MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital

NATIONAL REHABILITATION SUCCESSFULLY ADAPTED TO THE NEW CMS REGULATIONS

The Measurable Impact of MediServe

Since the implementation of MediLinks^® Inpatient, National Rehabilitation Hospital has been able to further strengthen its compliance by:

• Quickly responding to regulatory changes within the industry
• Easily monitoring compliance to crucial regulations
• Providing auditors with thorough and legible documentation

Conforming To New Regulations

In 2010, the CMS Final Rule guidelines brought on a considerable amount of change throughout the rehabilitation industry. Rehabilitation facilities across the nation had to quickly adapt and conform to the new requirements.

MNRH implemented MediLinks Inpatient in July 2009 and leveraged the functionality the solution offers to help them adapt to the 2010 Final Rule guidelines. Once CMS released the 2010 Final Rule, management and staff immediately began implementing the necessary changes to their processes. According to Nancy DiBenedetto, AVP of Information Systems, “Having MediLinks definitely allowed us to quickly respond to the 2010 Final Rule changes.”

With MediLinks, MNRH has been able to easily measure the success or failure of complying with the Final Rule in many different ways. For instance, Medilinks’ compliance reporting has helped keep staff on track when it comes to meeting CMS requirements. “The Four Day Report allows us to be proactive and make sure our physicians and clinical team are meeting timeline requirements,” stated DiBenedetto. The standardized methodology MediLinks provides has helped MNRH refine their processes to drive efficiency and accuracy. Therefore, when MNRH learned they were going to be audited by their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), they were confident their processes would meet CMS’ requirements.

Ready For An Audit

In April 2010, MNRH experienced their first MAC audit since the 2010 Final Rule was put into action. The branching logic and IRF PAI scoring process within MediLinks helped make it possible for MNRH to have all the key information in place, and made preparation for the audit less stressful. The Highmark^® auditors requested 19 charts, which they scoured for medical necessity. They specifically reviewed the IRF PAI scores, pre-admission screen, post-admission assessment and the individualized plan of care. Feedback from the auditors was very favorable. They were impressed with the organization and legibility of the charts.

MNRH was very pleased with the results of the audit. “MediLinks proved to be a valuable tool – helping us quickly respond to regulatory requirements, easily monitor compliance and proactively prepare for audits,” explained DiBenedetto.
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