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Issue 12, December 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• CMS releases MDS 3.0 draft item set

  Officials say new assessment will be implemented on schedule CMS released new MDS 3.0 information...

• Fluid status monitoring: A good program starts with CNAs

  Empowering certified nursing assistants (CNA) to recognize and report early signs of dehydration...

• Improving care and process through technology

  One organization’s successful software transition When United Methodist Homes began to roll...

• Finding the right consultant for your facility

  If a consultant has ever given someone at your facility advice that didn’t seem right, you...

Issue 11, November 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Make communication the key to successful care planning at your facility

  When it comes to care planning, many facilities have mastered paper compliance, meaning their care...

• The 2009 SNF PPS rates for Medicare

  CMS announced July 31 that Medicare payments to nursing homes would increase 3.4% in 2009, the...

• PPS Q&A

  Rena R. Shephard answers questions about stamped physician signature, pressure ulcer staging...

• Focus on interviewing skills and working with vendors

  Even though the particulars of the MDS 3.0 are still unknown, it’s not too early to start...

Issue 10, October 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Keys to keeping PPS assessments on schedule

  On the surface, keeping Medicare-required MDS assessments on track appears to be one of the easier...

• CMS finally clarifies default billing

  With the August publication of the skilled nursing facility (SNF) PPS and consolidated billing...

• Learn the difference: Late vs. missed assessments

  The skilled nursing facility (SNF) PPS and consolidated billing final rule for fiscal year 2009...

• Counting therapy minutes: Use a triple-check review to ensure accuracy

  Even facilities that routinely review their therapy minutes and days prior to MDS submission can...

• PPS Q&A

  Q. I forgot to set the assessment reference date (ARD) for the 60-day Medicare-required MDS...

Issue 9, September 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• RAP documentation: Achieve compliance

  Tips to help MDS coordinators ensure adequate RAP documentation at their facilities.  

• Working the RAPs successfully: A guide to the process

  Working the resident assessment protocols (RAP) is a multistep process that requires the...

• Coding therapy on the MDS: Make sure minutes are coded accurately to avoid denials

  The most recent report from the Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) program points to a slight...

• PPS Q&A

  Rena R. Shephard answers questions about billing Medicare Part A, coding IV fluids, and more.

Issue 8, August 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• CMS will add five-star ratings to Nursing Home Compare

  This December, CMS will launch a five-star rating system on its Nursing Home Compare Web site to...

• 'Better off dead' MDS 3.0 question troubles some MDS nurses

  MDS coordinators recently expressed concern about the potential effect that the resident mood...

• Assess and individualize to code item M5c

  The definition for MDS 2.0 item M5c, turning/repositioning program, on p. 3-157 of the RAI User's...

• The RAPs: What they can do for you

  Editor's note: This is the first article in a two-part series on the resident assessment protocols...

• PPS Q&A

  Editor's note: "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, RAC-MT, C-NE, founding chair and...

Issue 7, July 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• The key to Medicare meeting success lies in the agenda and advance prep

  Editor's note: This is the second article in a two-part series on Medicare meetings that reviews...

• Take these steps for timely, accurate quarterlies

  Barring significant change in status or discharge, the basic OBRA cycle of MDS assessments is as...

• PPS Q&A

  Editor's note: "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, RAC-MT, C-NE, founding chair and...

Issue 6, June 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• The admission MDS: Avoid common mistakes

  The OBRA assessment schedule must be followed for all residents of Medicare-certified skilled...

• Look into CMS' crystal ball

  CMS took some of the mystery out of its plans for nursing homes, releasing the 34-page 2008 Action...

• Medicare meetings from the ground up

  Editor's note: This is the first article in a two-part series on Medicare meetings that examines...

• PPS Q&A

  Editor's note: "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, RAC-MT, C-NE, founding chair and...

Issue 5, May 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Take the first step toward transition: Start using MDS 3.0 interviews

  The first page of the January 15 revised draft MDS 3.0 states: [I]tems that will appear in the...

• Stage II of the QIS focuses on in-depth review

  Editor's note: This second article in a two-part series on the quality indicator survey (QIS...

Issue 4, April 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Restorative nursing: Tips for a well-run program

  More nursing homes are recognizing that restorative nursing (i.e., nursing rehabilitation) programs...

• Quality indicator survey rollout picks up speed

  Editor's note: Part one of this two-part series reviews the current status of the quality indicator...

• SNF ABN to be implemented by September 1

  Change was the watchword for the February Skilled Nursing Facility/Long-Term Care Open Door Forum...

• PPS Q&A

  Editor's note: "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-CT, founding chair...

Issue 3, March 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• MDS 3.0: Get up to date on planned changes

  CMS and its primary MDS 3.0 validation contractor, Santa Monica, CA-based RAND Corporation recently...

• Common Part A benefit period myths debunked

  A benefit period is a mechanism for measuring the use of hospital insurance benefits, known as...

• PPS Q&A

  Editor's note: "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-CT, founding chair...

Issue 2, February 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Get the most out of your state RAI coordinator

  The state resident assessment instrument (RAI) coordinator is an important resource available to...

• CMS issues January 2008 RAI manual update

  As it has done several times in the past, CMS slipped a last-minute goody into the nursing home...

• LOAs: Are you restarting the PPS MDS schedule unnecessarily?

  At the October 2007 Skilled Nursing Facility/Long-Term Care Open Door Forum, a caller raised the...

• PPS Q&A

  Editor's note: "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-CT, founding chair...

Issue 1, January 1, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• What exactly is a SNF? The answer affects spell of illness benefit periods

  There is a common misconception that a skilled nursing facility (SNF) is always defined as a...

• Is billing office pressure getting to be too much?

  MDS coordinators face mounting pressure from their facility business office to complete and...

• Follow these MDS coding tips for your CPS score

  Editor's note: This article is the second in a two-part series about the Cognitive Performance...

• PPS Q&A

  "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-CT, founding chair and executive...