Articles

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are already facing some tough challenges…and 2022 has just begun. Despite efforts by leading healthcare organizations to use pre-COVID data to set Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) benchmarks, CMS based them on 2019-2021 spending targets. The Next Gen model has expired, paving the way for direct contracting, and participation in the Shared Savings programs has flattened without a full-risk option. Furthermore, ACOs are still recovering from fluctuating patient populations and negative impacts from the pandemic. Meanwhile, patients – and your network – continue to depend on you. Despite the obstacles, there are opportunities to both improve...read more

The long-term care industry has been pushed beyond its limits dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. Two years later, facility operators are still battling COVID-related concerns: significant staffing limitations, emerging variants, budget uncertainty, fluctuating occupancy, and additional regulatory requirements. As a result, healthcare organizations throughout the country are being asked to do more with less. The pandemic has certainly disrupted the normal ebb and flow of healthcare staffing patterns – the results of “The Great Resignation” are well-documented. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 20% of America’s healthcare workers have quit their jobs since February 2020...read more

An improved relationship between health systems and skilled nursing operators lies in improving clinical pathways – providing a game plan for residents transitioning from one part of the care continuum to another to avoid poor patient outcomes. Live data is key to improving performance across the continuum and coming up with the right pathway for each resident, according to Dr. Steven Stein, chief medical officer of Real Time Medical Systems. More traditional modes of monitoring like claims and electronic medical records (EMRs) give outdated feedback, he said. Stein spoke about post-acute care at a RISE Association webinar earlier this month;...read more

This article is sponsored by Real Time Medical Systems. In this Voices interview, Skilled Nursing News sits down with Dr. Steven Stein, Chief Medical Officer at Real Time, to learn how value-based care is manifesting in the skilled nursing industry. He discusses the key role SNFs play in the advancement of value-based care and breaks down the top ways SNFs can become integral providers for their health partners. Skilled Nursing News: What career experiences do you most draw from in your role today as Chief Medical Officer at Real Time Medical Systems? Dr. Steve Stein: I spent a lot of years...read more