Time for Lean Thinking May 31, 2012

How does a 200 bed nursing home lower its medical/surgical/nursing supply expenses to $2.51 per patient per day (PPD) and maximize nursing care hours so that on average patients received four (4) hours of combined nursing care per day?  Perhaps the answer is the application of the principles and actions that are characteristics of Lean [...]

Virtual Solutions to Achieve Your Goals April 27, 2012

It is year two of Governor Cuomo’s Global Medicaid Budget, the Medicaid Redesign Teams (MRTs) and the transition to Medicaid payment from Managed Long Term Care Agencies (MLTCA).  Together they are creating a new fiscal paradigm for nursing homes. Although every new state budget is laced with potential reductions in reimbursement, a cap on Medicaid [...]

Health Care Reform V 2.0 world April 14, 2012

Whether you are a loyal NPR listener, a Fox News watcher, or somewhere in between, you are paying some attention to the three day testimony before the Supreme Court on Health Care Reform (otherwise known as “Obamacare”). It is interesting to hear the conclusion from all sides of the political spectrum that it could be [...]

The Value of the Not for Profit Nursing Home February 29, 2012

Larry Minnix, CEO of Leading Age, the not for profit national trade association, recently commented on a study published by Johns Hopkins University. The study reviewed the not for profit sector of the economy, including nursing homes. Mr. Minnix noted the loss of market share by the not for profit nursing homes. From a national [...]

It’s Beyond Ouch! October 25, 2011

I’ve been meeting with many Administrators and Chief Financial Officers, who are looking for ways to rationalize their 2012 budgets. One recent meeting sticks out as a result of a comment made by the Administrator. When I asked this individual how he was coping, his comment back to me was, “it’s beyond ouch! We are [...]

If GM Can Do It…. August 2, 2011

The most recent Blogs have been about paradigm shifts and how organizations must respond to them to survive. Whether the organization is a Swiss Watch manufacturer or a nursing home; when there are fundamental changes in a market, adaptation is not an option-it is a necessity. Getting ahead of the change or adapting in a [...]

Virtual Solutions to Achieve Your Goals May 16, 2011

The successful enactment of the NYS Budget for this fiscal year and the Medicaid Redesign/Medicaid Redesign Teams (MRTs), create a new paradigm. Although every new state budget is laced with potential reductions in reimbursement, a cap on Medicaid spending along with MRTs is a new road map that shows a determination to deal with the [...]

Partnership- the Solution to Your Needs March 7, 2011

The politics surrounding this year’s budget are extraordinary and already different from recent years. This is a year of budget battles throughout the country as so many states struggle with lower tax revenues and escalated program costs. The impact of the recession and the end of the federal aid that softened the impact of the [...]

Sighs Matter December 31, 2010

When it comes to incontinence care, I’ve never met a Director of Nursing who didn’t sigh deeply and comment, “so many things can get in the way!” Properly caring for our residents who are incontinent is very easy from a conceptual perspective:  it’s all about keeping the skin dry.  However, how that is accomplished is [...]

If Not Now, When? November 24, 2010

by: Steve Katz Over the last twenty years, the nursing home industry has faced significant challenges. In some ways this coming year is no different and yet in other ways it may be transformative and extremely difficult for many facilities in the industry. The changes focus upon quality, Medicare, resources to continuously improve quality and [...]