|
Top You Asked: Are nursing homes required to complete an annual infrared scanning of electrical panels (per the 2023 NFPA 70B)?
We Answered: No. At this time, CMS has not adopted the newer 2023 editions of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Nursing homes are currently surveyed under the 2012 version of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 101 Life Safety Code (LSC), and NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code, which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has adopted.
While infrared (thermographic) scanning of electrical panels was recommended in earlier guidance, it did not become a more formalized requirement until the 2023 edition of NFPA 70B. Because CMS has not adopted this newer standard, facilities are not required to perform annual infrared scanning for compliance with federal regulations.
Facilities may choose to implement infrared scanning as a best practice for preventive maintenance and risk reduction, but it is not currently a survey requirement. This could change in the future if CMS adopts updated NFPA standards. Additional guidance is available in the newly updated Preventative Maintenance Manual for Long-term Care Facilities 2026. Top LeadingAge Ohio’s Technology Network continues to bring members together for practical, peer-driven learning led by IT professionals from member organizations. Open to all members—not just technology staff—the network is designed to make complex topics approachable and relevant across roles and settings.
The next session, April 8 at 9:30 a.m., will focus on responsible AI use, including sustainability, ethical considerations, governance, and cybersecurity. Participants will hear directly from peers navigating these issues in real time, with discussion grounded in day-to-day operations and mission-driven care. LeadingAge Ohio has released its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting a year of the association’s work on behalf of 346 mission-driven members. The report outlines several major accomplishments, including fighting for members with the Medicaid lawsuit, successfully pushing to overturn the federal staffing mandate, successful state budget advocacy, expanded educational offerings, new networking opportunities, and increased member engagement.
Members and partners can explore additional highlights, leadership updates, and program impact in the 2025 LeadingAge Ohio Annual Report. LeadingAge Ohio members are invited to gather on March 25 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Due Amici in downtown Columbus for the 2026 Legislative Reception and Political Action Committee (PAC) Fundraiser. The evening reception offers members the opportunity to connect directly with legislators of the Ohio General Assembly and have conversations grounded in real-world experience to help ensure legislators understand the impact of their decisions on mission-driven aging services across the state.
Find full event details and registration information here. LeadingAge Ohio’s Regional Network Gatherings return this spring, offering members the opportunity to connect with peers from across the state. These in-person gatherings center on conversation and relationship-building among mission-driven aging services organizations.
Join us at one of the networking events from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.:
Thank you to Platinum Partner Link-age Solutions for their continued sponsorship of the Regional Network Gatherings!
Attendance is free for LeadingAge Ohio member communities. Associate firms and partners are welcome to attend for a fee. Contact Corey Markham at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org for details. There's always something happening at LeadingAge Ohio, view all upcoming events here and mark your calendar today!
- March 25, 5 p.m. - 2026 Legislative Reception and PAC Fundraiser
- March 26, 1 p.m. - End-of-Life Nutrition hosted by LeadingAge South Dakota
- March 27, 10 a.m. - Marketing Roundtable hosted by LeadingAge Indiana
- April 2, 10 a.m. - Advocacy Committee
- April 7, 9 a.m. - Southwest STARS Awards
- April 8, 9:30 a.m. - Technology Network Meeting: AI Risk and Governance
- April 8, 11 a.m. - Survey Tips & Tactics: Medication Storage, Labeling, & Controlled Substance Oversight
- April 8, 12:30 p.m. - New LeadingAge Ohio Program + Instrumentl Information
- April 14, 4 p.m. - Cleveland Spring Regional Networking Event
- April 15, 2 p.m. - Home Health and Hospice Subcommittee
- April 16, 2:30 p.m. - Survey Success Collaborative: Building Strong Foundations for 5-Star Outcomes
Top LeadingAge is offering a second interactive workshop to help members test and apply generative artificial intelligence in real time, with a focus on how these tools can be used thoughtfully in day-to-day operations. Designed for leaders across aging services, the session provides hands-on experience and is limited to 36 participants. Learn more and register for the workshop.
