Rethink - Skilled Nursing News

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Fred Stratmann JD, CHC, General Counsel at CommuniCare Health Services Jan 06, 2020

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The opioid crisis has hit every part of the U.S. health care system – skilled nursing facilities included. But the state and federal regulations haven’t moved as fast as the crisis, even though more and more providers are seeing these patients come through their doors. For the Communicare Family of Companies, which is based in Ohio and has 87 SNFs in some of the most opioid-affected states, there are ways that providers can help address the needs of patients struggling with addiction and other disorders. Fred Stratmann, Communicare’s general counsel, joined Rethink to talk about how SNFs could help and why the problem of caring for these patients goes back even further than the opioid epidemic. Listen to this episode to learn about: - Why nursing homes are filling the gaps in community resources - The regulatory hurdles to changing paradigms of care - The ways empty SNF beds could be repurposed for behavioral and substance use disorder treatment

CLA Managing Principal Cory Rutledge Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

For the first time in 34 years, an annual report on nursing home finances found that the median operating margin for operators fell below zero. For CLA managing principal Cory Rutledge, a co-author of the report, the result wasn't exactly surprising, given the headwinds battering the skilled nursing space over the past decade. But while he acknowledges that the number doesn't look great, Rutledge sees sunnier times ahead for operators in the space — specifically those that take bold action to adapt to a changing world. Listen to this episode of "Rethink" to learn: - Why the median margin fell below zero - How operators with positive margins pulled off their success - What operators should do to turn their fortunes around - ...and more!

Chris Bryson, CEO of Consulate Health Care Nov 11, 2019

Show notes

With 140 facilities, Consulate Health Care is something of an outlier in the skilled nursing world, and has seen its share of ups and downs related to its size. But after a strategic shrinking – and an overhaul to improve quality and care at the bedside – the operator is ready to grow again. CEO Chris Bryson has led the work in turning the company around. He joined Rethink to talk about how Consulate “doubled in size overnight” in 2012 and had to streamline in subsequent years, the work of improving care and retention, and why the operator is looking to the future. Listen to this episode to learn more about: -Why scale can still benefit skilled nursing facilities -The importance of maintaining local autonomy -Why regulators and providers need to collaborate for better care

René Lerer, CEO of Longevity Health Plan Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

Over the last few years, there's probably been no hotter topic in the skilled nursing space than I-SNPs — special Medicare Advantage plans that cover long-term residents of nursing homes and other institutional sites of care. As CEO of Longevity Health Plan, René Lerer has had a front-row seat to the expansion of these plans, which the company currently offers in Illinois and New York. Lerer joined "Rethink" to discuss trends in this specialized space, as well as how providers can launch their own plans — either on their own, or with strategic partners. Listen to this episode to learn: - How Longevity built its network, and how it plans to expand - The different ways providers can create or join an I-SNP - Why I-SNPs can open other opportunities beyond reimbursement control

VP at Henry Ford Health System Sue Craft Sep 27, 2019

Show notes

It's never been a more important time for skilled nursing facilities to get to know their hospital partners, especially as SNFs face penalties for patient readmissions and a constant battle to maintain census and provide the best quality of care. That makes open lines of communication and strong relationships essential for acute and post-acute care —and Sue Craft, the vice president of inpatient case management and post-acute care services at Henry Ford Health System is at the forefront of that work. She oversees the Detroit-based hospital system's preferred SNF network, as well as the team that makes decisions about patient discharges. Skilled Nursing News sat down with her to discuss the financial pressure that hospitals are facing, and how Henry Ford has changed its approach to post-acute partnerships over the years. Listen to this episode to learn: -Why Henry Ford focused on developing a preferred network to combat readmission struggles -The metrics SNFs should bring to hospitals in partnership discussions -What hospitals want from their post-acute partners

CMS Chief Medical Officer Kate Goodrich Sep 03, 2019

Show notes

As the Medicare program's top clinical official, Dr. Kate Goodrich has played a major role in the wave of nursing home regulatory scrutiny coming from Washington and Baltimore over the last few years. Goodrich and CMS administrator Seema Verma have placed skilled nursing facility compliance and oversight at the top of their to-do lists, with a litany of accomplishments already under their belts — from an overhaul of the five-star rating system to the public identification of properties under consideration for the Special Focus Facility program. SNN sat down with Goodrich to learn more about what's been driving this enforcement push, as well as what additional moves the federal government may have in store for the future. Listen to this episode to learn: -The inner workings of CMS's enforcement strategies for nursing homes -Why the agency is focusing on beefing up state-level survey efforts -Goodrich's vision for the long-term future of value-based care

Integrated Care Solutions CEO Brian Fuller Aug 22, 2019

Show notes

Skilled nursing providers can get chills at the thought of alternative payment models, which include Medicare arrangements such as bundled payments — one reimbursement shared by a range of providers for a single episode of care. After all, many bundled payment programs achieve their savings by cutting down on post-acute spending, adding pressure to already-squeezed skilled nursing facilities. But Brian Fuller, the CEO of Integrated Care Solutions, thinks SNFs shouldn't despair. ICS is a care coordination company and bundled payments convener under the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement — Advanced program, and Fuller sees both sides of the acute and post-acute world. He joined Rethink to talk about how SNFs need to change their mindset and get creative to thrive in a value-based world. Listen to this episode to learn: - The disconnects between acute and post-acute care, and what they need to learn to come together - Why post-acute is a savings target in alternative payment models, and how SNFs can take control of their own destiny within their market - The tenets SNFs need to adopt as their "true north" for success in the evolving world of value-focused health care

LTC Properties CEO Wendy Simpson Aug 08, 2019

Show notes

Publicly traded health care REITs have been blamed for some of the skilled nursing industry's woes in recent years — after all, how can a provider keep up with annual escalators as it navigates an uncertain reimbursement landscape and ever-rising staffing costs? But Wendy Simpson, president and CEO of LTC Properties, Inc., says REITs aren't the ones to blame — and that operators should instead make sure that any lease arrangement leaves enough money to put back into their operations before signing on the dotted line. Listen to this episode of Rethink to learn: - Why Simpson remains frustrated with the ongoing bankruptcy of tenant Senior Care Centers - How a dearth of younger, newer operating teams could cause trouble for the industry down the road - Why REITs still make sense for operators looking to unlock the equity in their assets - ...and more!

President and CEO of the American Health Care Association Mark Parkinson Jul 15, 2019

Show notes

Between the release of a "secret" list of underperforming nursing homes and multiple hearings on Capitol Hill, the skilled nursing industry has found itself under the regulatory and media microscope for most of 2019. And for the most part, Mark Parkinson thinks that's a good thing. The president and CEO of the American Health Care Association sat down with Skilled Nursing News to discuss why transparency could ultimately help operators by raising awareness of other issues in the space — along with his vision of what the industry will look like a decade from now. Listen to this episode to learn: - Why operators should see opportunity in recent media attention on the industry - What he thinks is the bigger challenge for the space: PDPM or Medicaid - How SNFs can avoid becoming a mere commodity in the overall care landscape - ...and more!

Care Providers Oklahoma President & CEO Nico Gomez Jul 01, 2019

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Care Providers Oklahoma President & CEO Nico Gomez by Skilled Nursing News

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