Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

SNFs shouldn't risk their reps by falling a step short on training and hiring.

Nursing facilities had better make sure their staffing policies and procedures are up to snuff - The HHS Office of Inspector General continues to press compliance with staffing laws as a major benchmark for quality of care.
 
The latest audits took up this very issue at Mariner Health of Denver in Denver, CO and Poplar Grove Care Center in Commerce City, CO, which were selected based on an OIG review of Online Survey Certification and Reporting System (OSCAR) data.
 
Both reports found the facilities to be in compliance with a few exceptions, namely the registered nurse and in-service education requirements.  Both have since made efforts to update their policies, according to the reports, titled "Audit of Nursing Facility Staffing Requirements at Mariner Health of Denver" (A-07-03-04022) and "Audit of Nursing Facility Staffing Requirements at Poplar Grove Care Center" (A-O7-03-04025).
 
Here's what SNFs may need to add to their watch lists to avoid similar scrutiny:   Have a registered nurse on the premises at all times, particularly the evening shift.  It may be a tough spot to fill, but the OIG will flag this vacancy as a reduction in quality of care.

  Provide in-house staff training on an annual basis, particularly in critical areas such as rehabilitation. If a SNF has developed a seminar but isn't retraining its nurses and staff every year, it still falls short of compliance. 
 
Lesson learned: Be sure to dot your "i"s and cross your "t"s when it comes to federal and state staffing requirements or you may find the OIG doing it for you.