Dobson | DaVanzo recently conducted a study commissioned by the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN) to determine the impact of specialty nursing certifications for nursing staff on Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) quality and financial outcomes. 

Dobson | DaVanzo analyzed several factors, including Quality Measure (QM) Scores, CMS Star Ratings, Facility Capacity (Census), Civil Monetary Penalties, Denied Claims, profit margins, Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) multipliers, and staff turnover. Our team utilized a triangulated approach involving a literature review, qualitative semi-structured interviews, and quantitative data analysis spanning 2022 through 2024 from four data sources: AAPACN-provided certification data, Medicare FFS SNF claims data, Medicare cost report data, and publicly available provider data. 

We found that AAPACN specialty nursing certifications among staff are associated with positive quality and financial indicators for the SNF. These results confirm the economic and quality of care benefits that AAPACN certification provides to facilities and the patients they serve.