In September 2014, the White House developed a “National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria” that included enhancing antimicrobial stewardship in SN/LTCFs. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most frequently diagnosed...
Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) are centers that allow primary care to be delivered to veterans that are a long distance from a main Veterans Affairs (VA) campus. However, these CBOCs often do not have physicians who are trained in...
In the over 40 years since VA Home Base Primary Care Programs (HBPC) were created, the program has expanded to nearly 400 sites serving both urban and rural populations. Our objectives are to compare the current state characteristics, structure,...
Preventing infections and reducing antibiotics use in long term care facilities is a public health issue. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are often misdiagnosed and over treated with antibiotics. Expectations of patients and families can play a role...
Older U.S. Veterans in VA Community Living and Rehabilitation Center (CLC) have disproportionately higher rates of sarcopenia, dynapenia, and higher incidences of frailty which result in loss of functional mobility and increased risks of falls and...
Falls are a major source of morbidity for patients in skilled nursing facilities. Each year, a typical nursing home with 100 beds reports 100 to 200 falls, and the average number of fall is 2.6 falls per person per year in SNF. 10-20% of nursing...
As the US healthcare transitions to value-based payment models, hospital systems are collaborating with skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to integrate resources and reduce healthcare spending and hospital re-admission rates. Challenges in forming...
A “Memory Care” Project team came together in October 2014 to review current dementia care practices, identified the gaps and created a structured Memory Care Program. This program impacted 108 of NY city Health+Hospital/Coler Behavioral...
The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) sets a goal for nursing homes that residents should not receive an antipsychotic medication unless absolutely necessary. One commonly-cited number is that 15.5% of long-term nursing home residents...
Falls in frail elderly have been recognized by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a focus for research to reduce morbidity, mortality, and health care costs in this population. The CDC (2016), estimates the cost of falls and...
