Quality Insights Podcast

How can technology help skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) enhance quality of care and improve resident outcomes? In today's episode, Chris Gerace Johnson of Real Time Medical Systems joins us to discuss how their software solution — which is free for SNFs — can automate infection control surveillance, identify gaps in documentation, and more.  Click here to watch a video recording of this epi...

Moving into the fall months, long-term care facilities must prepare for an increase in COVID-19 and flu cases. What can your facility do to keep staff and residents healthy? In today's episode, we discuss the importance of reporting symptoms and getting influenza and COVID-19 vaccines — and how to support members in your health care team who may have vaccine hesitancy. We're joined by Je...

Listen to this podcast to get a Delaware pharmacist's perspective about the Medication Therapy Management program being offered by the Delaware Pharmacists Society.  This program is available to Delaware health care practices at NO COST.

Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the staffing rating methodology for its Five-Star Quality Rating System for Nursing Homes. What are the changes and how do they affect nursing homes' ratings on CMS's Care Compare website? We'll break it down in today's webinar discussion. We're joined by guest speaker Pam Meador, Director of Regula...

When you've identified a problem in your facility as well as the root of its cause, how do you create a course of action to correct it? In this final discussion in our three-part series on the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) process, we'll talk about how to make lasting change using the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) method. We're joined by Patty Austin, quality im...

So you've identified a problem you'd like to fix using the Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) process. Now what?  In this second episode of our three-part series on the QAPI process, we discuss how to use a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to do just that: get to the root of the cause. We're joined by Patty Austin, a quality improvement specialist at Quality Insights. If you...

To give residents the highest level of care, nursing homes need to course-correct when problems occur – or identify problems before an adverse event can occur. One way to achieve sustained improvement is the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) process. For the next three episodes, we’ll do a deep-dive on the QAPI process with animated examples and discussion. In this episode, we f...

Methods to prevent and treat COVID-19 are changing almost as quickly as the virus evolves new variants.  What is the status of COVID-19 variants, vaccines, and therapeutics today? In today's episode, we'll get up to speed on the latest information.  This episode features a presentation by Krista D. Capehart, Clinical Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Director of the Wi...

In recent weeks, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced updates to Phase 2 and 3 of the Federal Rule. We highlight and clarify the upcoming changes in today’s episode, as well as share information on training for the updates. We're joined by Penny Imes, Quality Improvement Specialist at Quality Insights. If you want to reach out to Penny directly, you can call Qu...

In recent months, the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) updated its pathway data reporting for long-term care facilities. In today's episode, we'll review the changes along with some example scenarios. We're joined by Debra Wright, Quality Improvement Specialist at Quality Insights. If you want to reach Debra directly, you can call Quality Insights at 1-800-642-8686 ext 7636...

What does it mean to be "up to date" on COVID-19 vaccines? The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) recently revised its definition to align with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In today's episode, we discuss the new definition along with scenario examples.  We're joined by Debra Wright, Quality Improvement Specialist at Quality I...

Tuberculosis hides in plain sight. The risk of TB infection is even higher for people who live or work in nursing homes. In this week's episode, we discuss what health care workers should know about TB and how to prevent infections.  We’re joined by Liz Dauch Corporate Infection Preventionist with Stonerise Healthcare in West Virginia. You can watch a video version of this episode here . Down...

Are your residents up-to-date with their pneumococcal vaccinations? Should they receive PCV13, PCV15, PCV20, or PPSV23 — and when? In today's episode, we break down the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines (PPSVs). We’re joined by Debra Wright, Quality Improvement Specialist...

Guidance updates affecting nursing homes have rolled out in recent weeks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH). In this week's episode, we'll get up to speed on the latest guidance on COVID-19 boosters, temporary nurse aides (TNAs), and PA DOH's therapeutics form....

The persistent symptoms of long COVID can be frustrating and can lead to even further pain and injury. In today’s episode, we discuss quality measures that can be adopted to prevent patients with Long COVID from further suffering.  We’re joined by Patty Austin, quality improvement specialist at Quality Insights. If you want to reach out to Patty directly, you can call Quality Insights at 1-800-642...

Long COVID symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, and cognitive issues can lead to further injury, such as falls. In today’s episode, we discuss quality measures that should be strengthened to prevent patients with Long COVID from further suffering.  We’re joined by Patty Austin, quality improvement specialist at Quality Insights. If you want to reach out to Patty directly, you can call Quali...

It goes by several names: Long-COVID, Long-Haul COVID, Post-Acute COVID, Chronic COVID. People who have been infected with COVID-19 can experience a wide range health problems similar to the symptoms they experienced after first being infected.  For the next three weeks, we’ll be talking about Long COVID and what nursing homes can do about it. This week, we discussed an overview of Long-Haul COVID...

From power outages to tornados, disaster can strike at any time. What plans do nursing homes need to have in place for worst-case scenarios?    In today's podcast, we discuss the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' emergency preparedness requirements for nursing homes with Debra Wright, Quality Improvement Specialist at Quality Insights.  If you want to reach out to Debra direc...

In recent years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has rolled out a Five-Star Quality Rating System aiming to help consumers, families, and caregivers compare nursing homes. These ratings and the data behind the ratings can be found on CMS's Nursing Home Care Compare website.  In today's podcast, we discuss the engine behind the rating system with Pam Meador, Directo...

Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid announced it will phase out a series of regulation waivers put in place at the beginning of the pandemic ( QSO-22-15 ). This includes a waiver regarding the training and certification of nurse aides at Nursing Facilities and Skilled Nursing Facilities.  How will this affect nursing homes? We'll be discussing the changes in today's webin...

Today, we're talking about the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), including an overview of its COVID-19 vaccine reporting requirements for health care personnel and residents, as well as recent updates.  We’re joined by Debra Wright, Quality Improvement Specialist at Quality Insights. If you want to reach out to Debra directly, you can call Quality Insights at 1-800-642-8686 and enter...

We’re talking about COVID-19 boosters in today’s episode, including the latest updates on the approval of the second booster.  We're joined by Shirley Sullivan, a quality improvement specialist at Quality Insights. If you want to reach out to Shirley directly, you can call Quality Insights at 1-800-642-8686 and enter extension 7805. You can also contact her via email at ssullivan@qualityinsig...

Communication is key to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Today, we discuss best practices for health care providers to track patients' COVID-19 vaccination status and share this information as patients move between facilities. We're joined by Patty Austin, a quality improvement specialist at Quality Insights. If you want to reach out to Patty directly, you can call Quality Insights at...

Myths about COVID-19 and the vaccines are almost as old as the virus itself. In today’s episode, we bust some of those common myths, as well as discuss how to talk to patients who are vaccine-hesitant.  We're joined by Natalie Tappe, a project coordinator and quality improvement specialist at Quality Insights. If you want to reach out to Natalie directly, you can call Quality Insights at 1-80...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently made updates to its guidelines for visitation and COVID-19 testing at nursing homes. Today, we discuss the changes with Penny Imes, Quality Improvement Specialist at Quality Insights. If you want to reach out to Penny directly, you can call Quality Insights at 1-800-642-8686 and enter extension 7644. You can also contact her via email...