You're receiving this email because of your relationship with the Office of Inspector General, Division of Health Care. Thank you for your continued commitment to serving the citizens of our Commonwealth!
Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Office of Inspector General
Division of Health Care
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Long Term Care Provider Newsletter
December 2021
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The Kentucky Office of Inspector General is committed to the protection of patients and residents of healthcare facilities from the spread of infectious disease. Regarding any coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, you may refer to the following websites for the most up-to-date news and information:
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A Message from the Inspector General
We recognize this year, much like the past year, has not been easy and at times it is hard to see any end to this. It is our most sincere hope that during this holiday season you are able to find some joy and comfort. We are extremely grateful for your efforts in taking care of our most vulnerable in the Commonwealth. On behalf of all of OIG, we wish you a Happy Holidays and New Year!
Adam Mather
Inspector General
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Vaccination Reminders
As we approach our 1 year anniversary of administering the COVID-19 vaccine to our most high risk Kentuckians, we want to share a few reminders:
- Document receipt and/or refusal of the flu and COVID-19 vaccine in each resident’s medical record and IIS.
- Complete and provide a COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card to the resident (or family member) when vaccinations are given.
- Print out a list of the vaccination(s) given, particularly for residents being transferred/discharged to rehab, long-term care, or psychiatric facilities.
- Make sure that any residents that are being discharged from the facility receive the original vaccine card for their personal records.
While we recognize that many organizations are “holding” the vaccination cards so they do not become lost and providing copies to the resident, the vaccination card is considered the resident’s personal property and a photocopy of the card is not a substitute.
We have included Best Practices from the CDC:
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your local branch office.
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ePOC Deadline for Certified Nursing Homes
The Electronic Plan of Correction (ePOC) application was initiated in Kentucky on June 1, 2016. The ePOC application eliminates the need for paper-based communication between Certified Nursing Home providers and the Office of Inspector General, Division of Health Care, when submitting and reviewing plans of correction. Once providers complete the ePOC enrollment process, they can begin accessing the CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies (SOD) and enter their Plan of Correction (POC) via the secure website created by CMS.
Our CMS Atlanta location has requested we no longer offer two options for submitting the POC. Therefore, it will be mandatory for all remaining Certified Nursing Homes to enroll in ePOC by January 1, 2022.
Instructions and training information links are available on the OIG website. Our staff will provide technical support to assist providers when needed to walk through process. The contact information is located in the ePOC Accounts section of this newsletter.
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jRAVEN Update
The Resident Assessment Validation and Entry System (jRAVEN) was developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). jRAVEN is a free Java based software application which provides an option for facilities to collect and maintain MDS Assessment data for subsequent submission to the appropriate state and/or national data repository. jRAVEN displays the MDS Item Sets similar to the paper version of the forms. Please consult the jRAVEN Installation and User Guides for additional information.
jRAVEN v1.7.9 is now available for download under the Downloads section at the bottom of this webpage. Users do not need a previous version of jRAVEN to download, install or use jRAVEN v1.7.9.
jRAVEN v1.7.9 includes the following update:
- The new version number for the PDPM Grouper, v2.0001.
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MDS 3.0 Technical Information - PDPM Grouper V2.0002
An updated version of the PDPM Grouper has been posted in the Downloads section with the new version number V2.0002. This update addresses two issues with the NTA comorbidities mapping. First, it corrects an issue where diagnosis codes were mapped to NTA comorbidities as 1 to 1 mappings where 1 to 2 mappings were intended from the PDPM_ICD10_Mappings_FY20XX Excel sheet. The list of affected diagnosis codes are: D89810, D89811, D89812, D89813, K7041, M3211, M3213, M3301, M3311, M3321, M3391, M3481, T8630, T8631, T8632, T8633, T8639, Z48280, Z943. Second, it fixes a spacing issue in the NTA comorbidity description name “Disorders of Immunity - Except: RxCC97: Immune Disorders”, which resulted in those points not adding up correctly during the NTA comorbidity score calculation.
