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Cabinet for Health & Family Services
Office of Inspector General
Division of Health Care
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Long Term Care Provider Newsletter
January 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 website for the most up-to-date news and information:
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Current KDPH Guidance on the TB testing and the
Administration of the COVID-19 Vaccine
There is currently no data on the impact of COVID-19 vaccines on either the Tuberculosis (TB) test for infection (Tuberculin Skin Test [TST] or Interferon Gamma Release Assay [IGRA]). KDPH has provided guidance for the testing of healthcare workers, patients/residents in healthcare facilities.
For healthcare personnel and residents/patients in healthcare facilities who require baseline TB testing (at onboarding or entry into facilities):
- Perform TB symptom screening on all healthcare personnel or patients.
- If utilizing the IGRA, draw for interferon gamma release assay prior to COVID-19 vaccination.
- If utilizing the TST, place prior to COVID-19 vaccination.
- If vaccination has been given and testing needs to be performed, defer TST or IGRA until 4 weeks after the COVID-19 vaccine 2-dose completion.
- All potential recipients of COVID-19 vaccination should weigh the risks and benefits of delaying TST/IGRA with their providers.
For Healthcare Workers in health facilities or settings licensed under KRS Chapter 216B or KRS Chapter 333: If facilities choose to delay their infection control activities as stated in “TB Testing for Healthcare Workers” 902 KAR 20:205/section 2, the site infection control plan needs to provide a date of onset and a time-certain end of the temporary pathway determined by your facility (four months from date of onset is recommended). If a site chooses not to delay, and proceed with the site’s current infection control plan, the site will test when it is required regardless of the vaccine schedule.
For Residents of Long Term Care Settings licensed under KRS Chapter 216B or KRS Chapter 333: In the instance of any individual needing admission to a long term care setting, then proceed with a medical evaluation and documentation of non-infectious status for M. tuberculosis as stated by “TB Testing of Residents of Long Term Care Settings” 902 KAR 20:200/section 4. If the facility decides to delay testing of a resident of a long term care setting as stated in 902 KAR 20:200/section 8, the site infection control plan needs to provide a date of onset and a time-certain end of the temporary pathway determined by your facility (four months from date of onset is recommended). If a site chooses not to delay, and proceed with the site’s current infection control plan, the site will test when it is required regardless of the vaccine schedule.
Please click HERE for full guidance. |
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CMS Releases Nursing Home COVID-19 Training Data
with Urgent Call to Action
Agency thanks nursing homes whose staff have completed free CMS training, but
urges remaining homes to take advantage of this resource
November 17, 2020
Contact: CMS Media Relations
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is publicly recognizing the 1,092 nursing homes at which 50% or more of their staff have completed CMS training designed to help staff combat the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nursing homes. CMS applauds these facilities for taking this critical step to equip their staff with the latest information regarding infection control, vaccine distribution, and other topics.
There are 125,506 individuals from 7,313 nursing homes who have completed the training. This represents approximately 12.5% of the approximately one million nursing home staff in the country. With today’s announcement, CMS is calling on nursing homes to take action, urging them to require their staff to take this free training, as part of the Trump Administration’s continued efforts to keep nursing home residents safe.
“We’ve provided nursing homes with $20 billion in federal funding, millions of pieces of PPE, free testing machines and supplies, and significant technical assistance and on-the-ground support,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Ultimately, the ownership and management of every nursing must take it on themselves to ensure their staff is fully equipped to keep residents safe. With coronavirus cases increasing across the country and infection control identified as a major issue, we encourage all nursing homes to take advantage of this no-cost opportunity to train their staff.”
The training includes multiple modules, with emphases on topics such as infection control, screening and surveillance, personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, disinfection of the nursing home, cohorting and caring for individuals with dementia during a pandemic. CMS developed this training in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and expert stakeholders, and announced the training on August 25, 2020. For anyone interested, the training is free to access on a public CMS website; instructions on how to create an account and take the training are available at qsep.cms.gov/welcome.aspx.
Please see attached FLYER. |
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NEW TRAINING EVENT
Section M: Skin Conditions - Assessment and Coding of
Pressure Ulcers/Injuries Web-Based Training
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course that provides an overview of the assessment and coding of pressure ulcers/injuries. This 90-minute course is intended for providers in Home Health Agencies (HHAs), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs), and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), and is designed to be used on demand anywhere you can access a browser.
