Look for us at These Upcoming Seminars and Trade Shows:
FHCA/FCAL Annual Conference-Orlando, FL: August 3-7
IHCA-Peoria, IL: September 8-11
VHCA-
Richmond, VA: September 16
RI Healthcare Association
September 30
ChemRX- Albany, NY: October 2
AHCA/NCAL- Nashville, TN: October 5-8 |
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| Harmony Employment Connections Corner
Do you have Open Positions you are Looking to Fill?
Are you Actively Looking for a New Position?
Email us to Help You Fill Your Openings or Help You Find an Available Position.
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MDSC Positions Available:
*Boston/North
*Tennessee/South
MDSC Staff Available:
MA * RI * NY * TX
Administrators
Available:
ME * NH * MA
Other Open Positions
*Central MA:
RN LTACH Documentation Specialist
*Colorado/NE: MDSC, RN, LPN & RCS
*Full Time SNF PT Positions Available:
Melrose, MA
Harwich, MA
Brewster, MA
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| Increase Your Medicare Part A Rate, Case Mix & Length of Stay!
Prevent Denials...
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Email us for a FREE Analysis of Your Facility.
Identify Areas of Opportunity to
Increase Revenue
Identify Non-Compliant Charting
Identify Strategies to Provide the Best Care to Your Patients.
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Join Our List
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Notes from the desk of our CEO Kris Mastrangelo |
Does Your Nursing Documentation Depict Skilled Wound Assessments?
Part I
When assessing a wound the licensed professional must factor in an assessment of the patient with the wound, not just the wound itself. Describe the patient's current well being, complaints of pain and other factors which affect wound healing such as positioning, nutrition and voiding.
When completing dressing changes or treatments to wounds, the nursing documentation should include the current assessment of the wound. If the dressing is not being changed an assessment of and description of the dressing and the skin around the dressing should be documented.
It is important to monitor and track or reassess wound status to identify signs and symptoms of complications of failure to heal as early in the process as possible. Early intervention improves the likelihood of resolving complications successfully and getting the healing process back on track.
Every 8 hours comprehensive nursing documentation should indicate minimally answers to the following questions:
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What is the location of the wound?
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Is the dressing intact?
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Is there drainage on the outside of the dressing material?
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Is there any odor from the wound? A non-infected wound usually produces little to no odor (exception hydrocolloid dressings).
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Is the wound / area surrounding the wound or dressing, red, hot or swollen? The color of skin around the wound can alert you to problems. White skin indicates maceration, too much moisture, may need a protective barrier around the wound or a more absorbent dressing. Red skin can indicate inflammation, infection / excessive pressure. Purple skin can indicate bruising / trauma.
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Is there soreness out of proportion to what should be present given the patient's medical history and the progression and etiology of the wound?
When changing dressings or completing ordered wound treatment, assess and document the current wound status. Assess the wound bed and the surrounding skin only after they have been cleaned (according to facilities policy).
Wound healing is dependent on a team approach. A weekly Beneficiary Review meeting / Medicare meeting is the perfect forum to discuss the skilled needs of patients with wounds. Therapy staff should discuss strategies utilized during treatment sessions to address wound healing in their documentation.
(Source: Excerpts taken from Wound Care 2007, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.)
We would love to hear from you! Feel free to respond to this e-mail with any features, tips or other information you would like us to cover in future Newsletters.
Become RAC-CT certified!
Harmony Healthcare Hosts the AANAC MDS Certification Program in September, 2008.
Join us and Rena Shephard, AANAC founding Chair and Executive Editor, for this 3-day program.
We are now accepting registrations.
Space is limited.
Check out our AudioConferences Offered this Summer listed below. |
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HARMONY UNIVERSITY |
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AANAC MDS Certification Program
September 30 - October 2, 2008
August 7, 2008
Please note date change from August 8th.
Administrator's / DON's Guide to the MDS
One-Hour AudioConference
This conference discusses fine points of the MDS that SNF management needs to know to increase reimbursement and manage the MDS team in their building.
Learn:
- Strategies for Increasing Revenue through the MDS Process.
- Case Management Strategies for Rate Preservation.
- Analyze the Resource Utilization Group in Relation to the Rate of Reimbursement.
- Prevent Inaccurate Assessments & More Valuable info!
August 20, 2008
Medicare Nursing / Therapy Documentation in a SNF
One-Hour AudioConference
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT
This course will focus on indentification of skilled care terminology as well as what qualifies as skilled care.
Course Contents:
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Summarize Universal Documentation Guidelines.
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Determine Skilled Care.
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Identify Skilled Care Terminology.
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Compose Documentation that Exemplifies Skilled Care.
Full Day CEU Courses Scheduled at
Harmony Univsersity This Fall:
9/18/08
Therapeutic Handling / Execution and Documentation in a SNF
9/25/08
MMQ, MDS, PPS; A United Front
9/30/08 - 10/2/08
AANAC RAC-CT Certification Course
For inquiries, to Signup for Seminars, Complete list of Seminars or to Request a Brochure Containing a Full Description and Seminar Fees:
Contact Sue at: 1-800-530-4413, Ext. 21
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Sincerely,
Elisa Bovee
Director of Education and Training
Harmony Healthcare
1-800-530-4413 x20 | |
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