News for MDS Experts
Check out our insightful articles and current social feed of news that’s important to MDS Coordinators.
Our Latest Articles
The Facility Assessment and Emergency Management Planning: The MDS Plays a Big Role
What is the MDS Role in the Facility Assessment? F838 in the State Operations Manual (SOM) provides specific information for developing a Facility Assessment that must be reviewed and updated...
MDS Nutrition – Not Limited to Section K
Often Section K on the MDS, associated CAAs, and care planning are relegated to the dietician to worry about. However, when we look at a comprehensive MDS, we can see that the information in Section...
Celebrating Skilled Nursing
National Skilled Nursing Week is held annually in May to recognize long-term care professionals that care for our residents in Skilled Nursing Facilities. This year’s National Skilled Nursing Week...
𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆
Today, we pause to reflect on the true meaning of the Fourth of July: a day to honor the courage, vision, and sacrifices of those who fought for our nation’s independence and the freedoms we cherish today.
At MDS Consultants, we take this day to reflect with gratitude and hope for our communities and those we serve.
May we all take a moment to remember the significance of this day and the responsibility we share to uphold these values in our work and communities.
Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and meaningful Independence Day.
#IndependenceDay #FourthOfJuly #Reflection #MDSConsultants ... See MoreSee Less
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𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗡𝗙𝘀: 𝗖𝗠𝗦 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
Article by Kimberly Marselas, Skilled Nursing News, July 2, 2025.
cstu.io/ae0053
CMS will soon reformat nursing home statements of deficiency (Form-2567) to list the most severe survey findings first instead of alphabetically, according to David Wright, Director of the CMS Quality, Safety & Oversight Group.
This change means:
- High-severity deficiencies will appear first, not buried deep in lengthy reports.
- Faster posting of deficiencies immediately after provider receipt, rather than waiting for correction plans or appeals.
- Potential future use of AI to analyze deficiency statements for insights.
Karen Tritz, director of the Survey & Operations Group, emphasized increased survey focus, noting a 20% rise in nursing home complaints and a 75% increase in Immediate Jeopardy findings over the past decade.
CMS leaders also indicated interest in reducing regulatory burdens by identifying outdated or unnecessary standards that hinder provider flexibility and innovation.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆:
Facilities must prioritize survey readiness and documentation integrity as findings will be highly visible, rapidly posted, and easier for families, competitors, and buyers to review.
MDS Consultants is here to support your team in strengthening compliance practices to stay ahead in this shifting environment.
𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁.
#NursingHomeCompliance #CMS #SurveyReadiness #LTC #SkilledNursing #MDSConsultants ... See MoreSee Less
CMS: New nursing homes deficiency postings will soon put the worst offenses first
cstu.io
Nursing home statements of deficiency will be reformatted in coming months to list the most severe survey findings first.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🚨Attention-Nursing Home (NH) Providers, State Agency Assessment Coordinators, Third-Party Users as of July 14, 2025, collection of all NH provider demographic and survey and certification data will move from the Automated Survey Processing Environment (ASPEN) in the Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES) to the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (IQIES). The reports listed below will no longer be available in CASPER on July 14:
𝘊𝘈𝘚𝘗𝘌𝘙 1704𝘋 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘋𝘚 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘺𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 (𝘗𝘉𝘑) 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘺
𝘊𝘈𝘚𝘗𝘌𝘙 1704𝘚 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘋𝘚 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘺𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 (𝘗𝘉𝘑) 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘺
𝘔𝘋𝘚 0003𝘋/0004𝘋 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘋𝘚 3.0 𝘕𝘏 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘺
𝗗𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗗𝗦 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁
The iQIES version of this report combines the CASPER 1704D Daily MDS Census Detail and 1704S Daily MDS Census Summary reports into one report called the Daily MDS Census Report. To view detailed resident information associated with the Resident Internal IDs that are displayed on the Census report, request the reports listed below which are available in the Provider report category in iQIES:
𝘔𝘋𝘚 3.0 𝘈𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴/𝘙𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺/𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴
𝘔𝘋𝘚 3.0 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺
𝘔𝘋𝘚 3.0 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵
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🚨 Upcoming Webinar Alert! 🚨
𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟴 | 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗔𝗖, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗔𝗜 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀
Is your team ready for an emergency? Whether it’s sheltering in place or evacuating, the NAC plays a vital role in ensuring your facility remains compliant and resident-centered during emergencies.
