Getting Paid for the Care You Provide: Why MDS Accuracy Is a Leadership Priority
Insights from Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, IPCO, QCP, ICC – Director of Reimbursement and Education, Pathway Health In today’s post-acute care environment, the Minimum Data Set is more than a required assessment. It is a reflection of resident acuity, care delivery, compliance performance, and reimbursement integrity. When the MDS does not accurately capture...
Advance Care Planning for Residents with Dementia
Kathleen T. Unroe, MD – Cornelius and Yvonne Pettinga Professor of Medicine, Research Scientist, Indiana University Center for Aging Research Susan Hickman, PhD, Geropsychologist – Director and Senior Investigator, Investigative Science Division, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute Advance Care Planning (ACP) takes on added complexity when supporting individuals living with dementia. In post-acute and...
When a Key Leader Leaves: Stabilizing the Moment and Strengthening the Future
When a key leader leaves a nursing home, assisted living, or senior living organization, the impact is immediate. Operations can feel uncertain, team members may look for direction, and important priorities such as clinical quality, regulatory readiness, staffing, resident experience, and financial performance cannot pause while recruitment takes place. During these transitions, organizations need more...
Leadership Strategy Is the Difference Between Accident Prevention and F689 Citations
Insights from Colleen Toebe, MSN, CWCN, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, DNS MT – Vice President of Clinical Services As I work with nursing home leaders across the country, one thing is clear: accident prevention is no longer just a clinical priority. It is a leadership, quality, risk management, and survey readiness priority.For Nursing Home Administrators and Directors...
MDS Accuracy Under the Microscope: What SNF Leaders Need to Know Now
Insights from Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, IPCO, QCP, ICC – Director of Reimbursement and Education, Pathway Health MDS accuracy has always mattered, but the level of scrutiny surrounding assessment data continues to increase. For skilled nursing leaders, the MDS is no longer simply a regulatory assessment or reimbursement tool; it is one of...
Navigating the New Antipsychotic Quality Measure: Compliance, Coding, and Five-Star Impact
The January 2026 CMS revisions to the Long-Stay Antipsychotic Quality Measure—now incorporating Medicare Fee-for-Service, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage claims—create a more expansive and sensitive methodology that can trigger the measure even when antipsychotics were not administered during the MDS look-back period. This shift, combined with CMS concerns around underreporting and inaccurate diagnosis coding, places heightened pressure...
Strengthening Abuse Prevention: A Leadership Perspective
Insights from Lisa Thomson, BA, LNHA, HSE, CIM – Chief Operating Officer Abuse prevention continues to be one of the most frequently cited areas in long-term care, consistently appearing in the Top 10 F-Tags nationwide, including F600 – Freedom from Abuse and Neglect. While most organizations have policies and training in place, we continue to...
Strengthening Your First Line of Defense: Leadership Strategies for Claims Review in Today’s Audit Environment
Insights from Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, IPCO, QCP, ICC – Director of Reimbursement and Education, Pathway Health In today’s regulatory environment, nursing home leaders cannot afford to take a passive approach to claims review. CMS has intensified external audit activity—from Targeted Probe and Educate (TPE) reviews to RAC audits—and organizations are seeing significant...
Falls in Nursing Homes: A Regulatory, Clinical, and Leadership Priority
Insights from Nancy Foss, RN, BSN, Director of Regulatory and Consulting Services, Pathway Health Falls remain one of the most persistent and complex risks in long-term care. For administrators and directors of nursing, fall prevention is no longer just a clinical initiative—it is a regulatory, legal, and quality-of-care priority. Federal oversight continues to intensify as...
Leadership, Culture, and the Path Forward: A Reflection for Long-Term Care Administrator’s Week
Insights from Douglas Olson, Ph.D., MBA, NHA, FACHC, Senior Advisor, Pathway Health This time of year is when many organizations are actively executing their 2026 plans, priorities, and goals. For some, the year is off to a strong start. For others, progress is meeting expectations—or perhaps falling a bit behind. In reality, these are the...