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NEW TRAINING EVENT
From Data Elements to Quality Measures – Cross-Setting
QRP Web-Based Training
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course that provides a high-level overview of how data elements within CMS patient/resident assessment instruments are used to construct quality measures (QMs) across post-acute care (PAC) settings. The PAC settings included are those covered under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Reporting Programs (QRPs) for Home Health Agencies (HHAs), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs) and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). Information covered will include a short review of the QRPs’ cross-setting quality measures (QM), how data elements feed into these cross-setting QMs, how QMs are calculated and appear on QM reports and how to access and use this data for quality improvement.
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Upcoming QIES/iQIES Service Center Hold Times
Due to the upcoming PBJ submission period, the QIES/iQIES Service Center is expecting an increase in call volume and emails between February 1st and February 15th, 2021, which may result in longer hold times.
To minimize wait times and ensure successful PBJ submission, CMS recommends the following:
Use One Method to Report Issues:
Due to the increase in volume at the QIES/iQIES Service Center, and to minimize backlog of contacts, please use only one method of reporting for the same issue (email or phone). Note: Cases are processed in the order they are received, regardless of the manner in which the Service Center was contacted. Please allow time for processing.
Submit Your Data Early:
We encourage you to submit your PBJ data early during the submission period. Early submission will allow you plenty of time for Service Center assistance if needed.
Call the Service Center at Off-Peak Hours:
We strongly recommend calling the Service Center during off-peak hours (8:00 AM-10:00 AM ET OR 2:00 PM-8:00 PM ET).
For additional information on PBJ, please visit the PBJ website to review new and existing PBJ resources.
Contact the QIES/iQIES Service Center at 1-800-339-9313, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM ET or by e-mail.
Customers who are hearing impaired can dial 711 to be connected to a TRS Communications Assistant.
Reminder: To receive assistance more quickly, consider calling during non-peak hours, before 10:00 AM and after 2:00 PM ET.
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PDPM Grouper DLL V1.0009
An update to the PDPM Grouper DLL has been posted, along with its source code and test cases. This version, V1.0009, adds support for new ICD-10 codes that may be used for assessments with target date on or after January 1, 2021: Z11.52, Z20.822, Z86.16, M35.81, M35.89 and J12.82. (Note that codes M35.81 and M35.89 replace code M35.8, which should no longer be used on assessments with target date on or after January 1, 2021.)
In addition, the lookup files containing the allowable ICD-10 codes for item I0020B (as of January 1, 2021) have been updated to contain the new ICD-10 codes listed above, as well as remove M35.8. They are posted as a separate ZIP file.
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VUT v3.5.0
The Validation Utility Tool (VUT) is a software utility that can be used to validate MDS 3.0 submission files in XML format. The tool enforces the edits that are mapped to the MDS 3.0 items as published in the MDS 3.0 Data Specifications.
The v3.5.0 VUT continues to support older data specification versions and has been updated to incorporate Issue 17 in Errata v3.00.6 to the current Data Specifications, as well as new ICD codes and is in effect on January 1, 2021. The MDS VUT version 3.5.0 is now available in the Downloads of the MDS 3.0 Technical Information website.
Please note that there are edits which the VUT cannot support because they are edits against existing ASAP system data. The VUT does not interface with ASAP therefore it cannot confirm those edits. The VUT does not currently interface with the RUG III and IV DLLs, or the new PDPM DLLs, therefore it does not recalculate and confirm that Grouper values are correct.
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jRAVEN v1.7.7
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 v1.7.7 is now available for download under the Downloads section of the MDS 3.0 Technical Information website. Users do not need a previous version of jRAVEN to download, install or use jRAVEN v1.7.7.
jRAVEN v1.7.7 includes the following enhancements:
- The new MDS VUT, v3.5.0, updated to support Issue #17 in Errata v3.00.6 and the new ICD Code files that are in effect as of 1/1/2021
- The new PDPM Grouper, v1.0009, updated to include the ICD codes that are effective 01/01/2021
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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.
Chrystal Daugherty, IDR/IIDR Coordinator
Office of Inspector General
116 Commerce Ave.
London, KY 40744
Fax: (606) 330-2054
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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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