
MDS Academy of Excellence
This high-impact training experience built to sharpen skills and drive excellence in skilled nursing facilities. Through interactive, real-time education, participants gain actionable insights to enhance accuracy, compliance, and team performance.
Open to facility leaders, MDS teams, and interdisciplinary staff, with contact hours available for Nurses.*
We have updated this MDS Academy of Excellence to infuse CMS updates and coding instructions, along with a focus on:
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Optimizing Reimbursement and Accuracy
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Driving Quality Programs
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Organizing and Structuring MDS Department
Register for our current session, running now through May, 2026.
Program and Pricing​
In this five-part series, participants will learn and demonstrate competency in core areas that will assure accurate clinical and reimbursement outcomes propelling your organization for optimal success. Strengthen MDS competency with:
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Mock Coding Scenarios: As MDS consultants, we have collected commonly miscoded items on the MDS and infuse this in training scenarios to bring clarity to MDS Nurses and the IDT.
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MDS Resource Library: Access our complete library of forms, tools and resources that power your MDS Department to be well-organized and efficient while maintaining regulatory compliance.
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Realtime Collaboration: Our experts are here for you. Throughout the program, collaborate live with real-time questions and discussion and see feedback and responses from peers.
Over the course of 3 months, 2-hour training modules will be offered 12:00 - 2:00 pm EDT with interactive pre and post course work. Each course is approved for 2 contact hours for Nurses. A total of 10 nursing contact hours can be earned.*
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This program is COMPLIMENTARY with no cost to participants. These 5 training modules, 10 nursing contact hours*, full resource library and live access to our consulting experts is valued at $500.
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Curriculum
Participants will refine their skills and learn strategies to effectively manage all aspects of the MDS Department with a special focus on:
​Part 1 | March 10, 12:00 - 2:00 EDT
Medicare A Skilling Criteria and PDPM Optimizing Accuracy
Medicare A Requirements
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3-day stay
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60-day spell of wellness
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Advanced Beneficiary Notices
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Skilled level of care
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Physician Certifications and Re-Certifications
PDPM Optimizing Accuracy
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Pre-admission records
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Primary diagnosis
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Predicting CMGs at time of admission
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Tools to predict CMGs/payment
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Interim Payment Assessment
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Documentation compliance
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Huddle meetings
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Collaboration with IDT
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Part 3 | April 14, 12:00 - 2:00 EDT
Quality Measure Management
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QM User Guide
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Accessing and reviewing reports
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Management strategies
Part 5 | May 12, 12:00-2:00 EST
Effective Management and Leadership of the MDS Department
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Leadership and management of MDS department
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MDS completion process
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Accountability with IDT
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Effective meeting management
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Audit and appeals process
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Communication with leadership
Part 2 | March 24, 12:00 - 2:00 EDT
Managed Care and Case Mix
Managing Managed Care
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Insurance reimbursement
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Updates to Case Manager
Case Mix Management
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Medicaid payment calculations
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Reading and interpreting case mix reports
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Case Mix Management
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Tracking case mix
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Proactive reviews
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Part 4 | April 28, 12:00 - 2:00 EST
Quality Reporting Program and 5-Star Rating
Managing QRP
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QRP overview
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Accessing and reviewing reports
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Reviewing reports for accuracy
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Management strategies
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Nursing Home Compare & 5-Star Rating
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Overview of NH Compare
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Overview of 5-star system
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Reviewing facility preview reports

