Amid the ashes of the COVID-19 pandemic came the realization that there were more casualties from this plague than we thought. It was reported that 25% of COVID-19 deaths were long-term care residents...
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...
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.
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...
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.
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?
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...
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...
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,...