Issue#05-2018 May 2018
Office of Inspector General 
Division of Health Care
 
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OIG Home Page
Have You Notified Your Residents?

 

 


Click the link below to download and/or print the contact list for various agencies. 

 

REQUIRED Agency Contact Information for Residents of LTC Facilities

 

 to find an Ombudsman.

 Which Enforcement Branch is Serving You? 

 

To provide the highest level of service, the Division of Health Care operates through four regional offices. Knowing the appropriate Enforcement Branch to contact with questions and concerns will ensure you receive maximum service in minimum time. Review links below for detailed information.

 

Regional Map

 

Contact Information 

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CMS Survey and Certification memoranda, guidance, clarifications and instructions to State Survey Agencies and CMS Regional Offices.

 

 

LTC Facility Self-Reported Incidents & Complaints

    

New email addresses have been established for communications regarding LTC Facility Self-Reported Incidents and for use by residents and the general public to report possible violations of regulatory requirements. Click Here for the email addresses and additional contact information. 

Transfer/Discharge Hearing Appeals

Please  submit your requests for transfer/discharge hearing appeals to Secretary Adam M. Meier, Cabinet for Health and Family Services, by emailing:

NURSING HOME COMPARE  

5stars
Click To Visit Website
 

 Kentucky's Top 10 Citations for Nursing Homes


 

ISTW: Integrated Surveyor Training Website

This CMS website provides training information to include the preceptor  manual, the State Operations Manual and other documents.

As always, the survey and certification process is a collaborative effort between CMS and providers.  This website will allow providers the opportunity to take the same courses as surveyors. 

Employment Opportunities  

To search and apply for positions within the Office of Inspector General, please visit the Career Opportunities System webpage by clicking below.

MDS/RAI CONTACT INFORMATION
 
Buffy Stone 
MDS  Assessment/Coding
  502-595-4958 x.5019  or  e-mail  
    
Rhonda Littleton-Roe 
Transmission or Technical
502-564-7963 x.3300 or  e-mail

Division of Health Care Leadership Team
  
Inspector General 

Assistant Director
 
Assistant Director
  
Assistant Director
  
Pharmacy Consultant 

Long Term Care 
Provider Newsletter

May 2018

 



Hello everyone,

It has never seemed as busy and crazy here at the OIG as it is now for some reason, and if it is busy here, I am very certain that most of you are also feeling extremely busy and overwhelmed. I know we (and probably many of you) just need to take a deep breath and step back and realize we WILL get through things and move on to new and different challenges. There is never a dull moment in this business of health care.

Today, I would like to take a moment and introduce you to our new management staff. We have a new Regional Program Manager in the Northern Enforcement Branch in Louisville, Belinda Beard. Belinda has been Acting Regional Program Manager, but has now accepted the position on a permanent basis. Belinda has been a surveyor for many years in the Louisville region, and also brings years of clinical nursing experience in health care settings, as well as management in the private sector.


Sandra Houchen,  Director

 
 New CHFS Website!
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services is excited to unveil our brand new web site design! Go to: https://chfs.ky.gov. The search options are improved for easier movement through the website; however, it may take a few weeks for the search features to respond correctly as new sites are updated. There are some pages that may display the "Page Not Found" message, so please bear with us as further updates are being made in the next several weeks to make the information more user-friendly. In the meantime, here are a few sites that you can bookmark/save as favorites as needed:






 
 How to Respond When Dementia
Causes Unpredictable Behaviors
In March 2012, CMS introduced the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes. A major component of the CMS initiative consisted of reducing the use of anti-psychotic medications in long term care residents with dementia nation-wide by 15 percent by the end of year 2012. During year 2013, it was announced that Kentucky was one of the first eleven states to achieve the CMS goal. Ultimately, the 15 percent reduction was met on a national basis and, by October, 2017, it was announced that nursing homes nation-wide had achieved a reduction of 35 percent! This astonishing success may be attributed to numerous factors including the adoption of the Hand-In-Hand Criteria, promotion of the concept of Culture Change, and acceptance of the position that Behavioral Interventions (aka, non-drug approaches) constitute the therapy of choice when responding to adverse behaviors associated with the various types of dementia.
 
