1/24 Walls, Lanay D. 1/24 Covich, Debra L. 1/24 Bryant, Latasha S. 1/24 Hope, William K. 1/24 Grant, Keyanah D. 1/25 Williams, Phyllis 1/26 Gibson, Anton 1/27 Yancey, Jory A. 1/27 Kowame, Liliane T. 1/28 Rose, Petralin 1/28 Bautista, Josefina 1/28 Dawson, Sumayyah 1/31 Bills, Latisha E. 1/31 Yassin, Nadia 1/3 White-Jones, Tamara 1/4 Scott, Takeya 1/4 Davidson, Krystal 1/6 Ladra, Melchor 1/6 Burrus, Waukesha 1/9 Durr-Cook, Dominique 1/11 Feliciano, Rosemary 1/12 Rivera, Angelene 1/13 White, Willean 1/19 Black, Vonisha 1/20 Jakes, Chauntisha 1/23 Douma, Sarah 1/23 Atkinson, Susan 1/24 Simpson, Cortesia 1/25 Gueringer, Rashaad 1/26 Frazier-Brown, Camille 1/29 Nelson, Melissa R. 1/3 Baez, Alpha C. 1/5 Nantz, Samantha L. 1/20 Conley, Anthony J. 1/21 Woodley, Tammy L. 1/22 Campbell, India A. 1/23 Ekeh, Comfort 1/27 Benavidez, Diana L. 1/27 Thomas, Dyan C. 1/28 Lapsley, Marie D. 1/28 Pach, Kathlyne C. 1/30 Dixon, Romel J. 1/31 Shringarpure, Jyoti 1/7 Dela Pena, Marjorie S. 1/11 Pora, Renee 1/12 Baird, Sandra 1/12 Paulikaite, Nerija 1/12 Smith, Juanita 1/18 Woods King, Danielle L. 1/27 Boladale, Oladunni 1/3 Jackson, Brittani 1/4 Thompson, Majorie 1/8 Vargo, Nancy 1/12 Martinez, Jeannie 1/15 Drechen, Cynthia L. 1/19 Ceh, Roberta N. 1/22 Mendoza-Martinez, Maria T.1/26 Falsis-Mallari, Marjorie D.1/26 Lugo, Violeta Richelle A. 1/27 Bartos, Natalie 1/2 Fearon, John 1/6 Love, Christine 1/7 Stood, Jodi L. 1/10 Martin, Magen 1/11 Maeweather, Jacqueline 1/13 Hope, Brooklynn 1/13 Anaman, Joyce 1/18 Campbell, Ted 1/25 Barefield, Katarra 1/30 Raheem, Cecilia 1/1 Boyd, Leon 1/4 Lawson, Tiana 1/13 Stubbs, Christellar 1/13 Boulos, Mary E. 1/13 Njingum, Stephanie 1/15 Ross, Scharice 1/15 Sams, Callie 1/16 Price, Annette 1/16 Griffin, Sharnetta 1/17 Gray, Renita 1/18 Powell, Leland 1/19 Kovach, Janet 1/1 Hartlerode, Sandy 1/7 Thomas, Germaine A. 1/9 Tong, Wendy Q. 1/12 Ordonez, Cassandra 1/16 Morales, Ronda 1/18 Aguda, Michael B. 1/29 Reyna, Erika 1/29 Goggins, Desmond G. 1/9 Heard, Frederick J. 1/13 Shronts, Lisa M. 1/13 Raguse, Lisa M. 1/13 Brown, Avery P. 1/14 Fendrick, Allyson L. 1/14 Ramsey, Vanessa J. 1/16 Grubbs, Heather A. 1/17 Huffman, Jennifer 1/18 Cosner, Steven L. 1/18 Snider, Debbie J. 1/19 Gilkison, Georgianna M. 1/20 Clemens, Colleen K. 1/23 Robinson, LaToyia D. 1/26 Luttrell, Stanley L. 1/26 Dwyer, Rebecca L. 1/29 Rogoz, Jennifer 1/4 Jordan, Amie J. 1/16 Ortiz, Francisco 1/24 Freeman, Dahia A. 1/26 Dwamena, Emmanuel M.1/26 Alovokpinhoun, Paule 1/28 Kay, Patricia 1/28 Happy