McKnight's Long-Term Care News articles from April 2003

McKnight's Long-Term Care News archives from April 2003

Kindred hits end of year low point.
April 11, 2003... Kindred Healthcare, the nation's fourth-largest nursing home chain, recorded an 84% drop in fourth-quarter 2002 net income over the same period a year earlier. The Louisville-based company blamed professional liability costs, particularly...

Report: funds diverted to legal fees.
April 11, 2003... Federal and state funding for patient care is being used more often to fight lawsuits against facilities, according to a new report from Aon Risk Consultants, an actuarial research firm. The amount of money by longterm care facilities spent...

The Senate passed a fiscal. (Late Breaking News).
April 11, 2003... year 2004 budget resolution March 25 that did not include Medicare and Medicaid cuts. A House version of the budget passed a week earlier asked for a reduction of $93 billion in Medicaid spending. Negotiators were to meet to reach a compromise....

The National Governors. (Late Breaking News).
April 11, 2003... Association, which declined to endorse President Bush's Medicaid reform plan in February, named its own task force to work with the administration on the subject. NGA chairman Gov. Paul Patton (D-KY) and Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (R) head the...

One-third of large companies. (Late Breaking News).
April 11, 2003... surveyed and 22.states are offering long-term care insurance to their employees, both rising numbers, according to a new study released by the American Council of Life Insurers.

A new federal ergonomics. (Late Breaking News).
April 11, 2003... program aimed at nursing facilities is making itself felt. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced March 27 that it had entered into an agreement with Alpha Hearth Services, which owns several Idaho nursing homes, to...

Symptomless, unnoticed. (Late Breaking News).
April 11, 2003... strokes more than double the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a large Dutch study. Elderly people who had a "silent stroke" -- detected by an MRI -- were about 2.3 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's or other dementia.

Proposal to revamp survey system gets second look. (Legislation).
April 11, 2003... Long-term care providers were disheartened after a bill calling for improvements to the survey process never came to fruition last year. But the good news for them is the bill is back on the Congressional table, and generating interest at the...

Therapy caps challenged on multiple fronts. (Reimbursement).
April 11, 2003... The Bush administration is bearing in on the date when Medicare Part B outpatient therapy caps will be enforced. But strong efforts are still under way to derail, or at least postpone them. Bills were introduced in both the House and Senate...

The Senate passed. (Legislative Issues).
April 11, 2003... The Senate passed a "Sense of the Senate" amendment, calling for $30 billion in state fiscal relief over the next 18 months. At least half of the relief is for Medicaid, via a temporary increase in the federal medical assistance percentage...

The House Ways and Means Health. (Legislative Issues).
April 11, 2003... The House Ways and Means Health subcommittee passed the Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act of 2003 on March 20. HR 810 was expected to go before the full committee for a vote soon thereafter. Introduced by Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-CT)...

The Centers for Medicare. (Regulatory Issues).
April 11, 2003... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the formation of the Medical Technology Council, a panel designed to facilitate timely and appropriate access for Medicare beneficiaries to new and emerging technologies. Among other...

Looking for a new enemy: union leaders have targeted long-term care for membership growth while also seeking common ground with providers--often against the government. (Cover Story).
April 11, 2003... The month of March was considered the month of march for dozens of nursing home workers in upstate New York. They began picketing March 5 when they went on strike to protest wage and benefit proposals by their facilities' owner, Highgate LTC...

Bidding for residents, sprinkler law, bed taxes. (State News).
April 11, 2003... Northeast/Connecticut If Gov. John Rowland (R) has his way, nursing homes will begin competing for Medicaid patients by placing bids. No state has tried such a plan, which is still in the formative stages. Rowland said it could help relieve...

Nursing education, drug errors, stronger bones. (Nursing News).
April 11, 2003... The Nurse Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law in August 2002, received $15 million in initial federal funding in the fiscal year 2003 appropriations bill. The Act offers financial assistance for students to cover the cost of nursing...

Study: many seniors' drug errors preventable. (Pharmacy News).
April 11, 2003... Results from a new study show that about 25% of negative side effects relating to seniors' prescription drugs could have been avoided. Researchers hope their work will lead to better tracking and prescribing methods, including the use of...

