LTC MDS Coordination (Intake)
We coordinate the MDS 3.0 admission assessment from intake forward for every LTC admit. 5-day PPS ARD selection, 14-day OBRA admission assessment, admission data flow from the intake packet, IDT coordination, and 14-day encoding deadlines. 800+ providers trust us. Pilot in 2 weeks.
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0:48Your MDS nurse is rebuilding the admit chart twice .
Three MDS handoff failures quietly drain SNF and LTC operators every week. Each one starts when the intake packet does not feed the assessment, and each one ends with a late MDS, a payment reduction, or an F-tag at survey.
5-day ARD set without coordination
When the 5-day PPS assessment reference date is picked without intake input, the MDS nurse misses billable therapy minutes and skilled service days. The PDPM rate drops and nobody can rebuild the case three weeks later.
14-day OBRA admission missed
OBRA requires an admission complete assessment with ARD by day 14 of admission. A late or missed OBRA exposes the building to F-tag 637, default billing, and a survey citation that follows the SNF for three quarters.
Intake data never reaches the MDS nurse
Admit diagnoses, medications, code status, and prior care setting sit in the intake packet but never flow into Section A, I, and N of the MDS. The MDS nurse re-interviews staff and rebuilds the chart from scratch.
Tell us about your agency.
Send us your situation and our team will scope the right setup, usually within one business day. No obligation.
What is LTC MDS coordination at intake ?
LTC MDS coordination at intake is a remote MDS coordinator who bridges your intake desk and your MDS nurse the moment a resident is accepted. Not a generic admissions VA. Not a billing clerk. A trained MDS coordinator who maps the 5-day PPS ARD, the 14-day OBRA admission assessment, the IDT meeting cadence, and the encoding deadlines under the CMS MDS 3.0 RAI Manual before the resident reaches the chair.
What your LTC MDS coordinator actually handles, day to day
Pick the MDS handoff gaps that hurt most. Your coordinator absorbs them. Your on-site MDS nurse focuses on clinical judgment, not chart hunting.
5-day PPS ARD selection
Maps the 5-day Medicare Part A ARD window. Captures therapy minutes, skilled service days, and prior-stay carryover so the PDPM HIPPS code reflects every billable day.
14-day OBRA admission
Tracks the OBRA admission complete assessment ARD by day 14. Coordinates Section GG, mood, cognition, and behavior interviews so the assessment closes on time.
Intake-to-MDS handoff
Feeds intake packet data into Section A identifiers, Section I diagnoses, Section N medications, and Section O therapies. No re-interviewing staff. No double data entry.
IDT coordination
Schedules the interdisciplinary team meeting, distributes the assessment summary, and tracks signatures from nursing, therapy, social services, dietary, and activities.
14-day encoding rule
Monitors the 14-day encoding deadline under the CMS RAI Manual. Submits to the state MDS database via the iQIES system on time. Flags late assessments before they post.
Late assessment recovery
When an assessment slips, our coordinator runs the missed-assessment workflow, coordinates default billing analysis with the business office, and documents the cause for the QAPI committee.
F-tag 637 risk monitoring
Tracks OBRA admission timing, complete scheduling, and signature dates against F-tag 637 requirements. Survey-ready audit trail available on request.
PDPM accuracy reporting
Weekly report showing 5-day ARD windows used, PDPM component-level distribution, and HIPPS codes. The business office sees the rate impact, the DON sees the clinical picture.
MDS-trained coordinators, not generic VAs
Most outsourcing companies offer call-center agents and call them "MDS support." We do not. Our MDS coordinators are RAI Manual-tested, Section A through O-trained, and EMR-certified before they ever touch a live admit assessment for your building.
MDS-trained, not generic
Every coordinator passes an assessment on the CMS MDS 3.0 RAI Manual, 5-day PPS ARD rules, 14-day OBRA timing, F-tag 637 triggers, iQIES encoding, and at least one major EMR from PointClickCare, MatrixCare, or American HealthTech before placement.
Stacked compliance posture
HIPAA + SOC 2 Type II + ISO 27001 + HITRUST. Plus alignment with the 45 CFR 164.514 de-identification standard for analytics and 42 CFR 483.20 resident assessment timing. Ask your current vendor for proof of all four. We will wait.
2-Week Risk-Free Pilot
Industry offers no trial. We give you 14 days of live MDS coordination at the same rate. Cancel before day 14, owe nothing. No annual contracts after.
Staffingly vs DIY in-house vs generic VA vs onshore BPO
The real cost math for a single full-time LTC MDS coordination role at a mid-size SNF or LTC operator.
