CMS going public with facility turnover, weekend staffing data

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late Friday announced that it will begin posting nursing home staff turnover rates and weekend staffing levels on the consumer-facing Medicare Care Compare site this month.

The same information will then be incorporated into the public Five-Staring rating system in July. The moves intensify pressure on providers that are facing a historic workforce shortage with no clear end in sight.

“Staffing in nursing homes has a substantial impact on the quality of care and outcomes residents experience,” CMS said in a memo announcing its decision to add the turnover rates and weekend levels to staffing averages that have been included for a decade.

The additional information “further enhances the information available to consumers, residents, and families to help support their healthcare decisions and incentivizes quality improvement among nursing homes,” the agency said.