PHCA/CALM Responds to Dept. of Health Nursing Home Quality Improvement Task Force
HARRISBURG — Stuart H. Shapiro, M.D., CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association and the Center for Assisted Living Management (PHCA/CALM), today issued the following statement regarding the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s announcement that they are forming a Nursing Home Quality Improvement Task Force:
“We applaud the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Wolf Administration for forming the Pennsylvania Nursing Home Quality Improvement Task Force to advance quality improvement in long-term care facilities across Pennsylvania.
“Recent reports have questioned nursing home quality. Yet, by all measures, Pennsylvania’s skilled nursing centers continue to surpass major milestones.
“Pennsylvania nursing homes receive fewer deficiencies than the national average, and rank the lowest in the number of serious deficiencies per home, which means that the state’s nursing homes rank better than all other 49 states.i
“The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s official annual survey of each facility provides one of the best and most reliable measures of quality. Each nursing home is licensed and subject to unannounced inspections by the Department of Health at least once a year. These on-site surveys ensure centers are meeting strict regulatory guidelines for quality, operational integrity and staffing. Nursing homes are subject to intensive and thorough regulation and enforcement. In fact, nursing homes are second only to the nuclear industry in the number of state and federal regulations imposed to ensure quality and safety.
“With a focus on enhancing treatment services and improving the overall experience for residents, Pennsylvania skilled nursing facilities are continually improving in clinical outcomes, with reductions of urinary tract infections, pressure ulcers, use of antipsychotic medication, resident pain and more.
“From the fourth quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2014, Pennsylvania nursing homes improved on 10 of 11 CMS quality measures, and now rank better than the national average on 9 of the 11 CMS measures. We are proud that by the end of 2014, 471 homes were ranked three stars or higher, with 178 scoring four stars and 179 achieving the highest ranking at five stars. ii
“Despite chronic financial challenges fueled by reimbursement rates under the Medicaid program that fall $23 per day short of the true cost of care, Pennsylvania’s skilled nursing facilities continue to provide the highest level of care to the men and women who rely on our centers for their daily living needs, and comfort to the families who entrust us with their care.
“We applaud Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Karen Murphy for assembling a task force of state and national experts, and look forward to working with the Department and the Task Force to ensure that Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens continue to receive the highest level of quality care.”
