You Asked: During annual surveys, facilities continue to be asked to provide Ohio Department of Aging–specific quality improvement projects despite the rule change. What resources are available to help explain this update to surveyors?
We Answered: Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) has confirmed for LeadingAge Ohio that with the language changes made in Senate Bill 144, nursing homes no longer must choose a project listed on ODA’s Current Nursing Home Quality Improvement Projects webpage.
As of October 24, 2024, the Ohio Revised Code Biennial participation in quality improvement projects Section 3721.072 states each nursing home shall participate every two years in at least one of the quality improvement projects project, and in doing so, shall prioritize projects to assist with workforce, such as employee satisfaction surveys, enhanced recruitment methods, or workplace culture improvements. A nursing home may consider projects included on the list made available by the department of aging under the nursing home quality initiative established under section 173.60 of the Revised Code. ODA does provide a list of quality improvement resources on their Nursing Home Quality Improvement webpage.
LeadingAge Ohio encourages nursing homes to print the updated rules and include them at the front of the quality improvement project materials shared with surveyors. Additionally, LeadingAge Ohio continues to offer projects that meet this requirement and have been approved by the Ohio Department of Health, including reimbursement collaboratives held twice a year, with the next session scheduled to begin in July. The collaboratives can be found on the LeadingAge Ohio Learning Center. Top LeadingAge Ohio is pleased to announce Cara Wickham as the new Director of Home Health and Hospice.
Cara brings more than eight years of hospice leadership experience, hands-on involvement in a home health startup, and a strong commitment to advancing aging services across Ohio. She has a proven track record of working collaboratively across diverse healthcare team and building programs that elevate patient care while ensuring compliance and operational excellence. In addition to her hospice experience, Cara has a background in physical therapy in home health and nursing home environments. Cara is also a 2025 LeadingAge Ohio Leadership Academy graduate.
We are also deeply grateful to Lindsey Buzzard, who is generously supporting the transition as she moves fully into an exciting new opportunity as Chief Operations Officer at Alive Hospice in Tennessee. LeadingAge Ohio thanks Lindsey for her leadership, dedication, and continued support during this period of change.
Please join us in welcoming Cara to the LeadingAge Ohio team by emailing cwickham@leadingageohio.org. LeadingAge Ohio has launched the Leaders of Color and Allies Network, a new initiative connecting leaders across aging services organizations statewide. Inspired by the national model, the network welcomes leaders of color at every stage of their careers, along with allies committed to workplaces where all people are supported and valued.
The network will offer opportunities for professional growth, peer learning, and shared dialogue on issues shaping aging services. Attendees can learn more and connect with peers at this year’s Annual Conference. This effort reflects a clear focus: building leadership across Ohio’s nonprofit aging services community and ensuring organizations are equipped to serve people and communities with purpose.
To join this new LeadingAge network, please email Corey Markham, Director of Education and Business Development, at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org. Forty-three frontline care partners were recognized at the Central and Southeast Ohio STARS Awards luncheon hosted by Otterbein SeniorLife Granville, where colleagues and leaders gathered to honor the people delivering hands-on care and support to older Ohioans each day.
Special thanks to our host site, Otterbein Granville, for their hospitality, and administrator, Derik Kroeze, for providing the welcome remarks. Thank you as well to the staff and volunteers at Otterbein SeniorLife Granville for helping make honorees feel welcome and appreciated. The program also included remarks from Susan Wallace, president and CEO of LeadingAge Ohio, and Molly Homan, director of operations at LeadingAge Ohio. With two more STARS awards ceremonies still to come in Northeast and Northwest Ohio, we look forward to recognizing and celebrating more frontline care partners across the state.
See photos from the Central/Southeast event on our LinkedIn. Are you attending the Cincinnati-area regional networking event? Don’t forget about the pre-event tours hosted by Otterbein! Otterbein SeniorLife is offering attendees an optional pre-event tour of two communities prior to the networking festivities of live music and great food!
Participants may visit Otterbein Lebanon, featuring new FairWays Homes, the Gallery Apartment Building, and amenities such as the Great Wave Café Bistro, the renovated 1912 Restaurant with a hibachi grill, and the new Main Street. Attendees may also tour Otterbein Middletown, where the small-house model highlights a more intimate, person-centered living environment.
Tours depart from 3855 Lower Market Street in Lebanon at 2 p.m. for both tours or 3 p.m. for a single tour, with bus transportation provided.
Registration details are available through the tour registration link.
