/ en Sun, 27 Apr 2025 12:02:43 -0500 Thu, 06 Jan 22 15:02:13 -0600 /node/681453 <p>This pamphlet is an example of an active DEI initiative at a health organization. They clearly define diversity and inclusion, why it's important, outlining their mission and explaining what they do, and identifying their leaders and members. Most importantly, they indicate how they should be percieved in the community and in the hospital so they may be held accountable.</p> Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:02:13 -0600 Post-Acute/Long-Term Acute Care /news/news/2021-02-18-report-long-term-care-hospitals-playing-critical-role-during-pandemic <p>Long-term acute care hospitals have played a critical role during the COVID-19 public health emergency, partnering with short-term acute care hospitals to deliver necessary hospital-level services for high-acuity patients with or recovering from the virus, according to a <a href="https://atiadvisory.com/role-of-ltac-hospitals-in-covid-19-pandemic/">new report</a> by ATI Advisory.</p> <p>“Because LTAC hospitals are licensed acute hospitals, the clinical capabilities required to handle a range of clinically complex patient needs are already embedded within their settings, such as advanced infection protocols, [personal protective equipment] resources, training, and specialty respiratory care,” the report notes. “This level of expertise has enabled LTAC hospitals to flex with the capacity needs of their local partner STACHs. Importantly, the coordination and efficient partnerships that have formed between STACHs and LTAC hospitals were enabled by regulatory and prior authorization waivers, which removed barriers to care and facilitated less complicated transitions of critically ill patients from STACHs to these hospitals.”<br />  </p> Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:44:49 -0600 Post-Acute/Long-Term Acute Care /news/blog/2019-09-16-aha-stat-blog-provide-better-care-embracing-changes-rehabilitation <p>More than 40% of Americans over age 65 live with a disability. And, it is likely that many of these individuals have had at least one experience receiving rehabilitation services. </p> <p>National Rehabilitation Week was created in 1996 to celebrate and recognize those who dedicate themselves thanklessly and tirelessly to this work. As a physical therapist, I can attest that rehabilitation is among the most unique and rewarding segments in the health care system. Many professionals share my philosophy and have chosen to commit themselves physically, intellectually and emotionally to patients who require intensive rehabilitation services. </p> <p>Whether rehabilitation therapy is delivered in long-term acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, skilled nursing facilities or at home, all settings share a set of commonalities. These include: a team approach to care; deep and empathetic relationships between patients, families and clinicians; expertise in managing disability and chronic illness; and an almost superhuman “know-how” in the ability to overcome complex family situations, gaps in social and community services and limitations in health benefits, with the goal of ultimately transitioning a patient back home and on the right path for the best possible long-term recovery.</p> <p>While the foundation of rehabilitation has remained relatively unchanged over the years, the world in which we work has. Understandably, referral partners have greater expectations around the cases we share, and patients expect and deserve the highest level of quality available. </p> <p>Another constant is the steady drumbeat of payment policy changes that affect rehabilitation services, which can initially feel threatening to practitioners. But I suggest that we look past all of this to see that these changes also represent opportunities to strengthen the role of rehabilitation and to grow the acknowledgement of its vital contributions toward recovering from serious, and sometimes catastrophic, injuries or illnesses.</p> <p>Under the new payment systems, or alternative payment models, we’re expected to ensure that the care we deliver has a sustained benefit for our patients. No longer can success just be measured by what happens in some number of days, visits or episodes rather it must be measured over time. But this makes sense. Our patient’s recovery occurs over time in a non-linear manner with an outcome that is improved through our ability to create and facilitate a plan that sets a patient on the course for future success. </p> <p>At Brooks Rehabilitation, we’ve looked upon these new programs as a form of taking “risk” in a literal way or taking “risk” through different analogues. Specifically:</p> <ul> <li>Participation in programs like the Medicare Bundled Payment for Care Initiative, where the financial risk is real, and the responsibility was ours</li> <li>Risk associated with value-based programs that exist in Skilled Nursing and Home Care. Some might view as trivial, but might it be better to view it as opportunity to drives deep change?