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 are also available in TRAIN for 2022-2023:

Please contact Darlene Cox with any questions by email or at 502-564-7963 x.3308.

After graduation, Bryan worked as a Social Service Clinician in Owensboro. Later career experience includes hospice work and family preservation. He came to OIG in October 2009 and now works to ensure citizens of the Commonwealth are receiving the care they deserve by investigating complaints, coordinating surveys, and acting as a resource for new surveyors in learning the survey process.

Bryan, a self-proclaimed sci-fi geek, currently lives in Cynthiana with his wife of 24 years, who works in a local hospital, and their fuzzy daughter, a husky named Kaylee.

How you can help with “Promoting Health Across the Lifespan Among Kentucky Certified Nursing Facility Residents” - A limited-time opportunity for Activities Staff and More!

The University of Kentucky (UK) is currently searching for 30 skilled nursing facilities that are enthusiastic about providing life enrichment experiences and health promotion programs for skilled nursing residents. A recently awarded Civil Money Penalty (CMP) grant funded project, titled Promoting Health Across the Lifespan Among Kentucky Certified Nursing Facility Residents, is aimed at increasing the functional and mental wellbeing of skilled nursing residents. The goal of the project is to allow residents (>1100) the opportunity to participate in the evidence-based program, Bingocize®. Numerous benefits are available to participating facilities such as curriculum reinforcement items to encourage participation from the residents, and the free online Bingocize® Leadership training (available to all staff and can provide CEU credits for Nursing, Social Work, and CHES workers). An additional goal of the project will be student engagement/workforce development. The project will support partnerships with multiple university/college programs across Kentucky. Community relationships between these colleges and local skilled nursing facilities can be established to support student engagement opportunities. College students will be recruited and trained to help volunteer with Bingocize® within partnering skilled nursing facilities. The facilities with existing contracts/agreements with local colleges, allowing students to work with residents, will be given priority to participate in this project. This is a limited-time opportunity with project funding supporting up to 30 skilled nursing facilities. For more information about this opportunity, please contact UK’s CMP Bingocize® Project Director, Dustin Falls (dustin.falls@uky.edu).  

Create Circles Corporation is currently recruiting CMS certified nursing facilities (CNF) to participate in a unique resident engagement program funded by Kentucky’s Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Fund. The 3-year Engage With Your Community project matches trained volunteers with CNF residents based on hobbies, likes, interests and other factors. These volunteers meet with their matched resident twice a week, over at least 12 weeks, to complete a long-term shared project, or multiple mini projects, that are then shared with the resident and their family.

The goal of the Engage With Your Community project is to increase the quality of life for CNF residents by reducing loneliness and isolation through cognitive engagement, companionship, and crafting a sense of purpose.

For more information on how to participate in the project please contact Anish Reddy, Director of Operations, at info@createcircles.org, or 502-276-5264.

Additional information on the program, including requirements, can be found here.

CNFs that are interested in participating, but do not have the necessary virtual meeting technology (i.e. tablets, iPads) may be able to utilize the CMP COVID-19 Communication Technology Emergency grant to purchase the necessary equipment. Please contact Lena Mullins-Datko, Grants Administrator, at lena.mullinsdatko@ky.gov for more information.

The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available. These reports contain provider performance scores for quality measures, which will be published on Care Compare and Provider Data Catalog (PDC) during the January 2023 refresh.

For more information, please visit the CMS SNF QRP Public Reporting website.

A referencing document that outlines the steps each PAC provider should follow can be accessed in the Downloads section of this webpage. Should you have questions regarding this updated process, please contact the iQIES help desk by email at iQIES@cms.hhs.gov or by phone at (800) 339-9313.

Every Long Term Care provider has the right to both an informal and formal appeal process following receipt of a completed Form CMS-2567. There are two informal appeal processes: Informal Dispute Resolution (IDR) and Independent IDR (IIDR).

Please complete the Confidentiality Agreement and submit via email, fax, or mail to:

Division of Health Care 

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.