Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Worries Over Licensed Practical Nurses Omission From CMS Staffing Rules
Modern Healthcare: LPN Omission From CMS Staffing Mandate Causes Concern
LPNs, who make up about 13% of nursing home staff and as much as 75% of clinical staff at some facilities, were omitted in the proposal the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Sept. 1. The proposed mandate would require nursing homes to provide three hours of care per resident, per day, with 0.55 hours of care coming from registered nurses and 2.45 hours of care coming from certified nursing assistants. No mention is made of LPNs, who provide most of the hands-on care in skilled nursing facilities. Their absence in the proposed rule worries the industry, particularly given the overall staffing challenges in healthcare. (Eastabrook, 9/11)
Axios: Nursing Homes' Image Problems Persist After COVID: Poll
Most Americans say they wouldn't want to live in a nursing home — or for a relative to live in one — over concerns about care quality and cost, according a new Gallup survey. Why it matters: Nursing homes already had an image problem before they were hit hard by COVID-19, and the poll suggests they have more work to do to regain public trust. (Goldman, 9/12)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Telehealth Nursing Pilot At Jefferson Health Offers New Opportunities
The Jefferson pilot explored how telehealth could address a staffing challenge. Roughly 30% of direct care nursing positions in Pennsylvania hospitals are vacant, according to a 2022 survey by The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. As hospitals struggle to recruit and retain nurses, a major grievance cited by nurses is burnout due to having too many patients under their care. (Gutman, 9/11)
Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth-Amedisys Deal Moves Forward
Amedisys shareholders voted overwhelmingly Friday to approve UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion acquisition of the home health and hospice company. During a special meeting, Amedisys stockholders voted 25,069,466 in favor of the deal to 30,082 against it, according to a Security and Exchange Commission filing. Another 67,374 shareholders abstained. In a separate vote, shareholders approved compensation for Amedisys’ executive officers in connection with the acquisition. (Eastabrook, 9/11)
The Washington Post: His Tumor Needed To Be Checked For Cancer. A Hospital Lost It Before Testing
Jeremy Morton-Maxson sued the University of Washington, saying its hospital lost a tumor sample taken from his bladder before it could be checked for cancer. (Wu, 9/12)
KFF Health News: ‘Dr. Google’ Meets Its Match: Dr. ChatGPT
As a fourth-year ophthalmology resident at Emory University School of Medicine, Riley Lyons’ biggest responsibilities include triage: When a patient comes in with an eye-related complaint, Lyons must make an immediate assessment of its urgency. He often finds patients have already turned to “Dr. Google.” Online, Lyons said, they are likely to find that “any number of terrible things could be going on based on the symptoms that they’re experiencing.” (Leonard, 9/12)
