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Senate committee backs bill codifying LDH’s Ascend nursing-facility quality initiative
Summary
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee adopted an amendment that turns LDH’s Ascend quality initiative into statutory guidance for a statewide nursing facility oversight program (SB 405), and reported the bill as amended after LDH and industry supporters said the changes align with existing improvement efforts.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee on May 6 adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 405 that would require the Louisiana Department of Health to develop a statewide quality oversight initiative for nursing facilities, and reported the bill as amended to the full Senate.
Under the amendment lawmakers described as the "meat of the bill," the department would pursue short-term goals to stabilize facility performance by identifying gaps, deploying targeted incentives and aligning interventions with the most pressing quality risks; longer-term goals would create a coordinated statewide oversight system focused on continuous improvement. The amendment also directs the Office of Aging and Adult Services within LDH to identify internal subject-matter experts, use data dashboards and public-facing tools, and submit an initial report to the Senate and House health committees on Jan. 1, 2028, and annually thereafter.
Monique Cross, chief of staff for the Louisiana Department of Health, told the committee: "The department is certainly committed to this effort, under the leadership of Secretary Greenstein," and said LDH has collaborated with nursing homes and stakeholders on quality initiatives. "This is about providing better care to all residents of the state of Louisiana and making sure we have quality healthcare provided to all," Cross said.
Wes Hathaway of the Louisiana Nursing Home Association told the committee his organization supports the bill and its emphasis on quality improvement. "I can tell you unequivocally that under the leadership of Teddy Price, our board president, we at LNHA have adopted quality improvement as a way of life," Hathaway said, describing recent quality recognition for facilities in the state.
Senators discussed process motions required to substitute and re-adopt prior amendment sets; the committee adopted amendment set 3246 and then reported SB 405 as amended by voice vote ("seeing none, that has been reported as amended"). The bill text explicitly authorizes LDH to use tools such as resident and family satisfaction surveys, staff training plans, and participation in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services nursing home staffing campaign.
Committee members asked LDH to continue outreach to all senators and stakeholders as the department rolls out the initiative. The committee did not record a roll-call vote; the bill moves forward to the Senate floor with the adopted amendment.
