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3 minute read
What is Oregon SB714 and what is the Acuity-Based Staffing Tool requirement?
Oregon Senate Bill 714 is an Oregon law that mandates that Oregon-based Assisted living communities use an Acuity-Based Staffing Tool, or ABST. SB714 was signed into law in 2021, and Oregon's Department of Human Services (ODHS) has recently begun enforcing the requirement.
The purpose of the law is to ensure that staffing levels in residential care, assisted living, and memory care facilities align with resident needs rather than simple headcount. Under this law, all licensed facilities are required to take one of two actions:
- Use the Acuity-Based Staffing Tool (ABST) provided by ODHS; or
- Use a third-party ABST that has been approved by ODHS
What does it look like to use the ODHS-provided ABST? How often do I have to update it?
For operators that choose to use the state-provided tool, the ABST has to be maintained and updated every time a resident is admitted, during every change of condition, and then at least quarterly. The state can review the ABST at any time and for any time period they want.
Using the state-provided ABST is highly manual and can take a few hours each time it is submitted. Most communities manually enter scheduled times into an Excel spreadsheet and then manually type them into forms provided by ODHS that typically look like this:
What are the advantages of using ECP vs the state-provided ABST?
The state-provided ABST is highly manual. It can take hours to manually update, in both Excel and with manual copying of numbers, every time a resident is assessed, a change of condition occurs, and on a quarterly basis.
ECP’s ABST workflow is automatic - if you are approved by ODHS to use ECP as a proprietary tool to meet the ABST requirement, ECP will automatically generate the required data for you as you complete your resident assessments, seamlessly incorporating compliance into your existing workflows. You will be able to show the surveyor the reporting generated by ECP and use it to comply with the regulation.
How does ECP’s ABST work? What does it look like?
The data used to determine the acuity-based staffing needs of each community is gathered by assessing each resident and identifying the minutes required to provide care across 22 care elements defined by ODHS. The data is then compiled to provide details on:
- Typical Care Time per Individual Element
- Staffing Hours per Shift
These reports allow regulators to verify that staffing decisions are based on acuity levels, ensuring adequate caregiver availability and a higher standard of individualized care.
What steps will I need to take to use ECP as my ABST?
Your community will need to:
- Complete the ODHS approval process to use a proprietary ABST tool by completing the “Proprietary Acuity-Based Staffing Tool (ABST) ODHS Review Request” form.
- Once complete, submit the form via email to ODHS at CBC.ABST@odhs.oregon.gov.
- Post-approval, communities must develop and maintain an ABST summary statement as outlined in the Review Request form.
- Log the 22 care elements defined by ODHS and assess each resident’s unique needs in these care areas. For existing ECP customers, please contact your Customer Success Manager for help setting this up. For new customers, we can help you set up ECP to log these elements during implementation.
How else does ECP support Oregon communities?
ECP has worked with assisted living communities in Oregon for over a decade. Today, ECP is one of the largest providers of software to assisted living communities in Oregon and throughout the country. ECP works with more than 7,500 communities nationally, including more than 70 residential care, assisted living, and memory care facilities licensed by the state of Oregon.
In addition to the ABST requirement, ECP contains pre-built templates for all of the state-required forms and documents in Oregon:
- Resident Evaluation
- Suspected Abuse or Unexplained Injury Reporting Form
- Individual Consent to HCBS Limitation(s)
- AFH – Screening / Assessment and General Information
- Safe Smoking Assessment
If you have any questions about SB714, or how ECP can help you stay compliant, please reach out to us at compliance@ecp123.com. For questions about ABST requirements in general, approval of a proprietary tool, or other related concerns, you can reach out to the Oregon Department of Human Services ABST team at CBC.ABST@odhs.oregon.gov or visit the FAQ document or provider guide.
If you’re not currently using a technology solution, reach out to our sales team at sales@ecp123.com to schedule a demo. If your community is already using ECP’s EHR, the next step is to complete the “Proprietary Acuity-Based Staffing Tool (ABST) ODHS Review Request” form. If you have implemented an EHR that is not working towards compliance with SB714, you should consider switching to an alternative EHR.
Note - The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. ECP makes no warranties as to the accuracy of this content and does not commit to updating it as regulations change. Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal or compliance matter.
