News for MDS Experts

The iQIES User Role Matrix job aid outlines the user roles and privileges in iQIES. All users must have a role in iQIES. Updated 219/2026 and posted 2/25/2026.
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𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟭𝟬.

The question isn’t whether a care plan exists — it’s whether it reflects the resident’s current status.

📅 March 10, 2026 |11:00a.m. E.T
🎓 Real Time Care Planning — What Does It Mean?
𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

At any given moment, a care plan should capture what is happening now — recent falls, infections, psychosocial changes, interventions, strengths, and goals.

In this session, we will:
• Review key regulatory groupings related to care planning
• Discuss how to capture real-time resident status
• Develop a QAPI-driven approach to monitoring care plan accuracy

Registration is required to receive your personal login link.
👉https://www.mdsexpert.com/membership/

#MDS #LongTermCare #CarePlanning #QAPI #SurveyReadiness #SNFLeadership ... See MoreSee Less

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟭𝟬 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲.
Is your care plan truly reflecting the resident’s real-time status?

📅 March 12, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (Virtual)

Join Jessica Stucin, RN, BSN, LNHA, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, QCP and Linda Winston, RN, BS, MSN, RAC-CT, RAC-CTA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT of MDS Consultants for:
📝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 — 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻?

Care plan deficiencies remain a persistent survey concern — from timeliness of updates to lack of person-centered documentation.
At any given moment, the care plan should be a snapshot of the resident — reflecting current infections, changes in condition, falls, psychosocial needs, strengths, goals, and interventions.

If it’s not real time… it’s not accurate.

𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹:
✔ Review key regulatory expectations related to care planning
✔ Discuss how to capture real-time resident status and interventions
✔ Develop a QAPI-driven approach to monitoring care plan accuracy

👥 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱:
MDS Nurses, Directors of Nursing, Administrators, Nurse Managers, Social Workers, and Interdisciplinary Team Members

🎓 𝟭.𝟱 𝗥𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗛𝗔 𝗖𝗘𝗨𝘀 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲

Care planning isn’t just compliance — it’s the clinical story of the resident.

Join us and ensure your care plans reflect the care actually being delivered.

👉: cstu.io/97d985

#CarePlanning #MDS #LongTermCare #SNFLeadership #SurveyReadiness #QAPI #LTCCompliance #RIHCA ... See MoreSee Less

Happy Friday ☀️

As you wrap up the week, here’s a quick thought:
If someone opened one of your care plans right now…
Would it reflect today’s resident — or last month’s version?

Real-time documentation isn’t about perfection. It’s about keeping the resident's story current.

Have a great weekend, everyone 💚

#MDSTRAINING #MDSEDUCATION #LongTermCare #MDS #CarePlanning #SNFLeadership #FridayThoughts #MDSCONSULTANTS ... See MoreSee Less

Pharmaceutical services are an integral part of the care required to meet the needs of each nursing home resident. Nursing homes must provide pharmaceutical services (including procedures that assure the accurate acquiring, receiving, dispensing, and administering of all drugs). Nursing homes are also required to: (1) store all drugs in locked compartments; (2) permit only authorized personnel to have access to the keys to secured areas; and (3) provide separately locked, permanently affixed compartments for storage of Schedule II controlled drugs. State survey agencies cited almost half of nursing homes nationwide for pharmaceutical services deficiencies during recent complaint and standard health inspections. If effective systems and procedures to ensure the safe and effective use of medications are not implemented, over 157,000 nursing home residents who receive opioids could be at risk for overuse, misuse, or diversion. We will determine whether selected State agencies ensured that nursing homes: (1) complied with Federal and State pharmacy service requirements to prevent the overuse of opioids by Medicaid and Medicare residents and (2) implemented effective internal controls to prevent the misuse or diversion of opioids.
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The Five-Star rating preview reports for nursing homes were available in iQIES on February 19, 2026. Nursing Home Care Compare will update with the February Five-Star data on or around February 25, 2026. Login to iQIES to access the Five Star reports.
Important Note: The Five-Star Helpline (800-839-9290) will be available February 23-27, 2026. For assistance logging into iQIES, please contact the iQIES Service Center via email (iQIES@cms.hhs.gov) or by phone (800-339-9313).
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CMS will host a Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) Technical Informational call for vendors and software developers on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 1pm ET.
Please register here to attend the call:
cstu.io/193877

This technical information call will cover topics such as:
- PBJ Data Specifications
- QIES System Updates
- Submitted Questions & Answers

The PBJ Data Specifications V4.10.0 effective after March 22, 2026 are posted on the CMS web site at: cstu.io/fe8525. Attendees may submit questions to the iQIES@cms.hhs.gov. Please include "PBJ TECH CALL" in the subject line. Questions must be e-mailed prior to 6:00 pm ET on Monday, February 23, 2026.

***** CMS strongly recommends that all PBJ vendors and software developers attend this call. *****

If you have any questions about the information above, please contact the iQIES Service Center by email at iqies@cms.hhs.gov or by phone at 1-800-339-9313.
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𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗗𝗦 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝟭 & 𝟮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗛𝗖𝗔 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟱–𝟮𝟲.

This comprehensive introduction to MDS 3.0 is designed for MDS Coordinators and interdisciplinary team members who want to strengthen assessment scheduling, PDPM understanding, CAA processes, and reimbursement compliance.

Kristine Martinez and Jessica Stucin will guide participants through core MDS data elements, OBRA/PPS scheduling, Medicare basics, and PDPM components — with practical application throughout.

This is a live-only program.
Registration and details: cstu.io/648622

#SNFLife #LongTermCare #MDSExpert #NurseEducation #ADAYINTHELIFEOFANMDSCOORDINATOR #MDSTRAINING ... See MoreSee Less