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
July 2022
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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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Free MDS Training Coming Soon!
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 these trainings, the following topics will be available in October 2022:
- MDS and Diagnosis Coding
- MDS Interviewing Tips
- MDS Resources
- Medication Coding and the MDS
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.)
Stay tuned for further details, and please contact Darlene Cox with any questions by email or at 502-564-7963 x.3308.
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Getting to Know Your DHC Assistant Director
Marissia Izlar-Hunt is an alumnus of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Bethune-Cookman University, where she majored in Broadcast Communications. As Marissia matured, she developed a passion for working with the elderly and disabled. It was this passion that led her to continue her education in the field of social work. She received her Master’s Degree of Science in Social Work (MSSW) from the University of Louisville, Kent School of Social Work, specializing in Gerontology. Marissia began working for the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), Adult Protective Services, in 2006, where she was instrumental in protecting the most vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation concerns. Marissia worked for Adult Protective Services for approximately seven (7) years before joining the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in 2013. Marissia has held several positions within OIG. She began as the Eastern Branch Social Service Specialist Surveyor, using her expertise in social work to identify regulatory violations related to resident rights, social services, abuse, and many others. Marissia later transitioned to become the Branch’s Complaints Coordinator, where she took calls from the public to process and triage Federal and State regulatory violations for investigations. She furthered her commitment to serve by becoming the Branch Manager for the Northern Branch, guiding the surveyors to understand the Long Term Care Process. Marissa, with a continued commitment to serving Kentucky’s most vulnerable adults, accepted the position as the Assistant Director of Health Care. Her motto is, “change happens when one has a passion for making change.”
When Marissia is not working, she enjoys writing plays and has published her first children’s book, “MEI Breaks Grandma out of the Nursing Home.” She stated she wrote this book out of the frustration of COVID and the families’ inability to visit their loved ones in nursing facilities due to COVID. Marissia said her goal is to educate the mission of OIG to all who are willing to protect our vulnerable adults and are passionate about making systemic and social changes.
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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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Errata V3.00.8 for MDS V3.00.1 (FINAL) Data
Submission Specifications Posted
An updated errata for the MDS V3.00.1 (FINAL) Data Specifications is now available for download under the Downloads section at the bottom of this webpage. Two issues have been added. Discharge performance Items in Section GG were receiving the APU warning edits when A0310B = [01] instead of when A0310H = [1]. The mappings of these items are corrected in the resolutions to these issues. These changes will be applied retroactively on October 1, 2022.
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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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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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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 call Melissa Richard, Training & QA Branch Manager, 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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