Vitamin D better than expected for bones. (Pharmacy News).
April 11, 2003... A group of people aged 65 to 85 taking vitamin D supplements had fewer bone fractures than expected, according to a study published in the March 1,2003, British Medical Journal. Cambridge researchers found that individuals who took a...

Liability reform bill passes House, Senate fight ahead. (Tort Reform).
April 11, 2003... The House quickly passed a bill to cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice law-suits but stiffer resistance is expected in the Senate. Rep. James Greenwood's (R-PA) HEALTH Act (H.R. 5) passed the House March 13, only a few weeks...

Foreign nurses only a short-term solution. (Workplace Update).
April 11, 2003... In spite of the increasing difficulty of hiring immigrants, taking nurses from foreign countries into the long-term care workforce continues to be a popular option to address the nursing shortage. But experts say it's only a quick fix, and by...

OSHA releases nursing home ergonomics guidelines. (Ergonomics).
April 11, 2003... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released guidelines on methods of reducing workplace injuries in the nursing home profession. The voluntary guidelines cover five areas: developing processes for protecting workers,...

FDA proposal would require bar codes for medications. (Patient Safety).
April 11, 2003... The U.S Food and Drug Administration has officially proposed a rule to require drug manufacturers to put bar codes on all medications. Advocates are hailing the move as a big step in preventing mediation errors, tens of thousands of which occur...

Study: average nursing home cost $406,000 for lawsuits. (Litigation).
April 11, 2003... Nursing homes have good reason to shun even mention of the thought of someone suing them. The average amount paid among claims examined in a Harvard study of nursing home lawsuits was $406,000, whether they were resolved in or out of...

Research: medicare spends less, but fund outlook dims. (Reimbursement).
April 11, 2003... Medicare has restrained healthcare spending better than private insurers have, according to research that could impact a possible prescription drug benefit, long-term care and other services. From 1970 to 2000, Medicare's annual per...

Five Star Quality Care Inc. (Briefs).
April 11, 2003... Five Star Quality Care Inc. and Senior Housing Properties Trust said a Massachusetts court dismissed the lawsuit that sought to block Marriott International Inc. from transferring management contracts.

A Florida appeals court. (Briefs).
April 11, 2003... A Florida appeals court has ruled that a company licensed to run a nursing home does not avoid liability for punitive damages awarded when an independent contractor is running a facility. The Florida District Court of Appeals, Fourth District,...

More states and counties. (Worth Watching).
April 11, 2003... More states and counties are targeting people who purposely make themselves poor to qualify for government-paid nursing home care. Most recently, Connecticut proposed a regulation that would make it harder for residents to shelter assets....

Few medical schools offer geriatric care as part of their core curriculum. (Worth Watching).
April 11, 2003... Few medical schools offer geriatric care as part of their core curriculum. To address this and other issues facing medical education, the Association of American Medical Colleges has launched the Institute for Improvement in Medical Education....

End-of-life care could be improved. (Worth Watching).
April 11, 2003... End-of-life care could be improved by building on the success of the 20-year-old Medicare hospice benefit, according to a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report also calls for financial incentives that encourage...

Aging staffs cause concern. (Workforce).
April 11, 2003... The aging of the long-term care nursing work force becomes increasingly important when added to the complex factors culminating ii the nursing shortage. The average age of nurses nationwide is in the mid 40s and there are fewer new workers...

AMDA will focus on patient advocacy. (LTCN Business).
April 11, 2003... Q You have spoken about three principles you plan to follow as AMDA president. The first is as an advocate. Why do you feel this one is important? A AMDA has achieved a position of national prominence in the long-term care arena by forging...

The White House is seeking proposals. (Enterprise).
April 11, 2003... The White House is seeking proposals to create health plans geared toward treating chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries at lower cost. The demonstration program will serve patients with stroke, congestive heart failure anddiabetes. All...

Filling more beds and watching costs. (Enterprise).
April 11, 2003... Filling more beds and watching costs have begun to pay off for several large nursing home chains. Among the notable examples, Manor Care Inc., Toledo, OH, reported $2.9 billion in revenues for 2002, or 8% more than the prior year. Annual net...

Specific visitor limitations may be imposed. (Legal Matters).
April 11, 2003... Q My new facility seems to get a lot of pesty visitors. Under what conditions can i banish them from the premises and how do I do it legally? Are rules different for relatives, friends and unattached "Good Samaritan" visitors who just drop in?...