Additionally, this new version was repackaged to address a security vulnerability with the third party library Log4J. The library was upgraded to v2.16.0. No changes were made to the PDPM/SNF component itself.
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FREE to Kentucky Nursing Homes:
The Virtual Dementia Tour® Dementia Training Program
In January 2020, the Kentucky Office of Inspector General announced that Second Wind Dreams® (SWD®) has been approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to use Civil Money Penalty (CMP) funding in 125 Kentucky skilled nursing homes. The project assists nursing home staff to improve care for dementia residents by providing hands-on, experiential training using the patented Virtual Dementia Tour® (VDT®). The VDT has been scientifically proven to build a greater understanding of dementia using sensory tools and instructions.
A Second Wind Dreams Certified VDT Trainer will train designated nursing home contacts to conduct the VDT for their staff, as well as evaluate care staff and document improvements in caregiving. Once the training is complete, the nursing home may conduct the VDT as often as they like for their staff. Some choose to offer it as part of their new employee orientation. With some additional training, they can also invite family members and the public to their community to experience the VDT.
For more information and to apply:
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Kentucky's Top 10 Citations
for Nursing Homes
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Informal Appeal of Survey Findings
Interested in Serving on an IDR Panel?
Kentucky requires one member of the IDR panel to be "a person currently engaged in the provision of Long Term Care services who has no affiliation with the provider disputing a deficiency." Typically, a Long Term Care Administrator is on each IDR panel. There is no payment or travel reimbursement for an Administrator serving on a panel. Administrators will be rotated. If a Long Term Care Administrator is interested in serving on a panel, a confidentiality statement must be signed prior to the participation in the first IDR panel.
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Jennifer Smith, RN
Contract RAI/Oasis/IDR-IIDR Coordinator
Office of Inspector General
Division of Health Care
275 E. Main St., 5E-A
Frankfort, KY 40621
Fax: (502) 564-6546
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MDS/RAI CONTACT INFORMATION
For questions regarding MDS Assessment, Coding, Transmission or
Please do not send any identifiable patient information through e-mail. This includes patient names, SSNs, dates of birth, or any other data items considered identifiers or Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA. Please redact any PHI prior to sending.
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Is your certified nursing facility signed up for ePOC? If so, be diligent about keeping your account and password up to date. All correspondence is handled in the ePOC system, including the plan of correction. Furthermore, if there is a change in administrator, it is incumbent upon the facility to update the system.
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 or call Rhonda Littleton-Roe at 502-564-7963 x.3300.
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Have you notified your residents?
Click the link below to download and/or print the contact list for various agencies.
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Which Branch is Serving You?
To provide the highest level of service, the Division of Health Care operates through four regional offices. Knowing the appropriate Branch to contact with questions and concerns will ensure you receive maximum service in minimum time. Review links below for detailed information.
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CMS Survey and Certification memoranda, guidance, clarifications and instructions to State Survey Agencies and CMS Regional Offices.
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Transfer/Discharge Hearing Appeals
Please submit your requests for transfer/discharge hearing appeals to Secretary Eric C. Friedlander, Cabinet for Health and Family Services, by emailing:
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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.
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Quality, Safety & Education Portal
CMS's QSEP provides the full curriculum of surveyor training and guidance on health care facility regulations. All training is available on-demand on a top-notch self-service portal. 24/7 access means you have the freedom to learn what you want, where you want, when you want.
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Employment Opportunities
To search and apply for positions within the Office of Inspector General, please visit the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet's web page by clicking below.
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DHC Leadership Team:
Inspector General
Deputy Inspector General
Director
Assistant Director
Assistant Director
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Want to Sign Up for This Newsletter?
If you have received a copy of this newsletter from a friend or co-worker, you can click here and enter your information to join our mailing list, or contact MelissaD.Richard@ky.gov.
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Commonwealth of Kentucky | Office of Inspector General | 275 East Main St., Frankfort, KY 40621 |
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The Office of Inspector General is the regulatory and licensing agency for all health care, day care and long-term care facilities and child adoption/child-placing agencies in the commonwealth.
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