Giving Compass' Take:

• The Center for Medicare & Medicaid launched a comprehensive review of the quality of nursing homes. The author explores the areas the review will focus on, including transparency.

• One issue mentioned is an abundance of paperwork. Are there tech solutions that could remedy this issue and be supported by donors?

• Read about human services' critical part to play in improving healthcare. 


The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched a review of regulations and processes governing safety and quality of care in the nation's nursing homes, Administrator Seema Verma said.

"While we support and promote the private sector's critical role in our healthcare system, CMS' duty to monitor the safety of the nation's hospitals, nursing homes, and other providers, is a unique governmental task which lies at the core of government's role in healthcare," Verma said in a media release.

Verma said the review will focus on five areas:

  1. Strengthen Oversight: CMS will work with state survey agencies to oversee nursing homes.
  2. Enhance Enforcement: "We're strengthening our enforcement policies to hold nursing homes accountable for the care they provide.
  3. Increase Transparency: We're constantly working to make sure the information on Nursing Home Compare is as accurate and informative as possible.
  4. Improve Quality: CMS is developing quality measures that score providers based on patient outcomes, not adherence to processes, Verma said.
  5. Put Patients Over Paperwork: When administrative burden increases with little or no benefit, patients suffer because mountains of unnecessary paperwork keep providers from patients.

Read the full article about review of nursing homes by John Commins at HealthLeaders Media.