Register for the networking event here. The event is free for members. As part of LeadingAge Ohio’s collaboration with Hondros College of Nursing, members may attend Hondros Career Fairs at no charge. LeadingAge Ohio members also receive a discount on select Hondros nursing programs. Dates and locations are below:
Akron Campus — Tuesday, May 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Cincinnati / West Chester Campus — Tuesday, May 12, noon to 1:30 p.m., and Wednesday, May 13, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Cleveland / Independence Campus — Wednesday, May 20, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Columbus Campus — Thursday, May 14, 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Dayton Campus — Tuesday, May 19, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Thursday, May 21, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Toledo / Maumee Campus — Tuesday, May 26, noon to 5 p.m.
Learn more and RSVP here. There's always something happening at LeadingAge Ohio, view all upcoming events here and mark your calendar today!
- April 30, 12:30 p.m. - Central/Southeast STARS Awards
- May 5, 12:30 p.m. - Northeast STARS Awards
- May 5, 1 p.m. - BELTSS: Ethics in Practice
- May 7, 9 a.m. - Budget and Finance Committee
- May 7, 10 a.m. - Advocacy Committee
- May 7, 4 p.m. - Spring Regional Networking Gathering - Cincinnati
- May 8, 11 a.m. - Adult Day Subcommittee
- May 12, 1 p.m. - Membership Committee
- May 12, 4 p.m. - Spring Regional Networking Gathering - Toledo
- May 13, 4 p.m. - Survey Tips & Tactics: Medical Record Compliance
Top Ohio nursing facilities now have a new timeline for seeking Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program funding. According to the announcement, the Ohio Department of Medicaid will begin accepting Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program grant applications throughout the year starting April 20, 2026. Ohio said current priorities include technology projects, therapeutic devices with documented benefits, projects that demonstrate measurable resident outcomes, and training focused on developmental disabilities, severe mental illness, and career development. The announcement also calls for proposals for a virtual statewide Mental Health First Aid conference that would be made available to Ohio’s nursing facilities, with letters of support not required for that project.
Providers planning to apply should review the CMPRP Application Handbook, complete the CMS-approved Application Form, and submit the required Application Budget Spreadsheet with their materials. Ohio’s announcement states that letters of support are required from all participating nursing facilities unless the application is for the statewide conference, and applications sent by mail or fax will not be accepted. Applications and questions should be directed to the OH CMP-RP mailbox. The Ohio Department of Aging recently held its Aging Network Data Forum, a quarterly virtual series focused on data, analytics, and tools that support services for older Ohioans. The April session featured discussion of problem gambling among older adults, Ohio long-term care trends, and updates to the Long-Term Care Quality Navigator.
To join future forums, contact Age_PAE@age.ohio.gov.
CE Reporting Changes for Ohio Nurses
A rule change that became effective in March has changed the CE reporting requirements for nurses. The new reporting deadlines are as follows:
- RNs and APRNs: Nov 1, 2025 - June 30, 2027 (no longer October 31)
- LPNs: Changes begin in 2028 renewal cycle. Reporting period remains the same for 2026 of November 1, 2024 - October 31, 2026.
Top The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is promoting a new nursing home workforce incentive that could help recruit and retain licensed nurses in long-term care. On its Nursing Home Careers page, CMS says qualified registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and licensed vocational nurses may receive up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and up to $10,000 as an incentive stipend tied to a three-year commitment in a qualifying nursing home or state inspection agency. CMS also says nurses must hold an active license in good standing and work an average of 30 or more hours per week per quarter to qualify.
CMS says applications are expected to open in the coming months, not immediately, and is encouraging interested nurses to sign up for updates now. Additional program details, including eligibility and the application process, will be released as the program launch moves closer. For providers, the announcement is another sign that CMS continues to connect staffing policy with care quality in nursing homes. Enactment of HR 1 imposes an obligation on states who have expanded Medicaid to establish work reporting requirements for ongoing eligibility under the expansion category. As states establish policies to comply with the requirements, the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) released a brief providing considerations for states to establish policies that protect individuals who should be exempt from the reporting requirements because of medical frailty. The brief urges early adoption of policies and test communications, then rapid response techniques to improve both technologies and communications and screening materials. Strategies for reducing participant burden fall under 5 key recommendations to states:
- Implement user-friendly approaches to identifying medical frailty at initial enrollment
- Prioritize data sources based on access and impact
- Test and refine definitions of medical frailty to align with expected prevalence
- Minimize burden of manual documentation submission
- Develop parallel processes for implementation and testing
The reference material could support states more broadly than implementing medical frailty exemptions and offer thoughtful analytic approaches to policy evolution. The document is available here. The SNF data validation process assesses the accuracy of Minimum Data Set (MDS)-based quality measures used in the SNF Value Based Purchasing (VBP) and Quality Reporting Programs (QRPs). The SNF data validation process has been established in response to Section 1888(h)(12) of the Social Security Act that requires the Secretary to apply a data validation process to SNF VBP and QRP measures. In the SNF Prospective Payment System (PPS) fiscal year (FY) 2024 final rule (CMS1779-F) and FY 2025 final rule (CMS-1802-F), CMS specified that a data validation process for MDSbased measures would be implemented to ensure accurate quality data beginning with the FY 2027 program year/FY 2025 performance period.
