The Culture of Safety Center (CSC) supports and enhances a culture of safety in nursing homes. It provides education and promotes the adoption of evidence-based interventions that improve the reliability, safety, and quality of care residents receive. Focusing on the most identified opportunities for improvement related to resident safety and quality of life, we offer onsite education for nursing homes needing additional assistance and one-on-one support.
Dr. Arif Nazir is a board-certified geriatrician with experience leading teams to improve post-acute systems, as shown by higher patient satisfaction and reduced avoidable hospitalizations. He recently presented "Strategies To Engage Your Medical Director For Meaningful Teamwork" at the CSC Annual Summit.
Along the ever-evolving landscape of compliance, nursing homes and long-term care facilities are often blindsided by unexpected requirements and shifting standards. That’s why Survey Readiness is essential to any institution working within healthcare. It is the only way to avoid tens of thousands of dollars worth of fines AND keep your doors open to patients.
On September 1, 2023, CMS issued the Minimum Staffing Standards for LTCs and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency proposed rule. Under CMS’s proposal, nursing homes participating in Medicare and Medicaid would be required to meet specific nurse staffing levels that promote safe, high-quality care for residents. For more information, please visit: HHS Proposes Minimum Staffing Standards to Enhance Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes
CDC Updates
According to the CDC, source control is recommended more broadly as described in CDC’s Core IPC Practices by those residing or working on a unit or area of the facility experiencing a SARS-CoV-2 or other outbreak of respiratory infection; universal use of source control could be discontinued as a mitigation measure once the outbreak is over (e.g., no new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been identified for 14 days). To learn more, visit: Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for HCP
Continue Reporting COVID-19
Tennessee state law and reportable conditions did not change with the expiration of the PHE. The law continues to require reporting of positive SARS-CoV-2 results. Information on required reporting for reportable conditions can be found here: Reportable Diseases
HCP Flu Vaccination Reporting
CMS-certified SNFs are required to report HCP influenza vaccination summary data through NHSN. The reporting period for the 2023-2024 influenza season is from October 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. Facilities are only required to submit one report that covers the entire reporting period. Materials pertaining to annual HCP influenza vaccination data reporting are organized under the “Annual” reporting headings on this webpage: HCP Flu Vaccination
Improve Flu Vaccine Rates
In collaboration with Health Equity Leads, Alliant has developed a comprehensive toolkit that discusses strategies and provides resources for improving influenza vaccination rates in nursing homes. It is available for download here: Increasing Influenza Vaccination Rates in Nursing Homes
Listen and Learn
Our podcasts offer clinical information that is relevant and timely. The new podcast area has features designed to be user-friendly that allow you to access the episodes whenever you want, wherever you want. You can sort by topic and download podcasts from any of the popular podcast services like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Visit our new website at csc.qsource.org! Download resources and view training sessions on improving resident safety and quality of life.
Want to keep up with the latest news, quality improvement projects, and resources from Qsource? If your facility has a new administrator and/or DON, please send us their name, title, email address, fax number, and phone number (if not the same as the facility's main number).
