A new DRAFT version of the 2020 MDS item sets (v1.18.0) has been posted. This version is scheduled to become effective October 1, 2020. Please note that Section G was removed from all Federal item sets.
The files are located in the Downloads section of the MDS 3.0 Technical Information webpage: www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/NHQIMDS30TechnicalInformation.html.
Section 198.545, RSMo requires the department of health and senior services to contract with the federally designated Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) in this state to conduct IDR conferences. To comply with this requirement, the department contracted with TMF Health Quality Institute (the federally designated Medicare QIO) who subcontracted with Primaris Healthcare Solutions to conduct IDR conferences.
Effective November 8, 2019, CMS awarded the federally designated Medicare Quality Improvement Organization contract for Missouri to Health Quality Innovators (HQI). Because of this change, the department’s contract with TMF automatically terminated. The department is discussing a possible contract with HQI, but at this point there is no contract for IDR services. Should a facility request an IDR during this time, two options are available: 1) The department will conduct the IDR conference, or 2) The facility can delay the conference until a permanent solution is determined.
If you have any questions regarding this change in process, please contact Shelly Williamson at Shelly.Williamson@health.mo.gov or at 573-526-4872.
In Missouri, during fiscal year 2019, the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) received and investigated 39,144 reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation involving seniors and adults with disabilities living in the community and in long-term care facilities.
The Department proudly announces the integration of a new online reporting system for mandated reporters which will ensure all concerns of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of the elderly and adults with disabilities are reported quickly.
The new Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline online reporting system will allow for secure electronic submission of adult abuse, neglect and exploitation report information, from mandated reporters and public citizens into a secure, encrypted database available 24/7 on a web-based platform as an alternative to calling the Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline.
We ask all mandated reporters to please partner with us by entering reports online and allowing greater accessibility to the hotline for the public. In partnership, the Department would like to share the Online Reporting Flyer with you and encourage you to display it where it will serve as a reminder to mandated reporters.
The Adult Abuse Hotline is operational from 7 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week, 365 days a year. If you suspect abuse, neglect or financial exploitation of the elderly or an adult with a disability call the Adult Abuse Hotline at (800) 392-0210 or visit www.health.mo.gov/abuse to report online. The online reporting system is available 24/7; however, it is only monitored by intake staff during the hotline’s hours of operation.
If you have any questions regarding online reporting, please reach out to the Department at (573)751-2413 or DSDSOfficeofConstituentServices@health.mo.gov.
January 15, 2020: 2020 Train the Trainer
March 4, 2020: 2020 Train the Trainer
May 6, 2020: 2020 Train the Trainer
July 1, 2020: 2020 Train the Trainer
September 2, 2020: 2020 Train the Trainer
November 11, 2020: 2020 Train the Trainer
Participants must receive approval in order to attend this workshop. Those wishing to attend must submit the application and all other necessary paperwork to MALA at least two weeks prior to the workshop date.
January 17, 2020 – February 21, 2020: MDS PDPM 6-Week, 6 Session Webinar Series Assessment, Coding & Systems Orientation & Proficiency Series
This 6-week, 6 session webinar series provides MDS section-by-section coding guidance under PDPM and insights for optimal data collection, supportive documentation, and consistent coding accuracy. Live sessions are completed weekly over 6 weeks and review key MDS sections under PDPM. Recordings are provided with full-series purchase for ongoing on-demand access for new hire orientation and as a staff development resource. Reduce the learning curve for clinical reimbursement staff and drive PDPM coding accuracy and compliance with this MDS series taught by Proactive’s expert instructors.
February 27-29, 2020: 29th Annual Nursing Home Administrator Conference
Location: Lodge of the Four Seasons, Lake Ozark
Nursing Home Administrators will be provided with essential information needed to effectively serve long-term care residents and successfully perform their leadership role and job responsibilities. This conference was specifically designed to provide more than 20 hours of CE in 2 ½ days.
Updates and Initiatives to Ensure Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing updates and initiatives aligning with the CMS strategic initiative to Ensure Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. These updates and initiatives include:
Please see the full memo download at www.cms.gov/updates-and-initiatives-ensure-safety-and-quality-nursing-homes.
November 26, 2019: CASPER, QM, and Survey
Location: E.W. Thompson Health & Rehabilitation Center, Sedalia
Stacey Bryan, State RAI Coordinator will be visiting our region the following dates to discuss CASPER and Quality Measure reports. Please bring your most recent CASPER/Quality Measure report and any questions you may have.
