Articles

This article was originally featured in Fierce Healthcare. Starting January 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will launch the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM) – a mandatory five-year initiative designed to improve surgical episode outcomes and lower Medicare spending. For hospitals selected to participate, TEAM introduces a new level of accountability: financial responsibility for the entire recovery episode, not just the surgery. This includes post-acute care (PAC) – where clinical and financial risks are often highest. To succeed, hospitals will need real-time visibility into post-discharge care to enhance coordination, improve outcomes, and manage costs effectively. TEAM’s impact on hospitals and post-acute...read more

This article was originally featured in Modern Healthcare. Technology companies and post-acute providers say new artificial intelligence tools could be secret weapons for those in the Transforming Episode Accountability Model to keep patients from bouncing back to the hospital. Some tools flag at-risk patients, while others consolidate and streamline information on patients moving from acute care to post-acute care in TEAM. Software companies and post-acute providers offering the technology say AI could give health systems, nursing homes and home health companies an edge in securing collaborators for TEAM. But the model launches in January and some tools are just hitting the market, making...read more

This article was originally featured in Healthcare IT Today. Hospitals are about to take on greater responsibility for patient outcomes—extending well beyond discharge. Beginning January 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will implement the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), requiring hospitals to manage care for Medicare patients undergoing the following surgeries: lower extremity joint replacement, surgical hip femur fracture treatment, spinal fusion, coronary artery bypass graft, and major bowel procedures. Each care episode concludes 30 days after the patient is discharged from the hospital. This shift significantly raises the stakes for acute care providers. Avoidable readmissions...read more

This article is sponsored by Real Time Medical Systems and was originally featured in Skilled Nursing News. As value-based care (VBC) continues to redefine reimbursement models and quality standards in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), the Director of Nursing (DON) plays a central role — driving clinical excellence, operational efficiency and financial performance. With hospitals, health plans and VBC programs increasingly viewing SNFs as strategic partners, the DON’s influence is just as vital in broader care discussions as it is within the facility. Lindsey Ford, RN, has seen this leadership first-hand: the SNF DON actively making rounds, engaging with staff and...read more