Articles

This article was originally featured in Modern Healthcare. Health systems, accountable care organizations and others are bringing extra staff and tracking technology into post-acute care to reduce hospital readmissions. Health systems, such as OSF Healthcare, and accountable care organizations, such as Provider Partners Connect Care are using remote patient monitoring equipment, electronic medical records software and additional staff to ensure patients don’t have a set-back that will send them back to the hospital. Readmissions add costs that ripple through the healthcare system and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services penalizes hospitals and nursing homes for higher-than-predicted readmissions within 30...read more

This article was originally featured in Fierce Healthcare. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), nearly 20% of members admitted to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for rehabilitation following acute medical events are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. These avoidable readmissions not only pose serious health risks to beneficiaries but also impose a significant financial burden — costing Medicare over $5 billion annually. For payers operating within value-based care models, reducing readmissions is a critical lever for improving both financial performance and member outcomes. One of the most effective approaches to address this challenge is through the implementation...read more

This article was originally featured in Healthcare IT Today. Both CMS and value-based healthcare systems are increasingly leveraging data and enhanced communication to transition patients out of acute care more efficiently, support successful post-acute recovery, and reduce readmissions. In this video, Phyllis Wojtusik, RN, Executive Vice President of Value-Based Care at Real Time Medical Systems (Real Time), outlines the key components of an effective care transition process – and how Real Time’s data-driven solution and interventional analytics help enable smoother transitions and improved outcomes. As a nurse herself, Wojtusik has a deep understanding of the information clinicians need at each stage of the...read more

Originally published in NADONA's The Director Quarterly Journal, Winter 2025 Issue. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes the Accident Critical Element Pathway to guide surveyors and facilities in identifying accident risks and implementing necessary interventions. Falls consistently rank among the top ten deficiencies cited during surveys. The Accident Critical Element Pathway aligns with regulations 483.25(d)(1), which mandates an environment free from hazards, and 483.25(d)(2), which requires adequate supervision and the use of assistive devices. As part of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA), CMS is required to withhold 2% of Medicare fee-for-service Part A...read more