In this webinar, you will:
- Review LTC Emergency Preparedness Plan requirements
- Learn how to maintain RAI system components during emergencies
- Discover NAC and IDT emergency planning strategies
𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱? 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝘀, 𝗡𝗔𝗖𝘀, 𝗠𝗗𝗦 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗗𝗧 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀.
Join MDS Experts to access all webinars and keep your team ready and compliant.
Learn from industry leaders:
👩⚕️ Jessica Stucin, RN, BSN, LNHA, RAC-MT, RAC-CT, RAC-CTA, QCP
👩⚕️ Barbara Bates, RN, MSN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT
𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗗𝗦 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿
#MDS #EmergencyPreparedness #LongTermCare #RAI #NAC #SkilledNursing #Compliance #MDSConsultants ... See MoreSee Less
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🚨Electronic Staffing Data Submission Payroll-Based Journal Long-Term Care Facility Policy Manual has been updated for June 2025 with the Electronic Staffing Data Submission Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Frequently Asked Questions.
cstu.io/877a1f
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🌟 MDS Tuesday Tip of the Day 🌟
Tip: Keep Your MDS Tidy
Accurate and timely MDS submissions don’t just protect your reimbursement under QRP, they support your facility’s story of quality care.
With CMS updating required quality measures each October, now is a good time to check your MDS workflows, ensure documentation is aligned, and identify opportunities to strengthen accuracy before survey or audit season.
Staying ahead on MDS accuracy keeps your team focused on what matters most: resident care.
Learn more about supporting your team with MDS: cstu.io/21dd46
#MDSTuesdayTip #MDSConsultants #QRP #MDS #LongTermCare #SkilledNursing #Compliance #QMAudi ... See MoreSee Less
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The May update of Appendix B to the MDS 3.0 RAI User’s Manual contains changes to the list of State RAI Coordinators, MDS Automation Coordinators, and CMS locations and contacts. To ensure accurate formatting, use a current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF. Web-based or mobile browser plug-ins may affect how the file is displayed.https://cstu.io/bdbeeb ... See MoreSee Less
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We’re Heading to FHCA! Come Say Hi and Try Your Luck!
MDS Consultants is excited to exhibit at the FHCA 2025 Annual Conference in Orlando, July 13–17! You’ll find us at Booth #307, and we’d love to meet you!
While you’re at Booth #307, don’t forget to grab our brand-new High-Risk Medication Tool to help manage risk and boost survey readiness, and learn how we can support your team with:
- MDS completion and MDS system management
- CMI and ICD-10 coding support
- Compliance audits
🚨 Bonus Stop:
On Tuesday, July 15, from 12:30–1:30 PM, come see us at Booth #1226 for the FHCA Wine Toss, try your luck, share some laughs, and take a quick break during your conference day.
Want to reserve a time to chat at Booth #307 or pick up your free tool? Send us a message — we’d love to connect!
#FHCA #FHCAConference2025 #LongTermCare #SkilledNursing #MDSConsultants #NursingHomeLeaders #PDPM #CMI #WineToss #SeeYouInOrlando ... See MoreSee Less
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Why did the OIG (Office of Inspector General) do this review? Nursing home residents and families depend on nursing homes to maintain sufficient staffing to meet their needs. To that end, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has long required nursing homes to meet minimum staffing requirements, which include at least 8 hours of registered nurse (RN) services each day.
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝘾𝙈𝙎 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙨.
Previously, CMS implemented the Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) to provide consumers with more accurate information about nursing home staffing. The PBJ is a system where nursing homes submit auditable information about the hours worked each day by different types of staff. Then in response to OIG recommendations, CMS began providing certain PBJ data to State survey agencies (States) along with guidance for using the data during nursing home inspections. See what OIG found and what their recommendations are in the attached reports. cstu.io/de5ff6
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