Read the updated document here. Top Regulations at 42 CFR 488.331 require nursing facilities to be given an informal opportunity to dispute cited deficiencies upon the facility’s receipt of the official Form CMS-2567. In the April update to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services memo QSO-26-03-NH, CMS clarified key expectations for both facilities and State Agencies. Notably, once a facility submits a timely IDR request, the State must complete the process within 60 calendar days. The final IDR determination must clearly outline the result for each challenged deficiency and include a brief rationale supporting the decision.
CMS also outlines what is not appropriate for inclusion in the Informal Dispute Resolution (IDR) process. IDR is not intended to delay the imposition of remedies or to address broader concerns about the survey process. Specifically, IDR cannot be used to challenge:
- Scope and severity assessments of deficiencies with the exception of scope and severity assessments that constitute substandard quality of care or immediate jeopardy;
- Remedy(ies) imposed by the enforcing agency;
- Alleged failure of the survey team to comply with a requirement of the survey process;
- Alleged inconsistency of the survey team in citing deficiencies among facilities;
- Alleged inadequacy or inaccuracy of the informal dispute resolution process.
Additional details are outlined in the QSO-26-03-NH memo, and these clarifications will be incorporated into updates to the State Operations Manual, chapter 5 and chapter 7, which can be found on the CMS State Operations Manual webpage. Ohio nursing facilities should take a close look at their latest Five-Star preview reports in iQIES. CMS said the April 2026 preview reports became available April 22, and the public Nursing Home Care Compare refresh is scheduled for on or around April 29. That gives providers a narrow window to review ratings data before it appears publicly.
At the same time, CMS is reminding providers and vendors that PBJ fileSpecVersion 4.10.0 is now required for all submissions. Older versions are no longer accepted, and the updated standard enforces a 22.5-hour daily cap per employee ID. CMS also urged facilities to submit early ahead of the May 15 PBJ deadline so they have time to review validation reports and correct any errors. For Ohio nonprofit providers, this is an immediate operational check on both public reporting and staffing data accuracy. Top Hospice of Cincinnati has earned accreditation from the National Institute for Jewish Hospice, becoming the only hospice in Ohio to receive the designation. The recognition reflects the organization’s commitment to culturally competent end-of-life care and support for Jewish patients and families across the Cincinnati community. Hospice of Cincinnati staff completed the accreditation process after participating in the institute’s 40th Accreditation Conference and training patient-facing team members with resources provided through the program.
This milestone also adds Hospice of Cincinnati to the National Institute for Jewish Hospice referral database used by patients, families, and rabbis seeking care for Jewish individuals at the end of life. Established in 1977, Hospice of Cincinnati is the oldest and largest hospice in the Cincinnati region and operates as part of HOC Navigators, a nonprofit network of advanced illness, hospice, palliative care, grief support, and related services. As dementia rates rise across Ohio, providers are emphasizing the importance of empathy and caregiver support. Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice is helping lead that effort through an immersive training program designed to better understand the condition.
Dementia affects more than 220,000 older Ohioans, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The impact is especially significant in regions like the Mahoning Valley and extends to family caregivers, who often face high levels of stress and burnout.
To address this, Ohio Living offers Dementia Live, a hands-on simulation that allows participants to experience the sensory and cognitive challenges of dementia. The training has been shown to increase empathy, improve communication, and encourage more patient-centered care.
Open to professionals, families, and community members, the program reflects a growing recognition that building dementia-friendly communities requires broader awareness and understanding. Read the original reporting by the Youngstown Vindicator. Top LeadingAge Ohio holds valuable education webinars and in-person events throughout the year. Opportunities are added weekly. See the complete Schedule of Events. Top
|
