Briggs Program Improves Care In Nation's Nursing Homes
New Solutions for Facilities with Low Government Ratings
Des Moines, Iowa /PRNewswire/ -- Briggs, the company known for over 60 years as a trusted provider of documentation solutions to long term care facilities, today announced a unique program to improve the quality of care in the nation's 14,000 Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes.
Briggs' new 5-Star Rating Improvement Center was created in response to the five-star rating system implemented late last year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to give consumers a way to compare nursing homes against federal standards.
The Center addresses the needs of facilities who received lower ratings in the quality measures section of the CMS rating system. The Center helps under-achieving nursing homes improve resident care by matching products with specific problems in all ten quality measures including pain, pressure sores, aids to daily living, and immobility.
The 5-Star Rating Improvement Center matches products from the company's selection of more than 10,000 forms, medical products, and training materials directly with deficiencies cited in CMS surveys.
Briggs Clinical Consultant, Karen Merk, RN, B.S.,CRNAC said, "Every Briggs form and product reflects healthcare's best practices, and as such are valued by nursing homes for being up-to-date with current regulations. That's how we help nursing homes achieve their care goals."
Receiving a low five-star rating can result in a significant financial impact to a nursing home. "Not only is the care of loved ones at stake, but five-star also impacts the viability of many nursing homes and their employees," said Alan Yefsky, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Briggs.
The company estimates that a loss of even one resident could represent $75,000 in lost revenue to a skilled nursing facility. "We've heard that low ratings have impacted nursing home census levels and even resulted in administrators losing their jobs. It's critical that we help them improve," Yefsky added.
Under the CMS system, any nursing home that accepts Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for resident care is subject to reviews. The results are released to the public as ratings on a scale of one to five stars. A reported 50,000 consumers view the five-star ratings daily on the CMS website.
While rating standards and procedures have raised concerns in the nursing home industry, CMS designed the program to help nursing home residents and their families make meaningful decisions between high and low performing nursing homes. Almost 10,000 facilities have received a rating of one, two, or three stars out of a possible five.
Customers can access product recommendations and ask for clinical advice at www.BriggsCorp.com/FiveStar.
About Briggs
Briggs is a leading supplier to more than 50,000 healthcare customers in the senior care, home care, acute care, physician and retail markets. Briggs produces and distributes more than 10,000 products including proprietary medical forms and documentation systems, durable and disposable medical supplies, charting materials and professional resources. Backed by clinical experience and regulatory knowledge, the company develops and markets products that are designed to improve clinical outcomes and reduce operating costs. The company has extensive international production capabilities and serves customers in five continents. For more information about Briggs, visit www.BriggsCorp.com
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Copyright [2009] PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2009 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved