TRANSPARENCY – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Staffing information format

The website's format for facility-specific staffing data must include -

• concise explanations of how to interpret the data (such as a plain English explanation of data reflecting "nursing home staff hours per resident day");
  
  
• differences in types of staff (such as training associated with different categories of staff);
  
  
• the relationship between nurse staffing levels and quality of care; and
  
  
• an explanation that appropriate staffing levels vary based on patient case mix.

Focus facility program

The new health reform law creates a new "Special Focus Facility Program," under which facilities identified as having a poor compliance history or that have substantially failed to meet applicable statutory requirements will be surveyed at least once every six months (the usual requirement is for a survey at least once a year.