Drug Regimen Review Quick Guide

Help your clinical team to understand the MDS Drug Regimen Review (DRR) process and to identify clinically significant medication issues that need immediate physician follow-up. Use the Drug Regimen Review Quick Guide tool to shore up your section N DRR processes, improve your QRP results, and improve resident outcomes.  For …

COVID-19 Diagnosis Flow Chart for FY 2023

The complexities of assigning codes for COVID-19 and associated manifestations can be a confusing process. The AAPACN COVID-19 Diagnosis Flow Chart tool uses chapter-specific coding guidance for FY 2023 and will assist the user to ensure all appropriate diagnoses are considered when using the ICD-10-CM coding manual for final code …

Care Planning for Trauma-Informed Care

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, discuss some of the basics of trauma-informed care, what should be in place in skilled nursing facilities, …

A Conversation on Two Technical Expert Panels and the Future Unified Payment Model with Renee Kinder

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Renee Kinder, MS, CCC-SLP, RAC-CT, executive vice president of clinical services with AAPACN Diamond partner, Broad River Rehab, share information about their participation on two technical expert panels and …

SNF VBP Online Resources

CMS has an online home for the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) program that offers multiple resources explaining how the program works. Landing page: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Value-Based-Programs/SNF-VBP/SNF-VBP-Page.html Spotlights & Announcements Scoring Methodology & Payment Adjustment Confidential Feedback Reporting & Review and Corrections Extraordinary Circumstance Exception Public Reporting of SNF VBP …

4 Tips for Surviving the Mental Load of the NAC’s Job

The nurse assessment coordinator’s (NAC’s) job is mentally taxing. There is so much to keep track of—assessment reference dates, when to complete an interim payment assessment, how the case-mix adjusted components impact the Patient-Driven Payment Model and reimbursement, how to code every section of the MDS, when to deliver beneficiary …

SNF Staffing Crisis: The Risks and Impact of Pulling the NAC to the Floor

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, discuss the current staffing crisis in skilled nursing facilities across the country and the potential impact of …

Five-Star Staffing Measures Scoring and Methodology Tool

The July 2022 Care Compare refresh reflected a major overhaul of how the Five-Star Staffing stars are calculated. The staffing domain is now based on six staffing measures, three based on hours per resident day and three based on turnover. Nurse assessment coordinators can use AAPACN’s Five-Star Staffing Measures Scoring …