</li> <li>Market risk as more and more hospitals in urban and metropolitan areas develop  narrow networks of post-acute care providers that demonstrate top performance and a strong willingness to collaborate and evolve. The risk is exclusion.</li> </ul> <p>Preparing your organization for risk and adapting the organization for change is clearly complex. From our experience at Brooks, change has positively transformed how we think, talk, organize, create and plan for just about everything. It has given us the opportunity to provide care it in a manner that will be sustainable over time. It aims to garner longer term success. More continuity of life. Why not be open minded and embrace the inevitability of change ahead, be it expected by patients, families, partners or others? The challenge is not how to overcome what is new but rather to remember why rehabilitation is so unique and rewarding, and to draw on our historical roots to position us for what’s ahead.</p> <p><em>Michael Spigel is the president and COO of Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville, Fla. </em><br />  </p> Mon, 16 Sep 2019 09:59:29 -0500 Post-Acute/Long-Term Acute Care /news/headline/2019-07-17-cms-issues-rules-long-term-care-facility-regulatory-relief-arbitration <p>The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday released a <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2019-14946.pdf">proposed rule</a> that would revise certain requirements for long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities, to reduce the regulatory burden on providers and suppliers. The revisions include reducing information collection and facility construction requirements, as well as removing operational barriers to allow for flexibility in staffing. CMS estimates that the changes would result in cost savings of $616 million in each of the first five years. The rule will be published in tomorrow’s Federal Register, with comments accepted for 60 days.  <br />  <br /> CMS yesterday also issued a <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2019-14945.pdf">final rule</a> that allows binding arbitration agreements in nursing homes, but prohibits nursing homes from requiring residents to sign them as a condition for receiving care. Nursing homes also must inform residents that they are not required to sign binding arbitration agreements, which allow two parties to agree to settle any future disputes through an arbitration process rather than through litigation.</p> Wed, 17 Jul 2019 15:18:08 -0500 Post-Acute/Long-Term Acute Care /news/headline/2019-06-21-aha-comments-long-term-care-hospital-proposed-rule-fy-2020 <p>The AHA today submitted <a href="/lettercomment/2019-06-21-aha-comments-cms-long-term-care-hospital-pps-fy-2020-proposed-rule">comments</a> on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ fiscal year 2020 proposed rule for the long-term care hospital prospective payment system. For cost-reporting periods beginning on or after Oct. 1, 2019, CMS proposes applying a payment penalty when 50% or fewer of an LTCH’s discharges are paid the standard rate, with the penalty applied in a subsequent cost-reporting period. AHA offers recommendations to streamline and simplify the processes for assessing 50% Rule compliance and reinstating facilities that fall out of compliance. In addition, the association continues to ask CMS to address in the final rule the “chronic and substantial” underpayment of site-neutral cases and its impact on patients, and to eliminate the second budget neutrality adjustment exacerbating the underpayment. AHA also continues to encourage CMS to adopt only quality measures endorsed by the National Quality Forum. In addition, the association urged the agency to adopt only highly reliable and useful standardized patient assessment data, and to be transparent about the collection of social determinants of health data and how it will be used in CMS programs. AHA will submit separate comments on the rule’s inpatient proposals.</p> Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:07:26 -0500 Post-Acute/Long-Term Acute Care <p>On April 23, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued its fiscal year 2020 proposed rule for the inpatient and long-term care hospital prospective payment systems. Comments on the rule are due to CMS by June 24. This AHA advisory covers the rule’s LTCH-related provisions.</p> <h2>Key Takeaways</h2> <h3>CMS proposes to:</h3> <ul> <li>Increase LTCH payments by 0.9 percent ($37 million) in FY 2020.