CMS Makes Available Toolkits for Nursing Homes and Provides Updates on Phase 3 Requirements

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has made available three toolkits designed to help nursing home teams in their quality improvement efforts. The initiative, the Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program (CMPRP), is primarily focused on dementia care and improving staffing quality in nursing homes throughout the country. The toolkits are as follows:

1. Nursing Home Staff Competency Assessment: This toolkit is a self-assessment tool to evaluate the behavioral and technical competencies of frontline and management staff.
2. Nursing Home Employee Satisfaction Survey: This management workforce assessment focuses on staff satisfaction and the impact on turnover, recruitment and productivity, management and leadership training, as well as engagement and team building.
3. Guide to Improving Nursing Home Employee Satisfaction: This tool connects facilities to evidence-based resources to help them address opportunities for improvement identified through the use of the employee satisfaction survey. 

CMS has also issued QSO-20-03-NH, informing providers that Phase 3 guidance will not be issued until the second quarter of 2020. The document also provides information on actions to improve infection prevention and control in facilities, including a self-assessment tool. 

Contact: Elliott Frost, efrost@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8832