Birthday to our ECC Family! Turner, Monique 1/1 Jenkins, Karen 1/4 Koenemann, Lottie 1/4 Brown, Gwendolyn 1/6 Moore, Selena A. 1/8 Jiles-Hudson, Vernice 1/8 Hulbert, Shronda 1/10 Scott, Kayla L. 1/11 Lowery, Takeia L. 1/14 Durdevic, Ljiljana 1/17 Carter, Bri’Ana T. 1/17 Avramoska, Jovica 1/21 Jones-Stingley, Andrea 1/21 Coley, James 1/24 Boone, Ginger R. 1/30 Darnell, Sara N. 1/1 Willis, Tanya V. 1/3 Star Lee , Amani 1/4 Williams, Tiffany S. 1/5 DeLuna, Luis 1/7 Rolon, Marisol 1/8 Gomez, Maria 1/10 Trzepacz, Austin J. 1/13 Williams, Demetria D. 1/14 Berger, Andrew C. 1/20 Joseph, Esther E. 1/1 Jones, Ajaya 1/1 Stovall, Nicole 1/4 Grubbs, Laventrice 1/5 Robinson, Janet D. 1/11 Finner, Jill R. 1/13 Harris, Andrea N. 1/13 Krapf, Joshua 1/15 Robinson, Angelique J. 1/16 Hawkins, Crystal L. 1/21 Frazier, Tekeshia 1/21 Hoskins, Maxine 1/25 Patterson, Donnae E. 1/25 Wilson, Christina L. 1/26 Bates, Raquel Y. 1/26 Weathers, Darina 1/28 Oliver-Loyd, Brigitte S. 1/31 Calhoun, Linda E. 1/31 Joseph, Constance 1/5 Jackson, Kenneth W. 1/5 Brandon, Kena K. 1/6 Tucker, Delisa M. 1/8 Faber, Kalisha D. 1/10 Parker, Carlena 1/11 Bachmann, Hannelore 1/14 Swart, Courtney M. 1/14 Cavanaugh, Katrina D. 1/15 McReynolds, Unice P. 1/17 Padilla-Gomez, Ramon 1/20 Hurn, Ann R. 1/20 Richmond, Allie L. 1/24 Morris, Icephene 1/25 Rodriguez, Luzberto 1/30 Musch, Barbara L. 1/31 Scott, Lanesha 1/31 Washington, Michelle 1/31 Devi, Nongmaithem 1/1 Krieps, Jamie 1/13 Price, Shirley 1/14 Kapil, Mariaelena 1/15 Dar, Emelia 1/16 Haan, Katherine 1/20 Floyd, Carlisa 1/21 Roberts, Laura L. 1/22 Schubert, Ann 1/22 Green, Ardelia 1/24 Horsch, Laura 1/25 Kyles, Kasha 1/28 Ferry, Lorieben 1/29 McNeal, Tellisa 1/5 Washington, Ashley R. 1/5 Grall, Chona 1/6 Carradine, Quentine C. 1/7 Coleman, Keishala 1/7 Wahlman, Geri 1/8 Moses, Saria M. 1/13 Bratton, Tabitha 1/15 Gay, Lakesha C. 1/16 James, Karen 1/16 Jones, Sherry 1/17 Alexander, Barbara 1/19 Pines, Fleeta D. 1/23 Rokhmistrova, Irina 1/24 Lee, Zereida A. 1/25 Hillegonds, Iryna 1/26 Miller, Theodora 1/28 Novak, Susan 1/28 Graves, Larry 1/1 Henry, Margaret A. 1/6 Johnson, Cindy L. 1/6 Primous, Ramone L. 1/7 Stinson, Jasmine 1/7 Jacobs, Jerome C. 1/8 Favors, Lanise D. 1/9 Roberts, Jeffery 1/9 Colvin, Rayshon L. 1/9 O’Connor, DeMarcus 1/10 Murphy, Alice 1/13 Adetokunbo, Temitope M.1/15 Harris, Irene G. 1/19 Wade, Melissa 1/20 Jones, Betty 1/23 Webb, Levon M. 1/25 Hearns, Donte 1/27 DeCuir, Albert K. 1/28 Extended Care Chronicles JANUARY · ISSUE 1 · VOLUME 6 HAPPY NEW YEAR!