How does HPPD work in SchedulePop?

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HPPD (Hours Per Patient Day) is a healthcare staffing metric used to measure productivity and ensure appropriate nursing coverage in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities. HPPD is calculated by dividing the total number of nursing hours worked by the total patient census for a given day. This metric provides insight into how much direct nursing care time is available per patient and supports compliance with CMS staffing guidelines. The HPPD tool in the scheduling system allows managers to plan, track, and compare staffing targets against scheduled labor.

Set your HPPD Targets

Step 1: Access the HPPD Module

Navigate to HPPD from the main menu.

Step 2: Create an HPPD Planning Period

Define a planning period by entering:

Start date and end date of your HPPD Plan
Projected census (total number of patients for the location and time period)
Target HPPD values for each CMS labor code:
DON
RN
LPN / LVN
CNA / STNA
CNA – Training
Med-Aide / Tech

Step 3: Review Staffing Target Calculations

Based on your inputs, the system calculates:

Total RN hours, derived from DON + RN
Total Nursing Staffing hours, which include all nursing labor codes, including RN hours

Step 4: CMS Star Rating Projection

The calculated totals generate a projected CMS Star Rating, following CMS staffing guidelines established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

A CMS Star Ratings reference list is provided within the HPPD module.

Step 5: Save the Planning Period

Once you are satisfied with your HPPD projections, save the planning period.

You may create multiple planning periods for different date ranges.

Step 6: Edit, Copy, or Review Planning Periods

From the HPPD page, you can manage saved planning periods:

Edit a planning period by hovering over the row and clicking the crayon icon.
Copy a planning period to a new date range using the double-document icon.
Review details by clicking directly on the planning period row; details will appear on the right side of the split screen.

Using HPPD in Schedule Builder

Step 7: View HPPD in the Data Bar

Saved HPPD planning periods automatically appear in the Data Bar within Schedule Builder.

Step 8: Compare Planned vs. Scheduled Staffing

Navigate to Schedule to compare:

HPPD targets from the planning period
Actual scheduled staffing based on assigned shifts with the CMS labor codes included in the Planning Section.

Step 9: Identify Staffing Variances

The system visually highlights differences between planned and scheduled staffing:

Red – Under HPPD target
Green – Over HPPD target
White – On HPPD target

You can expand the HPPD section in the Data Bar (by clicking the down arrow) to view a detailed breakdown by CMS labor code, comparing target staffing and scheduled staffing.

HPPD Reporting

Step 10: Access an HPPD Report

The system offers a HPPD reporting section to compare target HPPD to scheduled HPPD.

Navigate to HPPD and select the "Reporting" sub tab
Select a date range
A line graph will display 4 lines for comparison (if a HPPD planning period has been set for the selected time period):
- Green dotted line= Projected Total Nursing HPPD (derived from the HPPD planning sub tab)
- Green solid line= Scheduled staff with the 6 indicated CMS labor codes
- Purple dotted line= Projected Total RN HPPD (derived from the HPPD planning sub tab)
- Purple solid line= Scheduled staff with CMS labor codes RN and DON (05 and 07).

Summary

The HPPD tool helps managers:

Plan staffing based on projected census
Align schedules with CMS staffing guidelines
Monitor compliance through real-time comparisons
Quickly identify under- or over-staffing
Visualize HPPD targets vs scheduling trends over time in the Reporting section.

By using HPPD planning periods alongside the Schedule Builder, managers can confidently staff their facilities while maintaining compliance and quality of care.