February 4-5, 2020: Infection Preventionist Boot Camp
Location: Harrah’s Casino & Hotel, North Kansas City
You have been named the Infection Preventionist for your facility. You have completed your certification for the IP but still aren’t sure where to start or how to go about doing the job with confidence. We are here to give you the confidence you need! Bring your laptop and your infection control policy and procedures and leave with assurance that you and your facility are where they need to be with IPCP and all its requirements.
We will review the CMS 23-hour training as the core to IPCP development and review your IPCP and its accompanying policy and procedures to improve your confidence. We’ll build your personal library of resource material, develop your tracking logs and QAPI communication tools and finally we will create a schedule of routine tasks for you to adhere to for purposes of maintaining compliances.
February 5-7, 2020: 2020 MANHA Winterfest Conference & Trade Show
Location: Harrah’s Casino & Hotel, North Kansas City
Missouri Association of Nursing Home Administrators is pleased to invite you to attend our midyear conference, Winterfest. The goal of this conference is to provide long-term care administrators and their staff practical and inspirational education hours along with the opportunity to network and socialize with colleagues. It is also the only MANHA-sponsored conference that provides you a chance to view the latest technology, products, and services offered by suppliers.
On November 8, 2019, CMS posted an updated errata (V3.00.3) to their MDS Technical Information webpage (www.cms.gov/medicare/quality-initiatives-patient-assessment-instruments/nursinghomequalityinits/nhqimds30technicalinformation.html) for the FINAL version (v3.00.1) of the MDS 3.0 Data Specifications, currently in production. Two issues were identified. One edit, -3941, will be deleted, and one edit, -3965, will be added. These changes will go into production on December 3, 2019. Once in production, these two changes will be retroactive, applying to all assessments with target dates on or after October 1, 2019.
The Quality Improvement Program for Missouri (QIPMO) has published MDS Tips and Clinical Pearls – Volume 7, Issue 1.
In this issue:
Please visit QIPMO’s website here for this and other previous newsletters.
MC5 is gearing up to celebrate 15 years as an organization! We are excited and invite you to celebrate by sharing YOUR story.
Testimonials received from communities, businesses, or individuals will be featured on our website and social media. Send a short written paragraph or short video to MissouriMC5@gmail.com or directly post it on our Facebook Page.
We appreciate your partnership to help us continue our mission to promote and support ongoing collaboration within the adult care continuum to create environments where dignity and value of each individual who lives and works there is respected and celebrated.
November 15, 2019: Shedding Light on Dementia for Family, Friends and Care Givers
Guests: Linda Bump, MPH, RLD
Continuing the conversation on how we can stay in relationship, even when we must “give care” as a family member, friend or caregiver.
In this show, we’ll discuss approaches to support daily activities from self-care, to eating, to pursuing leisure.
In our last conversation, we detailed the five human needs of comfort, identity, inclusion, attachment and occupation. This show will have a special focus on the human need of occupation and will discuss specific ways and techniques to help persons living with dementia continue as much of their normal, daily occupation as possible.
November 21, 2019: Creating Daily Pleasures in Outdoor Spaces: Making It Happen in All Seasons
Guide: Maggie Calkins, PhD, EDAC, Ideas Institute
Panelists: Betsy Miller, Director of Resident Services & Hilary Boucher, Life Enrichment Manager, White Horse Village, Newtown Square, PA and Barbra Hileman, Activity Director, Garvey Manor & Our Lady of the Alleghenies Residence, Hollidaysburg, PA
For you and me, spending time outdoors is a normal part of life, and something we miss when weather and circumstances keep us indoors for extended periods of time. But for residents living in nursing homes and assisted living communities, and even for elders living in their own homes, opportunities to enjoy outdoor living are often rare, even in ideal weather, but certainly when conditions are less than ideal due to cold, heat, snow or rain.
In this webinar, Maggie Calkins, will share WHY being able to enjoy time outdoors is important and HOW caregivers and families can support making it happen. She will discuss the health benefits of spending time outdoors in terms of stress, mood, concentration, sleep and more. She will also explore the differences in designing for active and passive use of outdoor spaces and share creative ideas for non-traditional outdoor elements, from green houses to hydroponic gardening to fishing, golfing and yerts.
And then team members from two Communities will share stories of how they are making it happen, how outdoor living is a part of life for the residents in their homes.
December 19, 2019: This Holiday Season, Give the Gift that Keeps Giving
Guide: Brian LeBlanc, Marketing and Public Relations Executive
Join us for a conversation about how to make the holidays the best they can be not only for persons living with dementia, but for their Care Partners and for each of us.
