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Respiratory Virus Outbreak Toolkit Upate
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has revised the Respiratory Virus Outbreak Toolkit. This was revised on November 24, 2025, from the 2024 version. This is information that is valuable for long term care infection preventionists to have and to use to determine managing respiratory virus outbreaks. This is also valuable information to share with medical directors, administrators, QAPI team members and when developing or revising policies and procedures related to respiratory virus outbreaks in the long-term care facilities. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Respiratory Virus Outbreak Toolkit updated 112425
Quality Measures User’s Manual (v17.0) issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued version 17.0 of the MDS 3.0 Quality Measures User’s Manual which was effective January 1, 2025. The manual was issued to provide guidance regarding changes to measures that were updated by CMS.
NOTABLE CHANGES TO THE MDS QUALITY MEASURES (QM) USER’S MANUAL V17 Guidance on Selecting MDS Section GG Item Columns for Measure Calculation Guidance on the selection of MDS Section GG item columns (e.g., admission, discharge, OBRA/interim) has been revised to clarify that Section GG item values are determined by the target and/or prior assessment’s qualifying reason for assessment (RFA)1. Additional guidance on which GG item column to select when the target and/or prior assessment has more than one qualifying RFA, is also provided. The updated guidance will not have a significant impact on measure calculations.
Changes in Skin Integrity Post-Acute Care: Pressure Ulcer/Injury (CMS ID: S038.02) (CMS Measures Inventory Tool [CMIT] Measure ID: 121)8 This quality measure is calculated using the SNF Quality Reporting Program measure Changes in Skin Integrity Post-Acute Care: Pressure Ulcer/Injury (CMS ID: S038.02). To review the measure logic specifications for CMS ID: S038.02, please refer to the SNF Quality Reporting Program Measure Calculations and Reporting User’s Manual V6.0 on the SNF QRP website9 under the Downloads section at the bottom of the page. The measure logical specifications can be found in Chapter 8, Table 8-3.
The revised manual can be found at: MDS 3.0 Quality Measures User’s Manual v17.0
Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) issued the final rule for FY 2026 for the PPS and consolidated billing for skilled nursing facilities. This final rule finalizes changes and updates to the policies and payment rates used under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for fiscal year 2026. This final rule also updates the requirements for the SNF Quality Reporting Program and the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program. It was finalized on August 4, 2025 and can be found at: Federal Register :: Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
Pennsylvania Medicaid Case Mix Index Reimbursement system Transitions to PDPM
Pennsylvania is transitioning to the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) for the setting of the Medical Assistance (MA) payment rates for nursing homes. This regulation was approved on June 26, 2025 and was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on August 2, 2025.
This change results in nursing facilities no longer being required to complete the OSA (Optional State Assessment). The PDPM replaces the RUG III that has previously been used. The transition is in process and Pennsylvania will utilize the nursing component only of the PDPM. Nursing documentation and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are important support components for the MDS coding for the PDPM for Medicaid Case Mix Index (CMI). Additional information can be found in the RAI Spotlight from August 2025.
2026 Scholarship Program – Applications Now Being Accepted
PADONA 2026 Scholarship Application
Each year, PADONA awards three types of nursing education scholarships for our members in pursuit of learning.  It is only through the generous support of our conference attendees, business partners, and sponsors that we can offer these opportunities.
Primary PADONA members can apply or recommend an applicant for an educational scholarship for any one of the following opportunities:
- Monetary Award towards a nursing degree;
- Continuing Education Award toward the 2026 annual convention attendance; and/or
- Continuing Education Award toward the 2026 annual Leadership Development Course.
Primary members can recommend a family member, friend, or a co-worker who is pursuing a nursing career and /or higher education in a nursing field for a monetary scholarship. Please reference the attached eligibility criteria, requirements for submission, and application.  Applications will be received through January 31, 2026.  Please submit your application packet to Candace McMullen at cmcmullen@padona.com. All required documents for the type of scholarship pursued must be received by the deadline to be considered by the scholarship committee.
Recently approved by-laws 10.17.2025
PADONA by-laws adopted as of 10.17.2025
Dear Members and Business Partners,
Attached are the most recently approved by-laws adopted at our October 17, 2025 meeting. Changes in this version include:
1. Addition of a Vice Chair Position
2. Clarification of the Vendor Advisory Board Members and their appointment process
We appreciate your interest in PADONA and thank you for your work in this post acute environment.
