Survey-Ready, Every Day: A Playbook for SNF Administrators & DONs
Insights from: Lisa Thomson, BA, LNHA, HSE, CIMT, Chief Operating Officer, Pathway Health There’s nothing better than the quiet confidence a team feels when surveyors arrive. That confidence isn’t accidental—it’s built through clear habits, simple tools, and steady coaching. From my seat as a leader, survey readiness is less about “gearing up” and more about...
Navigating the Risks of the CMS Special Focus Facility Watchlist: A Call to Proactive Leadership
For nursing facility providers, few notifications carry the weight and consequence of being added to the CMS Special Focus Facility (SFF) Watchlist. It’s not merely a regulatory designation—it’s a public signal that a facility has persistently failed to meet federal standards of care. The implications are immediate, far-reaching, and often devastating. Understanding the SFF Watchlist...
Resources & Expertise to Meet Your Needs
As a professional management and consulting organization serving clients in the long-term care and post-acute care industry, Pathway Health stays up-to-date on the latest clinical, regulatory, quality, and reimbursement trends to keep our clients on the path to success. Our solutions serve multiple markets within this industry, providing facilities with the tools and resources they...
Impacted F-tags: F605 Right to Be Free from Chemical Restraints, F757 Drug Regimen is Free from Unnecessary Drugs, F841 Responsibilities of Medical Director, F758 Free from Unnecessary and Psychotropic Medications / PRN Use (was removed)
Today, we’re discussing important updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that will significantly impact nursing home operations. CMS has issued revisions to the Long-Term Care (LTC) surveyor guidance, detailed in memorandum QSO-25-14-NH, effective April 28, 2025. Among these updates, the changes related to chemical restraints and unnecessary psychotropic medication are particularly...
Admission, Transfer, Discharge Changes Effective April 28, 2025. F 620 – Admission Agreement
Today, we’re exploring important updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that will significantly impact nursing home operations. CMS has issued revisions to the Long-Term Care (LTC) surveyor guidance, detailed in memorandum QSO-25-14-NH, effective April 28, 2025 [1] [2]. Among these updates, the changes to admission, transfer, and discharge processes are particularly...
Changes to Accuracy/Coordination/Certification of Assessments in CMS’s Latest Revisions (QSO-25-14-NH)
Impacted F Tags: F641 Accuracy of Assessments, F658 Services Provided Meet Professional Standards, F 841 Responsibilities of Medical Director, F 642 Coordination/Certification of Assessment (REMOVED)Today, we’re diving into some impactful updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that are set to transform the landscape of nursing home care. CMS has rolled out...
Enhancing Quality and Oversight in Nursing Homes: CMS’s Latest Revisions (QSO-25-14-NH)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has recently rolled out significant updates to the Long-Term Care (LTC) surveyor guidance, aiming to elevate the quality and oversight of nursing home care. These changes, detailed in the memorandum QSO-25-14-NH, are set to take effect on April 28, 2025, and promise to bring a host of...
Leadership Insights: Preparing for Appendix PP and New Survey Guidance
Insights from Nancy Foss, RN, BSN – Director of Regulatory and Consulting Services, Pathway HealthThe beginning of 2025 continues to bring much change as well as a level of uncertainty for skilled nursing facilities nationwide. Some of the changes include quality measure changes and updates, communication changes with the new administration, updated surveyor guidance (Admin Info – 25-03-ALL and 25-06-NH)...
Resources to Navigate COVID-19 Vaccine Survey Requirements
On December 28, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued surveyor guidance on assessing long-term care facilities’ compliance with a federal mandate for healthcare worker COVID-19 vaccinations. Surveyor enforcement is to begin within 30 days. The guidance in this memorandum does not apply to states currently in litigation to be heard by...
CMS Interim Final Rule (IFC) Updates Available
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have released the memo, Interim Final Rule (IFC), CMS-3401-IFC, Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency related to Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Testing Requirements and Revised COVID19 Focused Survey Tool. Access it here>>