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 2022
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Inspector General Adam Mather (3rd from left) visited Letcher Manor on September 6th for their resident homecoming celebration. Letcher Manor had to temporarily relocate all residents due to the floods in Eastern Kentucky. Residents were treated to a party with food and live entertainment.
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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, is still available on TRAIN. These webinars review the RAI Manual with an emphasis on PDPM items:
To supplement those trainings, the following courses will be available in early October:
- OIG DHC The Importance of Diagnosis Coding on the MDS 2022 1105628
- OIG DHC MDS Interview Tips 2022 1105701
- OIG DHC Medications and Related MDS Coding Items 2022 1105785
- OIG DHC MDS Resources 2022 1105727
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 502-564-7963 x.3308.
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Getting to Know Your OIG Grant Administrator
Lena Mullins-Datko has worked with and for at-risk populations for over twenty years in central Kentucky. She has administered over a billion dollars in state and federal grant funds for projects that benefit communities (ranging from water lines to housing projects to eradicate slum and blight) as well as individuals and families (Head Start and CMS) throughout the Commonwealth. Lena is dedicated to improving the living conditions of every Kentuckian, from infancy to seniors. Administering the CMS grant has given Lena an opportunity to serve our aging citizens by assisting those seeking to improve their quality of life. In her personal life, she is the backbone of her family. She is a loving and dedicated Mimmy to her 6-year-old twinados, Joseph and Amelia, and a supportive wife. Lena is a self-professed nerd, enjoying Tolkien and nature. She enjoys being a cat mommy and being creative with her cross-stitch and crochet.
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Division of Health Care Contact Information
Central Office
Belinda Beard, Director
Marissia Izlar, Assistant Director
275 E. Main St., 5E-A Frankfort, KY 40621
Phone: 502-564-7963
Fax: 502-564-6546
Western Enforcement Branch
Darlene Fryar, Human Services Program Branch Manager
901 B South Main Street, Hopkinsville, KY 42240
Phone: 270-889-6052
Fax: 270-889-6089
Northern Enforcement Branch
Patricia Hinson, Human Services Program Branch Manager
L & N Building 10-W, 908 W. Broadway, Louisville, KY 40203
Phone: 502-595-4958
Fax: 502-595-4540
Southern Enforcement Branch
Marissia Izlar, Acting Human Services Program Branch 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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How to Update NH/SNF Demographic Data
Quality data on Care Compare is updated on a quarterly basis. The data displayed on Care Compare includes demographic information, such as address, telephone number, and ownership.
CLICK HERE for the steps on how to verify and update provider demographic data.
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SNF QRP Quality Measure Calculations and Reporting User’s Manual V4.0, Change Table, Risk Adjustment Appendix File, and HCC ICD-10 Crosswalks – Now Available
The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Quality Measure Calculations and Reporting User’s Manual Version 4.0 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, 2022.
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NOW AVAILABLE - Draft Nursing Home Comprehensive (NC) Item Set
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MDS 3.0 Technical Information
FY2023 ICD-10 codes for MDS V3.00.1 (FINAL) Data Submission Specifications Posted
An updated PDPM ICD Codes database for the MDS V3.00.1 (FINAL) Data Specifications is now available for download under the Downloads section. The database contains two new tables. The table pdpm_icd_codes_FY2023 contains the allowed FY2023 codes for I0020B, while table pdpm_icd_codes_2_FY2023 contains FY2023 codes that can also be used in I0020B for states that opt in to calculating PDPM on standalone OBRA assessments.
Onboarding Schedule for MDS Transition to iQIES
CMS is excited to announce that we are preparing to release the Internet Quality Improvement Evaluation System (iQIES) for Minimum Data Set (MDS) submission in early 2023. Although the MDS submission functionality will not be available immediately, we encourage Provider Security Officials (PSOs) to request access to iQIES as soon as possible, as doing so will allow for a smoother transition prior to the go live date. At a minimum, at least one PSO needs to be selected, but CMS highly recommends that at least two PSOs are designated so that there is a higher likelihood that there will be someone available to approve/reject iQIES access requests. Please reference the iQIES onboarding schedule below for the MDS transition to iQIES.
