News for MDS Experts
Check out our insightful articles and current social feed of news that’s important to MDS Coordinators.
Our Latest Articles
Navigating the 2025 Winds of Change: New Survey Guidance
The 2025 new year has begun with a whirlwind of changes in Long-Term Care – starting with New Surveyor Guidance. CMS released an advanced copy of these State Operations Manual Appendix PP (Guidance...
What is an MDS Coordinator?
"What do you do for a living?" It may not surprise you that when asked this question, most MDS Coordinators struggle to come up with an answer. The reality is that MDS Coordinators fully understand...
From the MDS to RAI System Management
With the introduction of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) through the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1987, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) implemented a method of standardized,...
🌟 Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. 🌟
Today, we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a leader whose vision for equality, justice, and compassion continues to inspire us all.
His words remind us of the power of unity and service:
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
Let’s take this day to reflect on his teachings, serve our communities, and strive to create a brighter future. 💙
#MLKDay #MartinLutherKingJr #Equality #Service #Inspiration ... See MoreSee Less
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❤️Thank you to all the activity professionals in our long-term care facilities that provide person-centered and meaningful activities to our residents. 💕 ... See MoreSee Less
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CMS released revisions to: QSO-25-07-NH on January 15th, 2025, with QSO QSO-25-12-NH Revised Long-Term Care (LTC) Surveyor Guidance: Significant revisions to enhance quality and oversight of the LTC survey process. This is a revision to a revision! What has been revised? 𝘚𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘕𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘧𝘧, 𝘙𝘕 8 𝘏𝘳𝘴. /7𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴/𝘞𝘬., 𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘋𝘖𝘕, & 𝘗𝘢𝘺𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘹 𝘗𝘗 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘺 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 24, 2025. cstu.io/240edd ... See MoreSee Less
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👩⚕️ A Day in the Life of an MDS Coordinator 👨⚕️
From reviewing resident assessments to coordinating with the Interdisciplinary Team, MDS Coordinators ensure quality care and compliance every single day.
✅ Coding assessments accurately.
✅ Optimizing outcomes with the IDT.
✅ Analyzing Quality Measures (QMs).
✅ Advocating for resident-centered care.
It’s a challenging but rewarding role that makes a real difference in skilled nursing facilities!
#MDSCoordinator #LongTermCare #QualityCare #SkilledNursing ... See MoreSee Less
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The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available in iQIES. These reports contain provider performance scores for quality measures, which will be published on the compare tool and Provider Data Catalog (PDC) during the April 2025 refresh. Data contained within the Provider Preview Reports are based on quality assessment data submitted by SNFs from Quarter 3, 2023 through Quarter 2, 2024. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) measures reflect Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Healthcare Personnel measure data from Quarter 4, 2023 through Quarter 1, 2024, and COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among Healthcare Personnel (HCP) measure data from Quarter 2, 2024. The claims-based measures reflect data from Quarter 4, 2021 through Quarter 3, 2023 and the SNF Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) measure data from Quarter 4, 2022 through Quarter 3, 2023. cstu.io/f4cf6c ... See MoreSee Less
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📢CMS released blanket waivers California Wildfires for Long-Term Care Facilities and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and/or Nursing Facilities (NFs). The following blanket waivers and other flexibilities are available to affected providers as needed, retroactively from 01/07/2025 through the end of the 2025 Southern California Wildfires public health emergency declaration for the State of California signed 01/10/2025 or when no longer needed.
𝙍𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙪𝙢 𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙎𝙚𝙩 (𝙈𝘿𝙎)-𝙒𝙖𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚-𝘼𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 (𝙋𝘼𝙎𝘼𝙍𝙍)-𝟯-𝘿𝙖𝙮 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝙃𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣-𝙋𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙑𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙉𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨/𝙉𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨-𝙋𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙀𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 cstu.io/aff7a6
cstu.io/adef02 ... See MoreSee Less
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💡 Did You Know?
Quality Measures (QMs) derived from the MDS (Minimum Data Set) don’t just track resident outcomes—they shape your facility’s public reputation and financial health!
✅ QMs are a key component of the CMS 5-Star Rating System, influencing how your facility is perceived by potential residents and families.
✅ They measure critical areas like falls, pressure ulcers, and rehospitalizations, reflecting the quality of care provided.
✅ Accurate MDS documentation ensures your QMs are calculated correctly, avoiding penalties and improving ratings.
Quality Measures are more than numbers—they’re a reflection of the care your team provides every day. 🌟
#DidYouKnow #QualityMeasures #MDS #SkilledNursing #ResidentCare #5StarRating ... See MoreSee Less
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🌟 Enhance Your Clinical Assessment Skills! 🌟
Join us for the AAPACN Resident Assessment Coordinator—Certified (RAC-CT®) certification workshop! 📚✨
🗓️ Dates: March 17-20 🕒 Time: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM ET 📍 Location: Virtual
Gain in-depth knowledge of clinical assessment and care planning, master the MDS, understand the regulations surrounding the RAI/MDS process, and manage the PDPM effectively.
With the RAC-CT credential, you'll be recognized as a knowledgeable and capable MDS professional. This certification is the most widely-recognized and respected MDS 3.0 certification in the long-term care profession.
👩🏫 Presented by: Jessica Stucin, RN, BSN, LNHA, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, QCP
Don't miss this opportunity to advance your career and enhance your skills!
🔗Register: cstu.io/11caec
#ClinicalAssessment #CarePlanning #MDS #RAI #PDPM #RACCT #NursingCertification #LongTermCare #ProfessionalDevelopment #AAPACN ... See MoreSee Less
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📅 Upcoming Webinar: Jan 28 | The Complexity of Coding Active Diagnoses on the MDS
Accurately coding Section I of the MDS can be challenging, especially when it comes to identifying active diagnoses. Errors here can impact quality measures, care plans, and compliance.
💡 What You’ll Learn:
- Review coding criteria for active diagnoses per the RAI Manual
- Identify common miscoding errors in Section I
- Discuss processes to ensure accuracy and monitor results
📅 Who Should Attend?
Administrators, Directors of Nursing Services, Nurse Assessment Coordinators, MDS Coordinators, and IDT members.
👩🏫 Meet Your Trainers:
Jessica Stucin, RN, BSN, LNHA, RAC-MT, RAC-CT, RAC-CTA, QCP
🔗 Don’t miss out on this essential session! Join MDS Experts to gain access to this and other valuable webinars.
Register Here: cstu.io/3f6fbf
#MDSEducation #LongTermCare #MDSCoordinator #PostAcuteCare ... See MoreSee Less
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