At the same time, LeadingAge is engaging federal policymakers on AI use in clinical care. In response to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services request for information, the association emphasized the need for support, appropriate incentives, and human oversight of AI-generated outputs as adoption expands. Read more here. Top Ohio nursing homes are still waiting on owed quality incentive payments, even as new state and federal policy changes add pressure to an already strained system, according to an article yesterday in Skilled Nursing News. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of providers last year, but the Ohio Department of Medicaid has yet to finalize recalculations—leaving both the total owed and payment timeline unclear. As LeadingAge Ohio President and CEO Susan Wallace noted, the situation is unprecedented: “This has not happened in Ohio before,” she said, pointing to the rare combination of delayed payments and shifting reimbursement policy.
Wallace also underscored the broader financial stakes. With House Bill 184 halting further accumulation of underpayments and changing how future rates are calculated, providers are now operating at a loss—about $60 per Medicaid resident per day—while preparing for additional federal Medicaid changes. “We’re now starting next year’s budget process farther behind,” she said, warning that the landscape could become “considerably more complicated” as new federal policies take hold.
Read the full article from Skilled Nursing News. Top On March 17, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations convened a hearing focusing on fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. Kimberly Brandt, Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), was the only witness during the hearing. Deputy Administrator Brandt has more than 20 years’ experience working in multiple roles within CMS, the Senate Finance Committee, and private industry with a deep focus on program integrity policy and operations. Throughout her testimony and in questioning, Deputy Administrator Brandt focused on some key themes:
- The current role of CMS and its use of technology to transition CMS from a 'pay and chase' model of fraud prosecution to 'stop and cop' before fraudulent players are paid. She talked about how artificial intelligence is really helpful in putting edits into the claims system to stop money from going out the door.
- The collaborative work that CMS is doing with states and law enforcement to do targeted, effective fraud enforcement. To that end, CMS is working to create a 50-state program integrity playbook to share best practices across states.
- The value of boots on the ground and education as valuable tools in preventing fraud.
Fraud in home health and, particularly, fraud in hospice came up repeatedly across multiple lines of questioning from Republican members of Congress. Deputy Administrator Brandt talked a lot about what CMS has been doing about hospice fraud, including site visits and revocations. Democrats focused on the firings of Inspectors General, the disallowance and deferral of Medicaid funds in Minnesota, and their view that this work is politically targeted at states with blue governors. Deputy Administrator Brandt emphasized CMS' processes and noted that Florida had gotten a letter similar to letters sent to a number of blue states (the Florida letter is attached to the nightly update). The hearing memo provided by Committee's majority staff with background information, key themes, and questions can be found here. Individuals interested in viewing the hearing can do so here. The Trump administration on March 11, 2026, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in ongoing litigation over the termination of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a move that could affect members of the aging services workforce. Many providers rely on TPS holders in essential roles across care settings, making the outcome of this case closely watched. Five days after the administration’s request, the Supreme Court announced that it will hear the case.
At the same time, advocacy efforts to preserve TPS protections are gaining traction in Congress. LeadingAge is continuing to monitor developments and elevate the workforce implications for nonprofit providers. Follow updates in the serial post. Top The long-term care survey process instructs surveyors to evaluate compliance with §483.45(c) Drug Regimen Review (F756), particularly focusing on how facilities respond to pharmacist-identified irregularities. During the monthly review, the consultant pharmacist must identify and report any irregularities. These findings must be documented in a separate, written report (paper or electronic) that includes, at a minimum, the resident’s name, the medication involved, and the nature of the irregularity. This report must be provided to the attending physician, medical director, and director of nursing, and the pharmacist must also document when no irregularities are identified with a signed and dated statement.
Facilities are expected to ensure that identified irregularities are acted upon. The attending physician must document in the resident’s medical record that the irregularity was reviewed and what action, if any, was taken. If the physician determines no change is necessary, the rationale must be clearly documented in the medical record. Surveyors frequently cite facilities when pharmacist recommendations are present but lack evidence of physician review or response.