</li> <li>Reduce payments for LTCHs with fewer than 50 percent of Medicare fee-for-service cases paid at a standard LTCH PPS rate verses a site-neutral rate.</li> <li>Add two new quality measures to the LTCH Quality Reporting Programs.</li> <li>Adopt several new LTCH standardized patient assessment data elements.</li> </ul> Fri, 10 May 2019 12:42:38 -0500 Post-Acute/Long-Term Acute Care /news/headline/2019-04-23-cms-proposes-fy-2020-payment-update-long-term-care-hospitals <p>Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late today issued its long-term care hospital prospective payment system <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2019-08330.pdf">proposed rule</a> for fiscal year 2020.<br />  <br /> Under the proposed rule, payments would increase by $37 million as compared to fiscal year 2019. CMS also estimates that site-neutral cases will continue to decrease as a proportion of total cases, and will account for 29 percent of all LTCH cases in FY 2020.<br />  <br /> For FY 2020 and beyond, as mandated by law, CMS proposes a payment cut for LTCHs that have fewer than 50 percent of cases qualifying for the traditional rate. Specifically, such LTCHs would be paid a site-neutral rate based on inpatient PPS payments for all cases.<br />  <br /> CMS also proposes to modify its quality measures to, among other changes, include seven more data elements related to social determinants of health.<br />  <br /> The proposed rule will be published in the May 3 Federal Register and comments will be accepted through June 24.<br />  </p> Tue, 23 Apr 2019 17:39:34 -0500 Post-Acute/Long-Term Acute Care /fact-sheets/2019-04-05-fact-sheet-long-term-care-hospitals <h2>The Issue</h2> <p><strong>Long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) serve a critical role within the Medicare program by treating the sickest patients who need extended hospital stays.</strong> This important role is under threat as the LTCH field implements the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 requirement for “site-neutral” payments for cases with lower acuity. Analyses by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and the AHA highlight the transformative nature of the site-neutral payment policy, which has led to the underpayment of 36 percent of LTCH cases, a more than $1 billion reduction in payments to LTCHs and LTCH closures.</p> <h2>AHA Position</h2> <p>Given the magnitude of these payment changes and other reforms, LTCHs need to focus their resources on adapting their operations and patient services. They also need relief from other pressures, such as any new regulatory requirements or payment reductions. Once these reforms are fully implemented, policymakers can evaluate their impact to help guide whether subsequent changes are necessary.</p> Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:01:22 -0500 Post-Acute/Long-Term Acute Care /news/headline/2019-01-15-aha-section-long-term-care-and-rehabilitation-names-2019-leaders <p>Derrick Jones, CEO of Lovelace Rehabilitation Hospital in Albuquerque, N.M., will serve as 2019 chair of the AHA's Section for Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation. New council members for 2019 include: Janice Hill, CEO/administrator of Baptist Memorial Restorative Care Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.; Michelle Lozano, CEO of LifeCare Hospitals of San Antonio; Nicholas Mendez, CEO of PAM Specialty Hospital of Hammond, La.; Diane Miller, executive director/administrator of Peterson Healthcare and Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheeling, W.Va.; Cynthia Newsom, CEO of Vibra Hospital of Boise, Idaho; and Carol Quiring, president and CEO of Home and Hospice at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, Mo. The section represents the AHA's long-term care and rehabilitation members by participating in the AHA's advocacy, policy and resource development, with a particular focus on strategic opportunities. For more on the constituency section and its leadership, including a complete list of council members, visit <a href="/advocacy/long-term-care-and-rehabilitation/membership-long-term-care-rehabilitation">www.aha.org</a>.</p> Tue, 15 Jan 2019 14:48:04 -0600 Post-Acute/Long-Term Acute Care /directory/2019-01-15-2019-long-term-care-and-rehabilitation-council-and-post-acute-steering <h4><a href="/system/files/media/file/2019/06/2019-long-term-care-rehabilitation-council-members-roster-5-13-2019.pdf">2019 Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation Council Roster</a></h4> <h4><a href="/system/files/2019-02/2019-post-acute-steering-committee.pdf">2019 Post-Acute Care Strategy Steering Committee Roster</a></h4> Tue, 15 Jan 2019 12:15:48 -0600 Post-Acute/Long-Term Acute Care