Best,
Candace
Annual Report – CY2024
2024 PADONA Annual Report – FINAL
The attached annual report provides a summary of the organization’s activities for CY 2024. We are deeply grateful for the dedication and support of our staff, board of directors, members, business partners, and all of our supporters for their contributions in helping us achieve our mission.
Credit Card Payments – Change to Current Process
In an effort to ensure your credit card payment information remains secure, we will no longer be utilizing the ‘Credit Card Authorization Form’ to process credit card payments.
Effective today, November 14, 2024, to make credit card payments, please utilize one of the following methods:
1. You can register and submit credit card payment for educational events, such as our webinars and annual conference, directly through our website using Paypal.
OR
2. You can submit your registration form directly to LuAnn White. Once registration is received, LuAnn will generate an invoice that will include a payment link for you to pay directly via credit card.
We will continue to accept checks for payment as well. This change impacts ONLY credit card payments. We appreciate your cooperation with this policy change.
PADONA Comments on CMS Proposal for Minimum Nursing Facility Staffing Standards
PADONA Staffing Comments – CMS 11.06.2023
PADONA submitted the attached comments in response to CMS’ proposed federal minimum staffing requirements. There are serious concerns this proposal will hasten the long-term care crisis in Pennsylvania.
Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual
The final version of the revised Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual has been issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The manual, as well as the final version of the MDS assessment tools (all types of assessments) are available on the CMS website or can be accessed and downloaded on this website. Whether you are the assessment nurse or the assessment nurses report to you as the nurse leader at your nursing home, it is good to have this information as a reference.
For the nurse leader knowing the items that are included in the revised MDS assessment version 1.18.11 provides you the opportunity to know what should be included in medical record documentation as support for the MDS assessment item coding. If the nurses are completing the pain interview with the residents, it is critical for them to know the questions to ask and how they should be incorporated into the person-centered care plan.
Both the revised RAI Manual and the revised MDS assessment tools can be found at this CMS page.
Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual | CMS
Pennsylvania State Regulations – Effective Date July 1, 2023
The revised state regulations, an education power point reviewing the regulations, regulation guidelines and FAQs regarding the revised regulations can be found on the PA state Department of Health website at Regulations (pa.gov).
Federal Trade Commission Proposes Non-Compete Rule
Federal Trade Commission Proposed Rule on Non-Compete Clauses
Background On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to prohibit employers from imposing noncompete clauses on workers. True to their name, non-competes block people from working for a competing employer, or starting a competing business, after their employment ends. Evidence shows that noncompete clauses bind about one in five American workers, approximately 30 million people. By preventing workers across the labor force from pursuing better opportunities that offer higher pay or better working conditions, and by preventing employers from hiring qualified workers bound by these contracts, non-competes hurt workers and harm competition.
Proposed Rule on Noncompete Clauses
Based on concerns about these harms to workers and to competition, the FTC has proposed a rule concerning non-competes.
- The rule would provide that noncompete clauses are an unfair method of competition. As a result, the rule would ban employers from entering noncompete clauses with their workers, including independent contractors.
- The rule would require employers to rescind existing noncompete clauses with workers and actively inform their employees that the contracts are no longer in effect.
- In the proposed rule, for which the agency invites comment, the FTC estimates that the rule would: o Increase workers’ earnings by nearly $300 billion per year o Save consumers up to $148 billion annually on health care costs o Double the number of companies founded by a former worker in the same industry
- The proposed rule seeks public comment on a number of topics, in particular: o Whether franchisees should be covered by the rule o Whether senior executives should be exempted from the rule, or subject to a rebuttable presumption rather than a ban o Whether low- and high-wage workers should be treated differently under the rule
Appendix PP of State Operations Manual (SOM)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has revised the Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual (SOM) with the final issue on October 26, 2022. The revised version includes changes in RED. These revisions were effective October 24, 2022. The revisions are important and should be reviewed to ensure compliance with federal regulations.
Have a Question?
CEO/President
Candace McMullen
(814) 617-1435
cmcmullen@padona.com
Directed in Service & Continuing Education
Sophie Campbell
(724) 601-7873
scampbell@padona.com
Membership
LuAnn White
(814) 599-3717
luann@padona.com
News
- Respiratory Virus Outbreak Toolkit Upate
- Quality Measures User’s Manual (v17.0) issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
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