Failure to Timely Transmit MDS Assessments
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to transmit Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments to the State within the required 14-day period for four out of five residents reviewed. Specifically, quarterly and significant change MDS assessments for several residents were not transmitted until well after the assessment reference dates, as evidenced by the MDS Submission Reports. For example, one resident's quarterly MDS assessment was not transmitted until nearly a month after the assessment reference date, and another resident's significant change assessment was transmitted 15 days after the assessment reference date. These delays were confirmed through record reviews and staff interviews. Interviews with facility staff revealed that the late transmissions were due to turnover in the MDS staff, with the previous MDS Coordinator not completing transmissions in a timely manner. The facility had recently hired a new MDS Coordinator, but the late transmissions occurred during the period of staff transition. The Administrator acknowledged that the assessments should have been transmitted within the required timeframe.