Nursing Home Grant Program

CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) collects money—called Civil Money Penalty—from nursing homes that don't comply with federal requirements. CMS then gives that money to states. Under the Social Security Act of 1935, Civil Money Penalty funds must be used to protect the health or property of nursing home residents.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act gives CMS the authority to approve specific uses of Civil Money Penalty funds. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recommends to CMS projects for funding that:

• Protect the health and property of nursing home residents.
• Improve the facilities' operational efficiency (including cost efficiency).

In 2007, DHS revised Wisconsin Admin. Code ch. DHS 132 so it could form a Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee. The committee's purpose is to recommend funding. The committee meets to review proposals and recommend project funding to DHS and CMS. The DHS secretary appoints members. They represent a cross-section of people who work in long-term care.

Guidelines and application

Find Civil Money Penalty Guidelines and Application Information, including:

• Eligibility standards.
• Project criteria.
• Suggested proposal categories.

Approved grant projects

The Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) oversees approved projects by both the Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee and by DHS.

On this page, find details on nursing home grant projects, including:

• A brief description of each project.
• Final reports on completed projects.
• The amount awarded.
• The project status.

Resources developed through the grant program

Find resources developed through the grant program to increase staff knowledge and improve residents' quality of life. These resources can be used by all facilities and include:

• Training videos.
• Program manuals.
• Other educational material.