From "let's talk" to live in 1 to 2 weeks
Six steps. Each one is documented. Nothing is mysterious.
Discovery call (15 min)
Tell us which MDS handoff is loudest. Missed 5-day ARDs? Late 14-day OBRA? Intake-to-MDS data gaps? We map it on a shared call. No prep needed from you.
BAA + EMR and iQIES access
Business associate agreement signed. Role-based access provisioned in PointClickCare or MatrixCare. State-level iQIES read access set up so the coordinator can verify encoding status without re-keying.
Workflow shadow (2 to 3 days)
Your coordinator shadows your on-site MDS nurse in NJ, NY, TX, or FL. Section A through O plays captured. IDT cadence locked. ARD picker logic mirrored.
Parallel pilot starts
Week 2 to 3. Your MDS coordinator runs alongside your team. Daily 15-minute sync. You see every 5-day ARD picked, every 14-day OBRA scheduled, every IDT closed on time.
Decision point (end of week 2)
Pilot results reviewed. Go or no-go. No penalty if you cancel. Most operators keep going.
Full handoff, cadence locked
5-day ARD on-time rate, 14-day OBRA closure rate, IDT signature SLA, and iQIES encoding aging KPIs in your inbox. Weekly review with your account lead. Monthly QA audit. Expansion paths discussed.
How your MDS coordinator's day actually looks
A real shift, hour by hour. Times shown in your local time. We rotate coverage so your MDS queue is never dark during business hours.
How Staffingly works, in practice
Inside the workA trained Staffingly specialist works inside your existing platform, with clear escalation back to your team.
One Flat Weekly Rate. No Surprises.
Dedicated senior care schedulers at a fixed weekly cost. Per scheduler FTE, per week. No contracts, no minimums, no hidden fees.
Want to compare against an in-house hire? Use the savings calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the 5-day PPS and the 14-day OBRA assessment?
The 5-day PPS assessment is the Medicare Part A admission assessment used to set the PDPM HIPPS code and drive Part A reimbursement. Its ARD must fall in days 1 through 8. The 14-day OBRA admission complete assessment is required by 42 CFR 483.20 for every long-stay resident and must close by day 14 regardless of payer. Our coordinator tracks both windows separately so neither slips.
How is the 5-day ARD selected?
We pick the ARD that captures the most billable therapy minutes, skilled nursing days, and any prior-stay carryover under PDPM. The ARD picker pulls intake packet data plus the first week of progress notes so the case-mix index reflects the actual care delivered. Final ARD is confirmed with the MDS nurse before the assessment opens.
How is the intake-to-MDS handoff handled?
Admit data from the intake packet flows directly into Section A identifiers, Section I diagnoses, Section N medications, and Section O therapy minutes inside PointClickCare or MatrixCare. The MDS nurse opens the assessment with clean populated fields and skips the chart hunt that usually eats half a shift.
How is the IDT meeting coordinated?
Our coordinator schedules the IDT meeting within the OBRA window. Distributes the assessment summary the day before. Tracks attendance from nursing, therapy, social services, dietary, and activities. Captures the post-meeting signatures and pushes the closure to the MDS nurse for the final review.
What is the 14-day encoding rule?
Under the CMS MDS 3.0 RAI Manual, an assessment must be encoded and submitted to the state MDS database via iQIES within 14 days after the assessment is completed. We monitor the encoding clock daily, submit on schedule, and flag any late assessment for the QAPI committee before it triggers a survey concern.
What happens with a late assessment?
If an assessment slips, we run the missed-assessment workflow. The cause is documented, default billing exposure is calculated with the business office, and the QAPI committee gets a written report. We then close the gap on the next admission with a process correction so the same miss does not repeat.
How is the MDS coordinator role priced?
$399 per FTE per week at single-building rate. $349 at 3+ FTEs (volume). $299 at 10+ FTEs (enterprise). No setup fees. Flat weekly billing. Add or remove FTEs by the week. 2-Week Risk-Free Pilot at the same rate.
How does the 2-Week Risk-Free Pilot work?
You sign a short pilot order at the per-FTE weekly rate. The MDS coordinator runs live work for 14 calendar days. At the end of week 2, you make a go or no-go call. Cancel before day 14, owe nothing. No annual contracts after. Replacement coordinator at no charge if the fit is wrong.
President and CEO, Staffingly, Inc. 25+ years in IT consulting and healthcare BPO operations. One of the earliest US operators to set up an RPO/BPO delivery network in India. Leads AI-driven home care workflows that help agencies, home health providers, and multi-branch operators cut admin cost without compromising care.
