“No man is a failure who has friends” — an MDS Merry Christmas
By
Joel VanEaton
Dec 20, 2023
As Christmas and the new year approach, I get nostalgic. I like to think back on good old childhood memories. For me those are the 1970s and ’80s. I remember one Christmas, I was probably 7 years...
Fasten your seatbelts: It MIGHT be a bumpy ride
By
Steven Littlehale
Oct 13, 2023
It’s been a flurry of activity leading up to the implementation of the “new MDS.” For months our industry has been doing what we do best — rising to the occasion. Countless MDS training sessions,...
Trick or treat? MDS changes are in the bag
By
Joel VanEaton
Oct 03, 2023
When I was a kid, I loved getting dressed up for Halloween. I remember especially a clown (funny not scary) costume I got one year. I couldn’t wait to put it on and be transformed into another world....
More knowledgeable nurse assessment coordinators needed, group says
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 12, 2023
More than one-quarter of nurse assessment coordinators have limited on-the-job experience, potentially leaving providers at risk for survey deficiencies and leading to poorer health outcomes for facility...
CMS makes 60 changes to finalize new MDS playbook
By
James M. Berklan
Aug 25, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the final version of the new Resident Assessment Instrument manual Thursday .
The MDS is the ‘bee’s knees’
By
Joel VanEaton
Apr 18, 2023
Last summer, we all got a taste of where the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is heading regarding a unified payment system for Medicare-covered post-acute care
Will you pass CMS’s new schizophrenia MDS audits?
By
Steven Littlehale
Mar 31, 2023
In 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services started focused on-site surveys to address the issue of erroneous coding of schizophrenia in nursing homes. More recently, the agency began conducting...
New year, new MDS, new resolve
By
Joel VanEaton
Jan 24, 2023
Where did 2022 go? And, hang on for the wild ride 2023 will be. So much lies ahead of us and we need to be prepared, starting with the MDS.
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...
Nearly 1,200 ICD coding changes kick in Saturday
By
Joe Bush
Sep 30, 2022
Providers are trying to wrap their arms — and their software — around almost 1,200 ICD-10 coding updates that go into effect starting this weekend, including an “explosion of codes” related to...