Remote MDS coordinators offer an immediate solution to reimbursement and staffing challenges
By
Wendy Strain
Mar 24, 2022
As a remote MDS coordinator, I could focus 100% of my time, attention and expertise on the MDS assessment and process improvements.
Six years after mandate, most of state’s nursing home residents had POLST forms
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
Mar 14, 2022
By 2016, 81% of California’s long-stay residents and 68% of short-stay residents had physician orders for life-sustaining treatment recorded in the MDS.
Innovative ideas for MDS staffing
By
Rosanna L. Benbow
Maureen McCarthy
Aug 17, 2021
Today, if you search for MDS jobs nationwide you will find a staggering number of open positions. On any given day you can find more than 1,200 to 1,400 open positions across the United States. That’s...
Helping the assessors
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 06, 2017
Minimum Data Set coordinators serve vital functions in today’s skilled nursing facilities — their ability to dig deep is so critical that one software executive likens it to navigating the Andromeda...
The cheese has moved … will Sniff find it?
By
Steven Littlehale
Aug 23, 2017
Imagine my surprise when several people came bearing the shocking news that “the MDS will not matter anymore” and that RCS-1 is “the end of the MDS.” Wait, what? Not on your life!
The Five Star Report, once again, in the SNF spotlight
By
Steven Littlehale
Sep 24, 2014
The Five Star Quality Rating System takes the spotlight on the front page of the New York Times and the top of the news cycle, kicking off other publicity and political pressure. Regardless of any of the...
Looking at short stay assessments
By
Jan White
Sep 10, 2014
In reviewing the MDS, there are several areas to check related to short stay requirements. First, is the Start of Therapy assessment checked in A0310C? If there is not a 5-day scheduled assessment or readmission/return...
Ask the payment expert … about the financial benefits of QAPI
By
Patricia Boyer
Mar 01, 2014
What are the financial benefits to implementing CMS’s Quality Assurance Performance Improvement program?
No more Rehab Medium RUG defaults
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Oct 08, 2013
Well, Oct. 1 has passed, and we’re all still hanging in. The biggest changes we saw to rehab were the addition of reporting co-treatment minutes on our billing logs and Section O on the MDS. And,...
New CMS rule to eliminate section of MDS, revise RUGs
Aug 25, 2009
A controversial new rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid rule will recalibrate Medicare case mixes under the Resource Utilization Group (RUG) system. Specifically, it will eliminate a section...