MDS Accuracy: It’s Time to Get Back to the Basics

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. All signs point to one universal truth for the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC): MDS accuracy is paramount, says Joel VanEaton, BSN, RN, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, RAC-CT, executive vice president of post-acute care regulatory affairs and education for Broad …

Clinical Judgment for the MDS: Code Sections GG and J with Confidence

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) are often tasked with navigating the complex process of following the Minimum Data Set (MDS) instructions precisely while still ensuring they reflect the resident’s true clinical picture. In many situations, the answer is not …

Extended AAPACN Webinar Q&A: New Year, New Measure: Making Sense of the Long-Stay Antipsychotic Re-Specification

In this LTC NAC Chat podcast episode, Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, and Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, sr. curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, continue the question and answer session from McGill’s recent webinar, New Year, New Measure: Making Sense of the …

Q&A: Can you please clarify “head injury”—the criteria for coding major injury at J1900C?

Question:  Can you please clarify “head injury”—the criteria for coding major injury at J1900C? Answer from Jessie McGill RN, BSN, RAC-MTA, RAC-CTA: CMS did not provide a definition of major injury but instead provided a list of comparable injuries: “Includes, but is not limited to, traumatic bone fractures, joint dislocations/ …

Q&A: When coding height for a resident with bilateral lower leg amputations, do you code the height prior to amputation or after?

Question: When coding height for a resident with bilateral lower leg amputations, do you code the height prior to amputation or after? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: You code the height in the 7-day look-back. If the resident now has bilateral amputations, the height would be measured …

Q&A: If a long-stay resident has a Stage 2 pressure ulcer and it heals, would a Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA) be required?

Question: If a long-stay resident has a Stage 2 pressure ulcer and it heals, would a Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA) be required? Answer from Jennifer LaBay RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC: On page 2-24 the RAI User’s Manual defines a Significant Change in Status as “a major decline …

BFCC-QIO Medicare Advantage Appeals in SNFs Slide Set and Webinar Recording

Medicare Advantage Plan Appeals in Skilled Nursing Facilities Date presented: January 21, 2026 In this webinar, Acentra Health provices a look at a recent focus study on how Medicare Advantage plans use NOMNCs in SNFs. During the webinar, we shared key data, outlined common challenges such as weak care planning, limited …

Sleep Medication Linked to Safer Outcomes Than Antipsychotics For Older Adults With Delirium

Press release Nationwide study finds lower risk of death and rehospitalization among older adults treated with trazodone after hospital admission. A large U.S. study suggests that older adults hospitalized with delirium may experience better outcomes when treated with trazodone, commonly used to treat depression and sleep problems, rather than commonly …

Geriatric Fast Facts Website

Site description: This site includes accessible, concise, and clinically relevant educational reports and podcasts on Geriatric topics. Geriatric Fast Facts (GFFs) are designed to provide concise, practical, evidence-based summaries of key health care issues important to teaching clinicians and trainees who care for older adults. GFFs are co-authored by multi-specialty …

How to Advance Your Career as a Nurse Assessment Coordinator (NAC) – Part Four: Expert Level

Becoming an expert-level nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of years of experience, continuous learning, and navigating complex clinical, regulatory, and reimbursement challenges with confidence. At this stage, expert NACs are often the go-to leaders in their organizations—trusted for their judgment, relied on for their expertise, …