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Looking for a tool to make your job easier? PPS Alert for Long-Term Care, exclusively for the RN or MDS coordinator, is your survival guide for complying with PPS.
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2001
Issue 37, August 20, 2002
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Best practices in documenting reasonable and necessary services
Best practices in documenting reasonable and necessary services
Issue 27, July 8, 2002
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Survey process got you stumped?
Survey process got you stumped?
Issue 17, May 2, 2002
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MDS Troubleshooter: Qualifying for a new benefit period
MDS Troubleshooter: Qualifying for a new benefit period
Issue 12, December 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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A refresher course on coding falls
Though CMS’ guidance on how to code falls has been around for more than a year now, some... -
Lessons learned—and more to come—with the quality initiative
Now that the Nursing Home Quality Initiative has been splashed across the front page of every... -
PPS Q&A
“PPS Q&A” was written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient... -
The thing about the swing-bed MDS
Maybe you know of a swing-bed hospital near the nursing home where you work that’s...
Issue 11, November 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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MDS Troubleshooter: Section H: Continence with confidence
MDS Troubleshooter: Section H: Continence with confidence -
Beware of documentation disasters
Follow these steps to stay out of legal difficultiesIf your facility is adding more beds or... -
MDS coordinator support groups
How Missouri gives its MDS coordinators that extra edgeNowadays, it seems there are support groups... -
PPS Q&A
“PPS Q&A” was written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient... -
The seven fundamentals of Section M
It’s natural for MDS coordinators to feel a little uneasy about Section M, skin condition...
Issue 10, October 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Become acquainted with DAVE
Become acquainted with DAVE -
Determining when it's a significant change in status
Determining when it’s a significant change in status -
PPS Q&A
PPS Q&A -
The Nursing Home Quality Initiative
You know it's a problem. General negative outlooks, horror stories, and sensationalism in the media... -
Use your judgment when it comes to restraints
Use your judgment when it comes to restraints
Issue 9, September 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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An MDS completion policy—your best bet for timely resident assessments
If you’re an MDS coordinator who has trouble getting other disciplines to fill out their... -
Beware of documentation disasters
Beware of documentation disasters -
Careplan meetings: Try an open house approach to keep residents and families h
“I had to wait 20 minutes for this meeting.” “This time is so inconvenient for... -
Documenting skilled services by category
Editor’s note: This article constitutes the second half of a two-part series on documenting... -
PPS Q&A
“PPS Q&A” was written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient... -
Updated: The RAI User’s Manual
It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for—CMS finally unveiled the...
Issue 8, August 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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MDS Troubleshooter: Medications used for off-label purposes
MDS Troubleshooter: Medications used for off-label purposes -
ADLs: Your role in getting good data
According to a recent Office of Inspector General report, the activities of daily living (ADLs) in... -
Best practices in documenting reasonable and necessary services
Editor’s note: This article constitutes part one of a two-part series on how to document... -
Introduction to ICD-9-CM coding
Though it’s not a skill an MDS coordinator may use every day, basic knowledge in ICD-9-CM... -
PPS Q&A
“PPS Q&A” was written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient...
Issue 7, July 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Update on new QIs, old QIs, and the survey process
Update on new QIs, old QIs, and the survey process -
PPS Q&A
“PPS Q&A” was written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient... -
Putting the pressure on pressure ulcer coding
CMS updates coding procedures for M1 in latest Q&A clarificationCoding skin conditions on the... -
Survey process got you stumped?
Read up on your crucial role as the MDS coordinatorYou may think that as an MDS... -
The MPAF form lands this month
The when, how, and why on using the shortened MDSCMS made good on a big promise recently: To save...
Issue 6, June 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Get the complete wrap-up on RAPs
Get the complete wrap-up on RAPs -
MDS Troubleshooter: Disease diagnoses don’t have to be difficult
Don’t get sick over proper coding of Section I of the MDSIf you’re one of the lucky... -
PPS Q&A
“PPS Q&A” was written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient... -
QM project both a boon and a bane
MDS coordinators may have more to worry about as the quality measures (QM) project heats up. After... -
Two organizations take steps to improve their MDS accuracy
“I really believe that our MDS coordinators are the key drivers of our business, which is...
Issue 5, May 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Break archaic rules to treat pain
No one in long-term care will deny that pain management is a huge issue for nursing homes. And now... -
Nursing home quality measures make the news in a big, big way
The nursing home quality project kicked off last month with more of a bang than some providers may... -
PPS Q&A
“PPS Q&A” was written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, vice president of patient... -
MDS Troubleshooter: Qualifying for a new benefit period
The long and short of earning another 100 days of MedicareAt first glance, it may appear easy to... -
SNFs in danger of losing inpatient rehab patient referrals
Misperceptions about payment under PPS could affect your reimbursementWhen CMS brought inpatient...
Issue 4, April 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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MDS Troubleshooter: Counting medications for Section O
MDS Troubleshooter: Counting medications for Section O -
Dispelling the myths of LOAs
Most leaves are okay under Medicare guidelinesWhen a resident requests a leave of absence (LOA... -
Don’t let these sentinel events trigger falsely
Mention the term “sentinel event” around most long-term care professionals and it will... -
MDS Troubleshooter: Oops, you missed an assessment! Now what?
How to address MDSs that fall through the cracksIt’s a common fear that no MDS coordinator... -
Piecing together the MDS puzzle
Remember all the elements needed to complete the pictureWhen you go about your duties as the MDS... -
PPS Q&A
“PPS Q&A” was written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, vice president of patient... -
Steer clear of deficiencies under Tag #F272
How the MDS coordinator can help the facility avoid being citedTag #F272, resident assessment, is... -
The latest scoop on QIs and survey
There’s a lot brewing at CMS when it comes to initiatives that will affect quality...
Issue 3, March 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Get hip to HIPAA—now
Prepare for upcoming privacy rules with these 10 tipsWhen someone says, “HIPAA,” do... -
PPS Q&A
“PPS Q&A” was written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, vice president of patient... -
Restorative nursing programs ensure you don’t work for free
It’s one thing to provide good restorative care—it’s something else to get paid... -
MDS Troubleshooter: Section H: Continence with confidence
Incontinence is one of the most important areas of long-term care. Residents who experience...
Issue 2, February 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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The thing about the swing-bed MDS
The thing about the swing-bed MDS -
Good habits of documentation
Understand the fundamentals for skilled coverageWith fiscal intermediaries, state regulators... -
Is the MDS process wearing you out?
Try these tips for getting other team members’ supportFor some MDS coordinators, getting... -
MDS Troubleshooter: Medications used for off-label purposes
How to count them and account for them in Section O of the MDSThere’s no doubt that item O4... -
PPS Q&A
“PPS Q&A” was written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, vice president of patient... -
Update on new QIs, old QIs, and the survey process
October 2002 may have seemed far away when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS... -
Using grace days gracefully
A reminder on when you can and when you can’tTiming and scheduling PPS assessments is one of...
Issue 1, January 21, 2002 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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MDS Troubleshooter: Counting medications for Section O
MDS Troubleshooter: Counting medications for Section O -
Documentation, assessment, and careplanning essentials
Documentation, assessment, and careplanning essentials -
In this place, everyone is an MDS coordinator
In this place, everyone is an MDS coordinator -
PPS Q & A
PPS Q & A -
How should I code private-pay residents in Medicare or Medicaid beds?
How should I code private-pay residents in Medicare or Medicaid beds? -
New and risk-adjusted QIs
New and risk-adjusted QIs