Brian will share his thoughts on things like: what are some of the most meaningful gifts you can give; how can holiday traditions have a positive effect on individuals; and what are well-intentioned things that people do during the holidays that add to the stigmatization created around elders and those living with dementia.
The resource and tool repository for the National Partnership has been relocated. We wanted to provide an updated link for your convenience.
CORMAC used to send out informational messages to SNFs that were not meeting the SNF QRP APU threshold on a quarterly basis ahead of each submission deadline. Swingtech will now send out these messages. If SNFs signed up for these messages with CORMAC they do not need to sign up again, but anybody who newly signs up for these messages will need to send their request to QRPHelp@singtech.com and must include email addresses they wanted these messages to go to along with the facility name and CMS Certification Number (CCN).
The submission deadline for the SNF Quality Reporting Programs (QRP) is approaching. MDS data for April 1 – June 30 (Q2) of calendar year (CY) 2019 are due with this submission deadline. All data must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on November 18, 2019.
As a reminder, it is recommended that providers run applicable CASPER reports prior to each quarterly reporting deadline, in order to ensure that all required data has been submitted.
Swingtech sends informational messages to IRFs, LTCHs, and SNFs that are not meeting APU thresholds on a quarterly basis ahead of each submission deadlines. If you need to add or change the email addresses to which these messages are sent, please email QRPHelp@swingtech.com and be sure to include your facility name and CMS Certification Number (CCN) along with any requested email updates.
The submission deadline for PBJ is approaching. PBJ data for 7/1/19 through 9/30/19 is due on November 14, 2019. CMS uses PBJ data to determine each facility’s staffing measure on the Nursing Home Compare tool on Medicare.gov website, and calculate the staffing rating used in the Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System. Once a facility uploads their data file, they need to check their final Validation Report, which can be accessed in the Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reporting (CASPER) folder, to verify that the data was successfully submitted. CMS also strongly recommends that nursing homes run the following CASPER reports to review the accuracy and completeness of the data that they have entered: 1700D Employee Report, 1702D Individual Daily Staffing Report, and/or 1702S Staffing Summary Report. In addition, facilities should be running the MDS Census reports that are also available in CASPER to verify that their census is accurate.
More information about PBJ can be found on the CMS webpage www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/Staffing-Data-Submission-PBJ.html.
Please see the most frequently cited deficiencies report from the third quarter of 2019.
Memorandum Summary
Memorandum Summary
In addition, the Technical User Guide has also been updated on the following website: www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/FSQRS.html.
Practice Gratitude: Find Joy
October 16, 2019: Cape Girardeau
October 24, 2019: Columbia
October 29, 2019: Poplar Bluff
October 30, 2019: Kirksville
Awaken Customer Loyalty
October 22, 2019: Chillicothe
November 5, 2019: St. Louis
November 6, 2019: Columbia
Leadership: Eliminating Road Blocks on the Path to Success
October 29, 2019: Kansas City
November 12, 2019: Springfield
November 14, 2019: St. Louis
A revision to the PDPM DLL Package (V1.0003 FINAL) was posted, and the previous version (V1.0002 FINAL) was removed. This version corrects four bugs that were identified after the V1.0002 release. The package contains updated test files and documentation.
QTSO Memo #2019-065 (dated October 4, 2019) contained information related to issues with version 1.0002 (FINAL) of the PDPM DLL Package, and noted that an updated version would be released today (Monday, October 7, 2019).
Version 1.0003 of the PDPM DLL package is now available on the CMS MDS Webpage at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/NHQIMDS30TechnicalInformation.html.
If you have any questions concerning this information, please do not contact the QTSO Help Desk:
CMS is aware of issues with the latest PDPM DLL Package (V1.0002 FINAL). We are targeting to release an updated version on Monday, October 7, 2019, which corrects the identified grouper discrepancies. SNF providers should continue to follow the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) requirements which include, but are not limited to, establishing assessment reference dates for OBRA or PPS assessments that are required/scheduled, including the PDPM Transitional Interim Payment Assessments, assessing residents, and coding the applicable MDS assessments. As per the RAI requirements, assessments should be completed within 14 days and recorded in Z0500. Late submission payment penalties do not apply under the SNF PPS. We will work with providers to ensure that timely payments are made. We will continue to share updates as they become available. In the meantime, providers should not hesitate to contact us. For questions regarding PDPM please send inquiries to pdpm@cms.hhs.gov for information technology questions please send emails to MDSTechIssues@cms.hhs.gov. Please contact your state Medicaid agency for questions related to the Other State Assessment (OSA) and Medicaid payment.