Litigation Support

Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) have long been a favorite target of aggressive plaintiff attorneys. Exemplary clinical practice (and meticulous documentation) is always the best defense, but this qualitative measure remains subject to interpretation by third-party medical professionals, and uninformed attorneys. The vast reservoir of public data about SNF is easy to misunderstand and commonly manipulated to support one opinion over another.

The Five-Star Quality Rating System, and each of its component scores, is a perfect example of widely available data that is poorly understood. Inappropriate statements around “staffing expectations” are often used to support allegations about care outcomes. However deep understanding of this system and advanced analytics often tell a very different story.

“Deliberate (i.e. profit-driven), facility-wide understaffing negatively impacted overall patient care, thus resulting in specific injury.”

Sound familiar? This argument uses SNF’s publicly reported data, coupled with misinterpretations of Five-Star and past staffing studies to support erroneous conclusions.

Deep insights into public data and Medicaid cost reports – along with extensive clinical and operational SNF experience and advanced analytics – enables Zimmet Healthcare Services Group a unique perspective with a proven track record in the defense of SNF. Our team is available to provide expert analysis and testimony.