Insights

In this interview, we sit down with Real Time Medical Systems (Real Time) VP of Clinical Operations Cindy Kreider, RN,BC RAC-CT and Kathy Derleth, RN, BSN, Senior Clinical Account Manager, to discuss Getting Back to the Basics in 2023. Cindy and Kathy will address what SNFs can do in preparation for the new year, challenges they face in implementing these practices, and how data driven technologies can help prioritize care and improve patient outcomes.   Real Time: What does “Getting Back to the Basics” mean, specifically for SNFs? Derleth: Maintaining nursing home regulations can overwhelm even the best equipped facility...read more

In a value-based care (VBC) environment, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are responsible for the entire patient journey. Therefore, their long-term success and financial viability are inherently tied to the performance of their network of post-acute care (PAC) providers. As PAC costs continue to rise and CMS drives forward with value-based, risk bearing models of care, it is essential for providers to take proactive measures. By finding cost-effective, data-driven solutions, care facilities can meet the future demands of healthcare. Yet, disparate electronic health record (EHR) systems between acute and post-acute providers continue to pose challenges. With approximately 50% of PAC costs...read more

As CMS continues to enforce the regulatory process around infection prevention and control (IPC) efforts, there is an increased focus on the Long-Term Care Phase 3 Requirements of Participation (RoP). With ongoing efforts to address COVID-19, the spotlight remains on IPC and specifically, on the role of the Infection Preventionist (IP) and Antibiotic Stewardship. Approximately 40-75% of prescribed antibiotics in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) may be unwarranted or unsuitable, resulting in serious risk of infections, increased adverse drug interactions and events, and even death. There is also the serious threat of antibiotic-resistant infections, which afflict 2.8 million Americans annually. With...read more

According to Statista Research Department, from the 3,046 hospitals Medicare assessed in 2022 for hospital readmissions, 2,499 (or 82 percent) were penalized for readmission rates exceeding the 30-day risk-standardized costs. Readmissions are costly, often doubling the cost of care for one of these events. Preventable rehospitalizations cost Medicare hundreds of millions of dollars each year and can be avoided through better care and more attention to patients during discharge and transitions of care. Decreasing hospital readmissions has been a long-standing health goal for CMS. It signifies an opportunity to improve the quality of care, lower health care costs, and increase...read more

This article is sponsored by Real Time Medical Systems. In this Voices interview, Skilled Nursing News sits down with Jim Shearon (RN, BSN, MHSA), Real Time’s Vice President Clinical Solutions, to learn what SNFs can do to navigate the changing payment landscape in skilled nursing, with a focus on approaching the new PDPM parity adjustment. Jim also talks about how providers are recouping losses from the 30-day incentive dismissal. Skilled Nursing News: What career experiences do you most draw from, in your role today? Jim Shearon: I draw from my career experiences with everything I’ve done as a nurse starting in...read more

Groundbreaking program will provide nursing facilities with tools and resources to better align with different healthcare provider types through data transparency to improve care, lower healthcare costs, and reduce hospital readmissions for state's most vulnerable populations   Columbia, MD, September 20, 2022 – The State of Maryland’s leading post-acute care associations, LifeSpan Network, Health Facilities Association of Maryland, and LeadingAge Maryland, join Real Time Medical Systems (Real Time), the industry-leading post-acute analytics solution, as they announce their collaboration with the Chesapeake Regional information System for our Patients (CRISP), on the launch of its Nursing Facility Connectivity Program. The program aims...read more