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Preparing for October 2010: What your SNF can do to get ready for the MDS 3.0 now

PPS Alert for Long-Term Care, May 1, 2009

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to PPS Alert for Long-Term Care.

When CMS recently announced the MDS 3.0 implementation would be delayed until October 2010, many in the long-term care industry breathed a sigh of relief. Long-term care providers, software vendors, and industry advocacy groups were concerned they wouldn?t have enough time to prepare for the new assessment system if CMS stuck to its original timeline of releasing the final MDS 3.0 form and specifications in March and implementing the 3.0 in October. Although some providers felt prepared to start using the new assessment in October, other facilities struggling with daily operations issues and staff turnover weren?t ready, says Sherrie Dornberger, RNC, CDONA, FACDONA, president of the National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration. After CMS officially announced the delay at the March SNF/Long-Term Care Open Door Forum, many nursing facilities immediately delayed or postponed training, says Maureen McCarthy, RN, BS, president of Celtic Consulting in Goshen, CT. ?The word spread so quickly when it got pushed back; it was like wildfire,? McCarthy says. Although the delay gives providers more time to prepare for the new assessment, McCarthy and Dornberger say they are concerned that providers will simply wait until the last minute to prepare?again. ?You know the MDS 3.0 is going to happen,? says Dornberger. ?Why not prepare now for the changes??

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to PPS Alert for Long-Term Care.

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