Volume #9-2023 | September 2023 | |
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
September 2023
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COMING SOON - Free MDS Training!
Minimum Data Set training, hosted annually by the Kentucky Office of Inspector General and presented by Myers and Stauffer LC, will be available as six (6) webinars on TRAIN in early October. Each webinar in this "Back to the Basics" series will cover a different Chapter of the RAI Manual:
- OIG DHC MDS RAI Manual Chapter 1 October 2023 1113709
- OIG DHC MDS RAI Manual Chapter 2 October 2023 1113710
- OIG DHC MDS RAI Manual Chapter 3 October 2023 1113711
- OIG DHC MDS RAI Manual Chapter 4 October 2023 1113712
- OIG DHC MDS RAI Manual Chapter 5 October 2023 1113713
- OIG DHC MDS RAI Manual Chapter 6 October 2023 1113714
The Kentucky Board of Nursing has approved contact hours for Kentucky RNs and LPNs upon completion, assessment, and evaluation of each individual session. Kentucky LTC Administrators will also receive contact hours. (Please note that you must have an individual TRAIN account in order to receive credit.)
Please contact Darlene Cox with any questions by email or at 502-564-5805.
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Getting to Know Your Western Branch
Regional Program Manager
Terri Gipson has been a Registered Nurse for 16 years and has worked in state government for 11 years. Most of her nursing career has been in Long-Term Care and Psychiatric Nursing. Working on the regulatory side of healthcare is rewarding in that our agency improves the lives and environments for the elderly and vulnerable population by ensuring quality care is provided.
Terri has a twenty-five-year-old son and a feline fur baby. She enjoys flower gardening, loves the Christmas season and sets aside time the first week of November to decorate the exterior as well as each room in her home for the holidays.
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MDS 3.0 RAI User’s Manual (v1.18.11R) Errata
The PDF file labeled “MDS3.0RAIManualv1.18.11R.Errata.September.8.2023” is now available in the Downloads section on the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual page. The errata document contains revisions to pages in Chapter 4 of the MDS 3.0 RAI Manual version (v)1.18.11R that better align the Care Area Assessments (CAAs) with the Care Area Trigger (CAT) specifications, as well as a revision to Section D that corrects the Coding Instructions guidance for item D0160. Total Severity Score.
Changed manual pages are marked with the footer “October 2023 (R).”
The errata document begins with a table that lists all identified revisions and the pages to which they have been applied. Following the table are the actual corrected replacement pages for insertion into the printed manual.
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SNF QRP FAQs for FY 2024
An update to the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document is now available. This document has been updated to reflect the finalized policies for the SNF QRP in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and includes other useful resources available to providers.
The FAQ document can be accessed via the Downloads section of the SNF Quality Reporting FAQs webpage.
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SNF QRP Quality Measure Calculations and Reporting User’s Manual V5.0, Change Table, Risk Adjustment Appendix File, Imputation
Appendix File, and HCC ICD-10 Crosswalks
The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Quality Measure Calculations and Reporting User’s Manual Version 5.0 and accompanying documents are now available. These documents serve as an update to the specifications used to calculate quality measures that are included in the SNF QRP effective October 1, 2023.
For more information, please visit the CMS SNF QRP Quality Reporting Measures Information website.
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CMP Grant Program Resumes Accepting Applications
The Office of Inspector General has resumed accepting applications for the Kentucky Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Reinvestment Fund following receipt of updated guidance from CMS issued September 25, 2026.
CMP Reinvestment Fund*
OIG seeks innovative projects that support, protect, and benefit certified nursing facility residents. These initiatives must be outside the scope of normal facility operations and cannot be used to fund goods or services that the applicant already offers or is required to provide by state or federal law or regulation. There is currently no application deadline and applications can be submitted at any time.
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For example:
a. A 1-year project to provide wound care training to direct care staff at 50 nursing homes is capped at a total of $250,000 (5,000 x 50 x 1 = 250,000)
b. A 3-year project to provide musical therapy to residents at 10 nursing homes is capped at a total of $150,000 (5,000 x 10 x 3 = 150,000)
CMS Developed Global Public Health Emergency (PHE) Grants
Formerly known as the COVID-19 Emergency CMP Grants, CMS is continuing the programs beyond the PHE to allow all Medicare and Medicaid participating nursing homes access to the products. CNFs can apply for one-time funding from each of the three programs for up to a total of $9,000 for the purchase of:
- Communication Technology: Tablets and accessories to allow residents to communicate remotely
- Visitation I: In-person visitation aids such as tents/outdoor shelters, and clear dividers
- Visitation II: Portable fans and/or portable room air cleaners with HEPA filters (H-13, -14)
For more information on the CMP Reinvestment Fund and the CMS Developed Global Public Health Emergency grants, as well as links to the updated forms, please view the attached KY CMP Information Brochure or visit Civil Money Penalty Funds - Cabinet for Health and Family Services (ky.gov).
For questions or assistance please contact Lena Mullins-Datko, Grants Administrator, at lena.mullinsdatko@ky.gov or CMPApplication_OIG@ky.gov.
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Division of Health Care Contact Information
Central Office
Belinda Beard, Director
Marissia Izlar, Assistant Director
Andrea Willhite, Assistant Director
275 E. Main St., 5E-A Frankfort, KY 40621
Phone: 502-564-7963
Fax: 502-564-6546
Western Enforcement Branch
Terri Gipson, Regional Program Manager
901 B South Main Street, Hopkinsville, KY 42240
Phone: 270-889-6052
Fax: 270-889-6089
Northern Enforcement Branch
Patricia Hinson, Regional Program Manager
L & N Building 10-W, 908 W. Broadway, Louisville, KY 40203
Phone: 502-595-4958
Fax: 502-595-4540
Southern Enforcement Branch
Tammy Ricks, Regional Program Manager
116 Commerce Ave., London, KY 40744
Phone: 606-330-2030
Fax: 606-330-2054
Eastern Enforcement Branch
Will Hendrickson, Human Services Program Branch Manager
455 Park Place, Suite 120A, Lexington, KY 40511
Phone: 859-246-2301
Fax: 859-246-2307
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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
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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All certified nursing facilities must sign up for ePOC. Please 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 yet signed up, see the Account Setup instructions.
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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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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 | |
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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