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FREE to Kentucky Nursing Homes:
The Kentucky Wound Care Excellence Program
In July 2021, the Kentucky Office of Inspector General announced that Vohra Wound Physicians Management, LLC has been approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to use Civil Money Penalty (CMP) funding to provide 150 scholarships for the Vohra Wound Care Course. The Program is designed specifically for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in certified nursing facilities to improve the care they deliver, raise their level of education, and close the existing knowledge gap in wound care provided across the State of Kentucky.
This opportunity will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis until all the 150 scholarships are claimed. Nurses completing the course will receive 20 continuing education credits (CEUs). The course includes 11 downloadable learning modules, technical support/customer assistance, and program reporting. The program’s training structure ensures that scholarship recipients will have access to the materials indefinitely as an ever-present guide to sustain lessons learned.
For more information and to register for the program:
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Virtual Dementia Tour Comprehensive Education Program Ends
The Virtual Dementia Tour Comprehensive Education Program (VDT), administered by Second Wind Dreams, came to an end June 30, 2022. The project received a total of $722,439 in Kentucky Civil Money Penalty grant funds to implement an evidenced-based, patented program that provide long-term care staff the opportunity to experience what dementia is like through individualized, experiential learning. The VDT used sensory tools, including patented glasses, shoe inserts, gloves, and headphone with confusing sounds, to provide an 8-minute experience. The goal was to provide staff with a reference point to better understand the needs of residents with dementia leading to an increase in the quality of care and quality of life for such residents.
Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency, and the resulting visitation restrictions and shutdowns, a total of forty-three long-term care facilities participated with a total of 695 people that experienced the Virtual Dementia Tour. Results presented in the project’s Final Report indicated that the VDT was successful in increasing the levels of empathy in participating caregivers. Before going through the VDT, 62% of staff participants felt that patients with dementia receive the care they need, while after the VDT only 23% felt they receive the care they need. 96% of the participants stated the VDT experience will change the way they care for people with dementia.
“I have always felt I knew what I needed to give our residents the best care. After the Tour, I realized there were things I never realized the residents deal with. I am so glad to know more about what they deal with on a daily basis, so I can give them better understanding and care.”
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Grant Opportunity for Purchase of Aids to Increase or
Improve Air Quality for In-person Visitations
As of February 2, 2022, certified nursing facilities may apply for up to an additional $3,000 of Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Nursing Home Visitation Aid Grant funds for the purchase of indoor portable fans and/or indoor portable air cleaners with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA, H-13 or -14) filters, to increase or improve air quality to aid in-person visitation for residents. Expenses incurred on or after the release of Memorandum QSO-20-39-NH FAQ Revised, February 2, 2022, are eligible for reimbursement.
CMP Nursing Home Visitation Aid Grant funds are still available for the purchase of tents or other shelter for outdoor visitation and/or clear dividers, installation, installation materials and shipping costs for in-person visitation aids. All eligible expenses incurred on or after September 17, 2020, are eligible for reimbursements, up to a maximum of $3,000.
For more information and to apply for CMP Nursing Home Visitation Aid Grant funds:
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SNF QRP FAQs for FY 2023
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) 2023 and includes other useful resources available to providers.
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SNF QRP APU Table for Reporting Assessment-Based QM and Standardized Patient Assessment Data Elements and Data Collection and Final Submission Deadlines Affecting FY 2025
An update to the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Annual Payment Update (APU) Table for Reporting Assessment-Based quality measures (QMs) and standardized patient assessment data elements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now available. This document has been updated to reflect the data elements that will be required to meet the APU minimum data completion threshold for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. Additionally, an update to the SNF QRP Data Collection and Final Submission Deadlines for the FY 2025 SNF QRP is available. This document has been updated to reflect the data collection and final submission deadlines required to meet the APU minimum data completion threshold for FY 2025.
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Update to the SNF QRP Data Collection and Final Submission
Deadlines Affecting FY 2024
An update to the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Data Collection and Final Submission Deadlines is now available. This document has been updated to reflect the data collection and final submission deadlines required to meet the Annual Payment Update (APU) minimum data completion threshold for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.
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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
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.
Not sure if your facility has any ePOC accounts or have other questions? E-mail ePOC.Support@ky.gov or Melissa Richard, Training & QA Branch Manager, or call Ms. Richard at 502-564-7963 x.3310.
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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
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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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