'Reform' can take many guises so be suspicious. (Regulations/Compliance).
April 11, 2003... Q The Bush Administration, along with House and Senate leadership, has discussed Medicare reform extensively. What exactly are they proposing, and what is likely to occur? A Long-term care providers must be very when they hear the word...

Squelch rumors with increased information. (Staffing Concerns).
April 11, 2003... Q What is your best advice for dealing with gossip and backbiters at work? A The first step is you need to understand what you are dealing with. There is "gossip" and then there is "Gossip". Before you can deal with it, you need to draw...

Don't let 'boomerang' patients cost you money. (Payment Answers).
April 11, 2003... Q It seems like we've been getting more and wore boomerang patients (In and out of the hospital) and I feel we may be losing out on top reimbursement levels. What suggestions do you have? A For Medicare, the main areas I would look at are...

Time to refinance your HUD mortgage? (P&L Journal).
April 11, 2003... Although they may not receive as much attention as operational expenses, capital costs also deserve attention as a way to reduce expenses. With interest rates at historic lows, now is an opportune time to re-examine your organization's capital...

Hard data.
April 11, 2003... 1.9 At least this many million negative side effects from medication occur annually among the country's nearly 40 million Medicare beneficiaries, according to a recent study. 8 Percentage rise in enrollments in entry-level baccalaureate...

Market monitor: Nurse staffing hours per patient day, 2001.
April 11, 2003... MARKET MONITOR Nurse staffing hours per patient day, 2001 DON Total RN LPN United States .091 .671 .740 Alabama .067 .504 .965 Alaska .153 1.249...

Old values are back in place for accounting IT. (Managing Technology).
April 11, 2003... Today, it's back to the basics for accounting IT. Indeed, firms should think twice about what their strategic needs are before making a particular information technology investment, cautions Donald Koscheka, a senior consultant for...

Every healthcare system. (Quality Corner).
April 11, 2003... Every healthcare system that cares for elderly patients "really has to have a strategy in place for identifying adverse drug events," according to Jerry H. Gurwitz, M.D., of Meyers Primary Care Institute, Worcester, MA. Harmful drug side...

The Food and Drug Administration. (Quality Corner).
April 11, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration produces a monthly series of patient safety videos that can be viewed on the Internet. Included among the topics each month are reports of medication errors provided by the Institute for Safe Medication...

Lack of communication. (Quality Corner).
April 11, 2003... Lack of communication among team members was found to be the basis of most medical errors reported to a Web-based incident reporting system. Peter Pronovost, a physician with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, described the Web-based...

Housekeeping program targets odor and clutter. (Industry Innovators).
April 11, 2003... First impressions always mean a lot, whether you're marketing a nursing home, assisted living facility or just about any other service or product. That's why housekeeping matters are so vital in the long-term care arena. Nursing home...

OneTouch Technologies Corp. (Patient Care Companies).
April 11, 2003... OneTouch Technologies Corp., Aliso Viejo, CA, introduced the electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) module for the OneTouch system for long-term care facilities. The OneTouch system is an electronic and fully integrated clinical...

Syncromode Inc. (Patient Care Companies).
April 11, 2003... Syncromode Inc., Pitman, NJ, introduced the world's only self-cleaning bedside commode, The Royal Flush[TM]. After use, the commode is placed over a toilet bowl, the caregiver completes a cycle with the pump handle, and it flushes into the...

American Dryer Corp. (ACHCA '03 Show Stoppers).
April 11, 2003... Fire extinguishing technology developed by American Dryer Corp. (ADO) virtually eliminates the risk of dryer fires caused by spontaneous combustion. If a fire should break out in a dryer tumbler, S.A.F.E. (Sensor Activated Fire Extinguishing...

Healthcare Services Group Inc. (ACHCA '03 Show Stoppers).
April 11, 2003... Healthcare Services Group, Inc. is a cost-effective management of Housekeeping, Laundry and Food Services customized per long-term care or healthcare facility, designed to reduce expenses and improve productivity while enhancing the facility's...

Rehabworks. (ACHCA '03 Show Stoppers).
April 11, 2003... At RehabWorks, we provide the right people, the right training, the right resources and the right direction to: deliver the right results. And we do it at the right price. By keeping the formula simple, RehabWorks has grown to become the...

