Three key takeaways from the SNN's Clinical Conference: Training, MDS Completion, and Financial Advocacy and the Staffing Mandate.
Two weeks ago, Skilled Nursing News brought together post-acute care leaders and business partners in Tampa for their Clinical Executive Conference. Topics ranged from Medicare Advantage and the pain points these Medicare replacement plans bring to already overburden providers, to AI's role in post-acute care settings. However, one of the most engaging sessions was all about staffing and ways to prepare for the proposed staffing mandate that everyone in the industry has on their minds.
Three Staffing Takeaways from SNN’s Clinical Conference
1. Comprehensive Training is Key: Facilities know that staff training is important for good clinical outcomes, but we don’t talk about training as a retention strategy often enough. Training, mentorship, and discussing career goals is how we show employees they have a future in the long-term care sector. Beyond frontline RNs, LPNs, and Nursing Assistants, training should extend to Nursing Home Administrators, Directors of Nursing (DONs), and other leadership staff. These roles require not only strategic and creative thinking to recruit the best candidates but also deep knowledge of today’s compliance and billing requirements to retain them.
2. Think Creatively About MDS Completion: At Polaris Group, we are huge advocates of thinking creatively about staffing solutions. Our Remote MDS Coordinator Program has helped facilities increase their MDS accuracy and improve their team’s s skill sets. However, this required those facilities to think outside the box and realize remote MDS Assessment isn’t just possible – it’s often preferable. During the conference, I heard some great, creative thinking on how RNs can be used more widely within the facility. However, when it comes to the MDS Coordinator position facilities need to really think before handing a well performing frontline nurse the keys to the MDS Coordinator’s office and pointing them to the RAI manual. A “just get the job done” approach is setting the facility up for failure. The MDS is vital for facility reimbursement and demands the focused attention of a highly trained, competent team member.
3. Financial Advocacy Must Be a Part of the Staffing Mandate: Finally, the session highlighted the financial strains in the industry, with managed care billing complexities, and rising staffing costs posing significant challenges. As much as the staffing mandate is about staffing, at the core it’s about how we’ll fund that staffing. No one disagrees that more staff, higher quality staff, and higher retention would be a good thing. At the end of the day, we have declining reimbursement rates, inflation, and new financial hoops to jump through (for example, the 5-Claim Probe). A staffing mandate can’t be discussed without first agreeing that funding has to be considered. A great place to start is ensuring you are receiving accurate reimbursement for the care provided and that that you can keep that reimbursement if a claim is ever under review.
For additional details on the conference, you can read more of Skilled Nursing News' coverage here.
If you or your facility have questions about training, staffing, MDS completion, or ADR and Appeals support, please don’t hesitate to contact Polaris Group here.
