The Northwoods, summer reflections and the ICD-10 connection
By
Joel VanEaton
Jun 11, 2024
When I was 11 and 12 years old, my older brother and I spent two summers with my grandparents, who lived on a lake in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. It was spectacular. They owned 10 acres of undeveloped,...
The real cost of SFF inclusion
By
Annette Sanders
Mar 18, 2024
Since the onset of the pandemic, and more especially over the last two years, regulators have been cracking down on skilled nursing facilities. Research has shown that between 2015 and 2023, the share...
Moon landings and the MDS. What gives?
By
Joel VanEaton
Mar 19, 2024
You may be aware that on Feb. 22, Houston-based Intuitive Machines landed a spacecraft on the moon, making history as the first commercial craft to reach the lunar surface and the first U.S. spacecraft...
Impact of Section GG, ANAs and Social Risk Factors (SRFs) on PAC outcomes
By
Renee Kinder
Aug 18, 2022
Tuesday evening, I began the painful eye roll-inducing process of organizing and sorting school supplies for our official start today. Two high schoolers, two middle schoolers, and one lower schooler...
AI in healthcare: Trends for rehab professionals to watch in 2024
By
Renee Kinder
Jan 04, 2024
Artificial Intelligence (AI) — what does this really mean to you in your day-to-day patient care? We hear the acronym constantly, and we know we are told its use is growing. However, many skilled rehab...
CMS posts alleged deficiencies on Nursing Home Care Compare
By
Alan C. Horowitz, Esq., RN
Jan 25, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services conveys its policies (and directives) through its Quality, Safety & Oversight (QSO) memos. On Jan. 18, 2023, CMS announced that beginning on Jan. 25, 2023,...
MDS meets VBP: I love a good value, don’t you?
By
Joel VanEaton
Oct 10, 2022
I love a good value, don’t you? It’s hard to find one these days in this economy. Recently a friend of mine purchased a used vehicle from a reputable local dealership. Within a week, the engine...
Fiscal 2023 ICD-10 updates: Understanding new dementia coding
By
Renee Kinder
Oct 13, 2022
We have long awaited greater specificity in coding for the persons we serve daily with dementia and now we finally have the opportunity to code specifically tied to severity.
Supreme Court levels the playing field for SNFs
By
Alan C. Horowitz, Esq., RN
May 01, 2023
As part of its survey process, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is authorized to take several enforcement actions, including but not limited to imposing civil money penalties (CMP), denials...
16 strategies for integrating CNAs into care planning and IDT meetings
By
Aasha Raval
Feb 16, 2024
Given their day-to-day, intimate interaction with residents, certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are uniquely positioned to contribute to care planning and interdisciplinary care team (IDT) meetings, where...