September 17, 2025

Join the CDC for Open Office Hours

 AL   SNF  | Join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Project Firstline, along with the National Infection Prevention Forum (NIPF) for monthly Open Office Hours on 9/23/2025. Submit questions in advance here by September 18th for consideration. 
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Illuminate the Journey: LTC Providers Connect in Spokane

 AL   SNF  | Last week, Washington Health Care Association was proud to welcome nearly 400 providers and associate business partners from Washington and Idaho to Spokane for the 2025 WHCA+IHCA Fall Conference.
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CMS Revises Two Memos Regarding Updates to Nursing Home Care Compare & Five Star

 SNF  | The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released two revised memos pertaining to the Five Star Quality Rating System and Nursing Home Care Compare.
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AHCA/NCAL Webinar: Intro to the Quality Award Journey

 AL   SNF  | AHCA/NCAL is hosting a webinar on the National Quality Award Program, with a focus on helping first-time applicants understand the structure and purpose of the program.
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Home Care Aide Certification Program Performance Audit Commences

 AL  | On September 15, WHCA representatives, including Vicki McNealley and Lauri St. Ours met with the Washington State Auditor's Office (SAO) to discuss the upcoming performance audit for home care aide certification requirements.
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CMS Releases the FY26 Mission and Priority Document

 SNF  | The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Mission and Priority Document (MPD), which is issued annually to direct and prioritize the agency’s work for the year.
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Key Resources for the SNF QRP are Now Available

 SNF  | ​The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) posted several key resources for the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) for the FY 2027 and FY 2028 program years. 
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New Resource to Navigate Changes to Coding Falls on the MDS

 SNF  | The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the RAI Manual v1.20.1 effective October 1, 2025. This update includes significant changes to the definitions and coding guidance related to falls in J1700, J1800, and J1900C. 
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CDC Publishes 2025-2026 US Flu Vaccination Recommendations

 AL   SNF  | The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control recently released the 2025-2026 influenza vaccine recommendations in its Morbidity and Mortality Week Report (MMWR). Routine annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months without a contraindication.
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Grassroots Update: Legislator Tours Focus on Human Stories

At the WHCA Fall Conference, Government Relations Coordinator Aidan Swayne connected with company leaders and is now turning attention to upcoming legislator tours. These visits...
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