Timeliness is also a key area of focus. The urgency of reporting depends on the potential for serious adverse outcomes. For example, immediate notification is expected for issues such as bleeding in a resident receiving anticoagulants or a suspected allergic reaction. Additionally, facilities must develop and maintain policies and procedures for the drug regimen review process, including defined timeframes and steps to be taken when irregularities are identified. The pharmacist’s findings are considered part of the resident’s medical record and must be readily accessible. The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has announced a change to how nursing homes access survey documents and has provided detailed instructions to support this transition. Moving forward, facilities will receive their Form CMS-2567 and notice letters within the NH Certification profile in EIDC, rather than the licensure profile.
Facilities will continue to receive email notification when survey documents are available. These emails will come from LicCert@odh.ohio.gov, so be sure this address is not blocked. The Event ID included in the subject line is the key identifier facilities should reference.
Example subject line:
Survey: [Event ID] – General Communications [Provider ID – Provider Name]
Survey documents can be accessed under the POC Documentation tab within EIDC.
Note: The Communications tab, which facilities have traditionally used to locate notice letters, is no longer the location for these documents under this updated process.
ODH also encourages facilities to have all required information prepared in advance when completing their plan of correction, as the system may time out if entries are not completed promptly.
Facilities with an open survey plan of correction (POC) must continue to complete all required actions under the current Event ID within the licensure profile. This applies until the existing survey cycle is fully closed.
ODH has acknowledged that facilities may experience challenges during this transition. Providers encountering issues with accessing documents or receiving confirmation of plan of correction (POC) acceptance are encouraged to reach out to LeadingAge Ohio at sdewees@leadingageohio.org for assistance. Top While unlikely, life plan community (LPC) bankruptcies can happen–and lessons can be learned from them. LeadingAge’s comprehensive, three-part webinar—a replay of live events from late 2025 and early 2026—draws on real-world case studies to clarify how LPC bankruptcies happen and offers actionable insights to help providers build greater stability going forward. Access the replay here. Top Otterbein SeniorLife has expanded its Universal Hospice services into Franklin and Licking counties, extending access to compassionate, person-centered end-of-life care across the greater Columbus region. The expansion reflects Otterbein’s continued commitment to serving older adults and families with comfort, dignity, and support wherever they call home.
With hospice services now reaching 25 counties statewide and a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Otterbein continues to set a strong standard for quality and mission-driven care. Congratulations to the Otterbein team on this meaningful growth. Read more in the original announcement from Otterbein Universal Hospice. Top LeadingAge Ohio holds valuable education webinars and in-person events throughout the year. Opportunities are added weekly. See the complete Schedule of Events. In response to long-standing concerns from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and other stakeholders about the unnecessary use of antipsychotic medications and potential for underreporting via the MDS dataset, CMS has revised (in effect January 1, 2026) how it calculates the long-stay antipsychotic use quality measure for nursing homes.
The new 'hybrid' calculation incorporates Medicare and Medicaid claims data to validate and augment reported usage rates from the MDS dataset collection process. Review this HealthDirect Pharmacy Services, a LeadingAge Ohio Partner, “Did You Know?” article on the updated quality measure that provides actionable details on how to audit and improve your antipsychotic usage rates, as reflected by the new quality measure methods. CMS is reportedly reviewing this policy with the goal of supporting clinically indicated use while continuing to discourage inappropriate prescribing. Top Assisted living communities are less likely than nursing homes to offer vaccination programs beyond influenza and COVID-19—and more likely to report hospital transfers for vaccine-preventable illnesses—according to new research from Miami University’s Scripps Gerontology Center. The Ohio-based study found lower coverage for vaccines such as shingles, Tdap, RSV, pneumococcal, and hepatitis B in assisted living, alongside higher reported hospitalization risk across all conditions studied.
Researchers point to structural differences, including fewer clinical resources, staffing challenges, and payment complexity, as contributing factors. The findings suggest that expanding vaccination programs, strengthening staff education, and addressing access barriers could reduce hospitalizations and improve outbreak prevention in assisted living settings. Read more in the original article in Mcknight’s. Top
|