Ge Healthcare Financial Services. (ACHCA '03 Show Stoppers).
April 11, 2003... GE Healthcare Financial Services is the premier provider of capital, financial solutions and related services for the global healthcare market, offering a full range of financing capabilities, from equipment leasing and real estate financing to...

Accu-Med Services. (ACHCA '03 Show Stoppers).
April 11, 2003... Accu-Med Services is the leading provider of software designed for the long-term care industry, with comprehensive implementation, on-site training and support. Accu-Care for Windows is the industry's most complete clinical information system....

Hertz Supply Co. Inc. (ACHCA '03 Show Stoppers).
April 11, 2003... Volker, "The Healthcare Bed in Disguise," is again bringing the latest developments in bed technology to savvy healthcare customers. In addition to totally unique features such as disappearing side rails, disappearing casters, fine wood...

Monette Information Systems. (ACHCA '03 Show Stoppers).
April 11, 2003... ULTRACare HIPAA compliant software is designed to manage the clinical and financial needs of your long-term care facility. Modules include: Marketing, Admissions, Billing and AR, MDS 2.0 Assessments, Focus Assessments, Physicians Orders,...

Donovan Industries. (ACHCA '03 Show Stoppers).
April 11, 2003... The DawnMist Hand Hygiene Program: "Combining: Science..Safety..$ense" DawnMist[R] Instant Hand Sanitizer is part of a complete hand hygiene program designed to help your facility reduce nosocomial infections. Increased awareness through...

Direct Supply Eldercare Interiors. (ACHCA '03 Show Stoppers).
April 11, 2003... Eldercare Interiors, Direct Supply's team of professional consultants and designers, can plan your renovation or new construction from start to finish. The team offers interior design services, kitchen and laundry design, product consultation...

SCA Incontinence Care, Inc. (ACHCA '03 Show Stoppers).
April 11, 2003... The new Discreet[TM] is smooth, comfortable and flattering. All without giving up effectiveness! Ideal for your moderately incontinent residents, this new product design preserves dignity and pulls up and down like regular underwear. TENA[R]...

Healthcare Services Group Inc. (Product Focus).
April 11, 2003... Healthcare Services Group, Inc. is a cost-effective management of Housekeeping, Laundry and Food Services customized per long-term care or healthcare facility, designed to reduce expenses and improve productivity while enhancing the facility's...

Direct Supply. (Product Focus).
April 11, 2003... Direct Supply introduces Rubbermaid Maxi-Glide[TM] vacuums to give you maximum cleaning power that's affordable. Durable hard-body construction stands up to tough eldercare environments, and built-in tool kit makes cleaning easier. Available in...

Meddev Order Assist[TM]. (New Products).
April 11, 2003... * Makes patient ordering of hand therapy products easy and convenient * With therapist recommendation, patients use form to call suppliers directly * Kits consist of Order Assist brochures and Preferred Hand Helper[R] Product Supplier...

Touch-screen rehabilitation. (New Products).
April 11, 2003... * Enables clinicians to capture services using touch-screen panels * Screens record treatments and results at point of care * Recorded data is transferred to server to determine billing * Produced by ADL Data Systems Inc. ...

Hisonic-Trd tinnitus relief device. (New Products).
April 11, 2003... * First and only device to use low-level ultrasound to treat and relieve severe tinnitus symptoms * Ultrasonic boneconduction masking device utilizes the mastoid area behind the ear * Weighs only 250 grams, pagersize, easy to operate...

Swivel-tremors spoon. (New Products).
April 11, 2003... * Swivel motion allows bowl of spoon to remain in a horizontal position even with a 30 degree tilt of wrist * Designed to help those with tremors, limited coordination and/or upper extremity weakness * Small bowl size limits intake and...

Medmarxsm. (New Products).
April 11, 2003... * Internet-accessible anonymous medication error database * Quality improvement tool that facilitates collection of medication errors * Helps organizations implement programs that diminish their error potential Produced by The United...

Tandem series workstations. (New Products).
April 11, 2003... * Right and left hand drawers for mouse use or storage * Plastic front slide-out writing surface for additional workspace * Plastic casing for improved safety and ergonomics * Produced by Stinger Industries LLC Circle 177 on...

