Webinar - Team MDS Series: Ongoing Survey and Audit Preparedness9/22/2026
Presented By:
- Eleisha Wilkes, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-CT, RAC-CTA, QCP
- Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP-MT, DNS—MT, chief nursing officer for AAPACN
Contact Person:
Proactive Medical Review and Consulting [email protected]
Course Description:
The RAI/MDS process remains at the heart of quality resident care and regulatory compliance. From ensuring the accuracy of assessments to developing comprehensive and person-centered care plans, the MDS touches every facet of survey and audit readiness. This session will delve into proven strategies for maintaining compliance and excellence, with practical insights for anticipating and managing survey scrutiny from an MDS perspective. Participants will gain tools and techniques to foster a proactive, “always audit-ready” culture within their organization—strengthening both care outcomes and operational confidence.
Learning Objectives
- Identify survey forms and activities applicable to the MDS department
- Review relevant CMS regulatory requirements and Critical Element Pathways
- Implement strategies to promote ongoing MDS accuracy and audit readiness
Course Content
- 10 min: Review applicable information and timeframes related to survey entrance
- 40 min: Overview of regulatory requirements and Critical Element Pathways relevant to MDS
- 10 min: Strategies for ongoing audit readiness
Target Audience: MDS/RAI Coordinators, Nurse Leaders
Instructional Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Program Length: 1 hour
List Learning Objectives: What participants will gain from attending this session:
Content: Bullet-point list of information covered to meet learning objective:
1. Identify survey forms and activities applicable to the MDS department
- Overview of the SNF survey process and MDS department involvement
- CMS survey forms relevant to MDS (e.g., CMS-802, Resident Matrix)
- Entrance conference expectations for MDS coordination
- Documentation and assessment sources surveyors review for accuracy
2. Review relevant CMS regulatory requirements and Critical Element Pathways
- Key federal regulations related to assessment and care planning
- Overview of Critical Element (CE) Pathways used by surveyors
- Care plan review and cross-validation with MDS entries
- Understanding citations (F-tags) associated with MDS/Care Plan deficiencies
3. Implement strategies to promote ongoing MDS accuracy and audit readiness
- Establishing internal MDS audit systems (triple checks, interdisciplinary reviews)
- Pre-submission validation and error resolution
- Developing survey and audit-ready documentation processes