Improving the Quality of Care in Nursing Homes Act of 2010

Improving the Quality of Care in Nursing Homes Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to conduct a study on nursing homes, including: (1) the current structure and methods for surveying and evaluating nursing homes; (2) the nature of the relationship between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and nursing homes and how it affects efforts to improve quality; (3) the relationship between CMS and state agencies; (4) the methodology used by CMS to survey and evaluate nursing homes; (5) an evaluation of how the states and the District of Columbia implement federal requirements and the resulting variations and differences; (6) the objectivity and accuracy of the survey process and criteria used to assess nursing homes; (7) the effectiveness of the current enforcement system in promoting and encouraging systemic organizational change leading to measurable and sustained quality improvement within the nursing home; and (8) alternatives to the current system. Requires the Institute to report to the Secretary and Congress on the study results and recommendations regarding changes in regulatory policies and procedures to enhance the ability of the regulatory system to assure that nursing home residents receive quality care.