New Alzheimer's connection. (Q&A).
April 11, 2003... The new top executive for Alzheimer's research and advocacy matters considers himself a kindred spirit with long-term care providers. He calls on providers to volunteer for clinical trials and research projects after ensuring they first take...

Worthy special deliveries. (Commentary).
April 11, 2003... In our "Profile" piece this issue, we focus on a resident-oriented program rather than an individual, which would be our standard approach. That's because we think the program is so commendable, and so capable of improving the lives of...

Frances Flood. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Frances Flood is the new associate administrator and vice president of clinical resource systems at The Jewish Home and Hospital, a 514-bed academic nursing home and rehabilitation center in New York (see AP). Previously, she wasvice president...

Forum Extended Care Services II. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Brian H. Kramer has been named president of the pharmacy division of Forum Extended Care Services II, Skokie, IL. Forum Extended Care serves more than 4,000 licensed beds for the Alden Group and other healthcare facilities.

Sojourner Truth Manor. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Maude Dunn is the new administrator at Sojourner Truth Manor in Oakland, CA, announced Christian Church Homes of Northern California.

Benchmark Assisted Living. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Susan Cwiek was named the new regional director of Benchmark Assisted Living, Wellesley, MA. The holder of a master's degree in nursing home administration, Cwieka oversees the operations and establishes administrative procedures for five of...

Our Lady of Consolation. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Dennis J. Verzi is the new president and CEO of Our Lady of Consolation, a 450-bed longand short-term nursing and rehabilitative care center conducted by the Sisters of St. Dominic in West Islip, NY. A licensed nursing home administrator and...

Life Care Centers. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Don Joseph Giardina has been appointed president of Life Care Centers of America, a chain .of 250 nursing, subacute, assisted living, retirement and Alz heimer's centers in 28 states. Giardina most recently was president and CEO of The Bank in...

Otterbein Retirement Living Communities. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Otterbein Retirement Living Communities, a United Methodist-related ministry providing a complete continuum of care for older adults based in Lebanon, OH, announced several promotions. Debi Sampsel is the new vice president of quality...

Jean Heid-Grubman. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Jean Heid-Grubman was appointed director of dementia services for The Wealshire and The Ponds, afreestanding facility built specifically for Alzheimer's and related dementia patients, in Lincolashire, IL. The facility also has named David Kresl...

Jewish Home. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Andrew Banoff is the new president and CEO of the Jewish Home for the Elderly of Fairfield County, Fairfield, CT, a not-for-profit skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility. Banoff succeeds Dennis Magid, the facility's only other top...

Ventas a healthcare real estate investment trust. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Richard Schweinhart has been named senior vice president and CFO of Ventas, a Louisville, KY-based healthcare real estate investment trust that owns 220 nursing facilities, 44 hospitals and nine other healthcare and senior housing facilities in...

Harvard Medical School. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Michael J. Papamichael, a graduate of the Harvard Medical School's Division on Aging, is the new medical director at Sunharbor Manor in New York.

General Medicine. (Milestones).
April 11, 2003... Bonnie Yarger has been named director of marketing for General Medicine, P.C., a Plymouth, MI-based physician practice specializing in providing medical directors, attending physicians and nursing practitioners to skilled nursing, long-term...

If you could add one thing to your facility that you cannot now afford, what would it be? (Reader Poll).
April 11, 2003... Bobbie Fisher Medical Social Worker, Hilo Med Center-Extended Care Unit, Hilo HI A transportation van, wheelchair accessible, for residents' use. MICHAEL MEILLIER Assistant Administrator, Pleasant Manor Inc., Faribault, MN ...

They've got mail: A Michigan facility is serving as digital postmaster for residents and their families with gratifying results from around the country. (McKnight's LTCN Profile).
April 11, 2003... Westland Convalescent Center sits on Warren Road in Westland, ML But to friends and loved ones of residents at the skilled-nursing facility, it also sits squarely on a cyber superhighway. And that avenue is open to visitors any time, every...

Is this any way to fire up the troops? Maybe it's tough love, or he doesn't like providers. Either way, this guy's words hurt. (Parting Shots).
April 11, 2003... Say what you will about the American Medical Directors Association, the group is not afraid to publicly challenge its members. Having seen my share of general sessions over the years, I was anticipating AMDAs' would follow the usual agenda:...