The RAP Survey funded by the Commonwealth Fund and sponsored by CMS was put
in the mail to all AANAC members yesterday--- so you will be seeing it in
the next few days. Please Do Not Hesitate- Complete the Survey and return
it to AANAC -- The postage is paid! We desparately need your assistance in
Completing this Survey - Thanks! Diane Carter
PS - For further information See Below.
AANAC to Sponsor National Survey on the RAPs on Behalf of CMS: Your Survey
Will be Arriving Soon, Watch for IT!
As many of you know, CMS awarded a contract �Development and Validation of
MDS 3.0� to the Rand Corporation and Harvard University (co-Principle
Investigators, Deb Saliba at RAND and Joan Buchanan at Harvard) in April
2003 to validate MDS 3.0 items by the end of 2004. In the mean time, CMS as
been moving forward with a parallel and connected effort with RAPs. Several
months ago CMS formed a several workgroups to begin a dialogue to improve
and generate new ideas for RAPs.
CMS believes that users of the RAPs such as yourselves are in a unique
position to provide honest feedback. Further, CMS recognizes that
clinicians want to improve nursing care and want the RAPs to be most useful
to the bedside team. The task of the RAPs workgroups has been to take a
fresh look at the RAPs and gather information to advise a RAPs Technical
Expert Panel (TEP). CMS and the Agency for Health Research and Quality
(AHQR) will convene a panel in 2004 to make recommendations on improving,
changing and adding RAPs.
The middle of August AANAC was asked to participate in a RAP Workgroup along
with representatives of AAHSA, AHA, AHCA, CMS, and NCCNHR. We were asked
for the names of three AANAC members to be a part of the workgroup. Peggy
Hamlin, Carol Maher, and Gwen Suntken are representing AANAC. The RAP
Workgroup has been hard at work finalizing a survey to go to MDS
Coordinators across the country. This survey will be used to inform the TEP
as it moves forward with recommendations to improve incorporation of the
RAPs into facility operations.
Most recently, AANAC has been asked to sponsor this effort because we have
the most appropriate audience to provide feedback to CMS on the RAPs
process. We also have means of contacting 5,500 Nurse Assessment
Coordinators. Therefore, AANAC in collaboration with CMS has been approved
for a grant from the Commonwealth to assist with the costs of mailing a
survey to every AANAC member. These surveys are critical to the work of CMS
on the RAPs going forward. It is a huge vote of confidence from CMS that
they will rely on our membership to provide the feedback they need to move
forward and refine the RAPs process. These surveys should be coming the
mail shortly. When you see your survey as an AANAC it is critical that you
complete the survey and return it to us.
Diane Carter, RN, MSN, CS
President and CEO
American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators (AANAC)
Setting the Standard for SNF MDS/PPS Education
1873 S. Bellaire, Suite 800
Denver, CO 80222
800-768-1880
303-758-7647
Fax - 303-758-3588
Email - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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