For many years, long term care regulations have mandated that behavioral interventions be attempted or considered (unless clinically contraindicated) prior to utilizing antipsychotic medications to treat dementia-related behaviors. Following the great success of the CMS initiative and introduction of the new federal regulations in November 2017, the use of behavioral interventions is now mandated not just for antipsychotic use, but for all psychotropic medication classes, including antidepressants, anxiolytics, and sedative-hypnotics.
 
Several months ago, the Alzheimer's Association released an excellent, very well constructed article discussing the subject of dealing with dementia-related behaviors, titled BEHAVIORS: How to Respond When Dementia Causes Unpredictable Behaviors. The article provides suggestions on properly dealing with a variety of dementia-related behaviors such as physical/verbal aggression, agitation, wandering, insomnia, etc. It serves as a concise, easy-to-use primer on methods for applying behavioral interventions and, thus, obviating the need for psychotropic medications. The article should prove useful to both surveyors and caretakers alike, and the Office of Inspector General is grateful to the Alzheimer's Association for permission to reprint it in its entirety.
 
Payroll Based Journal (PBJ)
As of June 15, 2018, PBJ Users will no longer be able to submit PBJ data (XML files or online data entry) for staffing dates prior to January 1, 2018. Users can, however, review PBJ data for staffing dates prior to January 1, 2018, using CASPER reports. 
 
This change does not affect any of the deadline rules stated in the PBJ Policy Manual or online. Please see the PBJ Policy Manual for information about PBJ quarterly submission deadlines.
 
The QIES Technical Support Office (QTSO) Help Desk is available for technical support and assistance, if needed, and may be contacted by phone at 800-339-9313 or by email at  help@qtso.com.
 
Residents' Rights Posters
The Office of Inspector General, Division of Health Care mailed posters with State and Federal residents' rights to all Kentucky long-term care facilities. For those that would like the ability to make larger or additional copies, we have provided links to the posters below:

 
 
 
ePOC Accounts
Is your facility signed up for ePOC? If so,  be diligent about keeping your account and password up to date.  Click here  for the CMS security rules.

If your facility is not signed up, see the  Account Setup instructions.

Not sure if your facility has any ePOC accounts or have other questions? E-mail  ePOC.Support@ky.gov.
 
A Message from Kentucky's QIN - QIO
The Office of Inspector General is pleased to provide information from the CMS funded QSource and atom Alliance, the Quality Innovation Network (QIN) - Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) for Kentucky. 
 
Click link below  to read a message from  Kentucky's QIN-QIO: 


               
 
TRAINING SECTION
LTC2Prepare Conferences

Are your direct care staff ready to respond during an emergency? Do they know their roles and responsibilities for resident care? 
 
This one-day training for C.N.A./direct care staff will enhance their awareness and ability to respond to emergency situations in your facility. They will be prepared for any and all risks to ensure the safety and well-being of your residents and improve resident safety and quality of life through learning emergency preparedness and response skills.
 
When they return to your facility, they will:
  • Understand the elements of the Final Rule on Emergency Preparedness
  • Understand how to participate in the facility Emergency Preparedness Team
  • Have their own/family emergency preparedness plan
  • Understand actions to take to shelter-in-place and/or evacuation
This one-day training will be held on June 13, 2018, from 7:30 AM to 4:45 PM at Buckhorn State Park.
 
A brochure for registration and the agenda is attached.  Send your registration to LTC2Prep@louisville.edu.
 
Empower your staff!  Register for FREE now!

In addition, the LTC2Prepare Initiative announces the third and final Emergency Preparedness 101 Conference to be held August 1-2, 2018. The location will be Kentucky Dam Village, Gilbertsville, KY. Members of the LTC facility's leadership team and/or safety committee members are invited to attend. There is plenty of seating available!
 
Registration is FREE! The series of EP 101 conferences are setting the stage for the next level of emergency preparedness to be scheduled this fall.
 
 
 
5th Annual Hepatitis Conference

( Click Here to Enlarge Flyer)

Click  for lodging or call 1-800-228-9290
(7/6/18 is the last day to receive the group rate)

 
 

The Office of Inspector General is Kentucky's regulatory agency for licensing all health care, long-term care, day care and child adoption/placing facilities and agencies in the Commonwealth. 
  
If you would like more information, please  visit our website
  
If you have an idea for a future article, please contact   Melissa Richard.