Long Term Living March 2012 : Page 4

EdITORIAL Lessons from a five-star SNF by Patricia sheehan, Editor-in-Chief CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jane Butler EXECUTIVE VICE PREsIdEnT Mark Fried EXECUTIVE gROUP PUBLIsHER Michael O’Donnell dIRECTOR OF CORPORATE EdITORIAL InITIATIVEs Charlene Marietti CORPORATE MARKETIng dIRECTOR Daniel Timoney PUBLIsHER Cecily Andrews CHIEF FInAnCIAL OFFICER Mike Muller T alk with several different nursing home administrators and you’re likely to get several different opinions on the Centers for Medi-care & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Five-Star Quality Rating System. Despite what critics consider a flawed survey system, those SNFs that score highly are doing something right. U.S. News & World Report recently released its an-nual Best Nursing Home Ratings, based on the CMS system. I spoke with the CEO/administrator of one of the top performers, Sister Jacquelyn McCarthy, CSJ, of Bethany Health Care Center, Framingham, Mass. I asked McCarthy how her 101-bed nonprofit has managed to attain the achievement not once—but three times. It’s all about the staff, she insists. “They deserve the accolades. First off, we have ongoing staff development, adequate staffing and we make it a priority,” McCarthy says. “We do the same thing every single day to the best of our ability. Our philoso-phy is if you do your best every day, you will be successful. I think that has been the secret to our success.” McCarthy and her team face the same challenges other providers face, number one on her list being reimbursement. She’s also gearing up for ACOs (accountable care organizations). “We’re working closely with our local hospital. We have a zero percent rehospitalization rate,” she notes proudly. “We attribute that to having a physician who comes every day and visits those who need to be seen. Because of that we’re re-ally ahead of the curve.” As for the ratings process itself, “It’s based on very objective criteria so it’s hard to dispute,” McCarthy says. “Either you get a good survey or you don’t. Either you have enough staff or you don’t.” McCarthy’s matter-of-fact assessment of the ratings process belies the determina-tion and dedication her team must possess during these very challenging times for the LTC industry. Just do your best every single day. Simple words to live by—and succeed. Charlotte Eliopoulos, RN, MPH, PhD Executive Director, American Association for Long Term Care Nursing, Cincinnati, Ohio EdITORIAL dEPARTMEnT Editor-in-Chief Patricia Sheehan Executive Editor Sandra Hoban Editor Kevin Kolus Contributing Editor Richard L. Peck ART dEPARTMEnT Art Director Eric E. Collander Associate Art Director Rebecca DeNeau Graphic Designers Suzanne Quintero, Dana Shelton PROdUCTIOn And WEB dEVELOPMEnT Director of Production Kathi Homenick Traffic Manager Judi Zeng Please send IOs to adtraffic@vendomegrp.com All ad materials should be sent electronically to: https://vendome.sendmyad.com Web Developers Mark Lindberg, John Vest sALEs dEPARTMEnT Publisher Cecily Andrews Phone 216-373-1227 • Fax 917-591-8337 e-mail: candrews@ltlmagazine.com National Sales Manager–Northeast Ann M. Presley Phone 216-373-1213 • Fax 216-394-0003 e-mail: apresley@vendomegrp.com Southern States Holton Enterprises Phone 407-971-6286 • 407-971-8558 • Fax 407-971-8598 e-mail: bholton@cfl.rr.com Manager, Healthcare Directories Elana Ben-Tor Phone 216-373-1202 • Fax 216-394-0003 e-mail: ebentor@vendomegrp.com MARKETIng And CIRCULATIOn Rachel Beneventi • e-mail: rbeneventi@vendomegrp.com ARTICLE REPRInTs For custom reprints, permissions, or logo licensing, please contact Erin Tyler, 216-373-1217, etyler@vendomegrp.com. REUsE PERMIssIOn Copyright Clearance Center Phone 978-750-8400 • Fax: 978-646-8600 e-mail: info@copyright.com • Web: www.copyright.com CUsTOMER sERVICE Phone 847-763-9291 • LongTermLiving@halldata.com LONG-TERM LIVING MAgAZInE OnLInE: www.ltlmagazine.com 2012 EdITORIAL AdVIsORy BOARd Majd Alwan, PhD Vice President, LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST), Washington, D.C. Leah Klusch, RN, BSN, FACHCA Executive Director, Alliance Training Center, Alliance, Ohio Margaret P. Calkins, PhD, CAPS, EDAC President, I.D.E.A.S., Inc., Kirtland, Ohio Diane L. Krasner, PhD, RN, CWCN, CWS, MAPWCA, FAAN WOCN/Special Projects Nurse, Rest Haven–York, Pa. William V. Day President, St. Barnabas Health System, Gibsonia, Pa. Robert N. Mayer, PhD President, Hulda B. and Maurice L. Rothschild Foundation, Chicago John F. Derr, RPh Health Information Technology Strategy consultant to Golden Living, Plano, Texas Eli Pick President, Post Acute Innovations, Elmhurst, Ill. Tim Dressman Executive Director, St. Leonard Franciscan Community, Centerville, Ohio Judah L. Ronch, PhD Dean of and Professor at the Erickson School, University of Maryland Baltimore County WWW.LTLMAGAZINE.COM 4 • MARCH 2012

Editorial

Patricia Sheehan

Lessons from a five-star SNF Talk with several different nursing home administrators and you’re likely to get several different opinions on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Five-Star Quality Rating System. Despite what critics consider a flawed survey system, those SNFs that score highly are doing something right. U.S. News & World Report recently released its annual Best Nursing Home Ratings, based on the CMS system. I spoke with the CEO/administrator of one of the top performers, Sister Jacquelyn McCarthy, CSJ, of Bethany Health Care Center, Framingham, Mass. I asked McCarthy how her 101-bed nonprofit has managed to attain the achievement not once—but three times. It’s all about the staff, she insists. “They deserve the accolades. First off, we have ongoing staff development, adequate staffing and we make it a priority,” McCarthy says. “We do the same thing every single day to the best of our ability. Our philosophy is if you do your best every day, you will be successful. I think that has been the secret to our success.” McCarthy and her team face the same challenges other providers face, number one on her list being reimbursement. She’s also gearing up for ACOs (accountable care organizations). “We’re working closely with our local hospital. We have a zero percent rehospitalization rate,” she notes proudly. “We attribute that to having a physician who comes every day and visits those who need to be seen. Because of that we’re really ahead of the curve.” As for the ratings process itself, “It’s based on very objective criteria so it’s hard to dispute,” McCarthy says. “Either you get a good survey or you don’t. Either you have enough staff or you don’t.” McCarthy’s matter-of-fact assessment of the ratings process belies the determination and dedication her team must possess during these very challenging times for the LTC industry. Just do your best every single day. Simple words to live by—and succeed.

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