AAPACN 2024 Quality Conference Recording Bundle

Stacy is the Director of Reimbursement Operations. She has more than 19 years' experience in long-term care and is recognized for her expertise in the RAI process, audits, appeals, clinical processes and clinical reimbursement. Many of the nurses she has trained have gone on to become trainers, regional consultants, company leaders and experts in the field. She assisted in forming an MDS Council in Utah to help troubleshoot issues and educate MDS nurses. Stacy loves the RAI process and the MDS. She finds great joy in teaching others the value of the MDS nurse role and how it can impact the lives of the residents they serve. Stacy has served on the AAPACN Expert Advisory Panel since August 2019 and has been instrumental in continuing innovation and quality in the long-term care industry. She has a passion for caring for the elderly and improving the quality of care. 

Carol Maher is a Board Certified Gerontological Registered Nurse who has worked with the MDS since its inception. Carol is an AAPACN Master Teacher for the RAC-CT and RAC-CTA certification classes. She is also a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) who has maintained her certification with continuing education and provides ICD-10-CM training to SNF clients across the country. Ms. Maher has authored and recorded the AAPACN ICD-10-CM Coding Certificate Program for SNFs Plus ICD-10-CM for PDPM and HCPRO’s MDS 3.0 Field Guide. Ms. Maher is the Director of Education for Hansen Hunter & Co., providing MDS and Medicare classes across the country, presenting monthly educational webinars and completing compliance audits.

Jennifer is a curriculum development specialist with AAPACN. She has been involved in the RAI process since 1997 and has been in the post-acute care arena since 1991 serving in a variety of capacities including CNA, charge nurse, MDS coordinator, and regional corporate clinical reimbursement specialist. Jennifer has considerable expertise in the MDS 3.0 and RAI process, the prospective payment system (PPS), and ICD-10, including the clinical and financial aspects.

Tammy Cassidy is a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience in long term care, specializing in MDS and clinical quality. She is also a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and former CMS DAVE2 reviewer. She is a nationally recognized speaker, providing education for many organizations such as AAPACN and state associations. She is proud to be serving the members of the Ohio Health Care Association as the Regulatory Director.  

Judy Brandt brings over thirty-five years’ combined experience to the long-term care industry, with over twenty years in positions of increasing responsibility in nursing facilities as a nurse manager, executive, and consultant. She has been a State surveyor and RAI manager for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She has assisted providers and the United States government as a legal expert in Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases, and other various government initiatives. She often serves on Independent Review Organization (IRO) teams for corporate integrity agreements (CIA) for skilled nursing facilities.

Judy is a past Chair and founding member of the Nurse Assessment Coordination Expert Advisory Panel, and professional coder, competent in assigning CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10. She is a certified director of nursing services (DNS-CT) and a quality assurance performance improvement (QAPI) certified professional (QCP). She is also the principal for Wilhide Consulting, Inc. and serves as an advisor, auditor, and trainer for multiple providers from standalone communities to multi-state chains across the country.

Joel is a veteran of Long Term Care and is currently the EVP ofPAC Regulatory Affairs and Education at Broad River Rehab serving facilities inthe midwestern and eastern US. Joel began his career in LTC as an MDScoordinator and worked for many years as the Director of Clinical Reimbursementand RAI for a group of nursing facilities in the southeast. Joel hascontributed to McKnight’s LTCNews and the AANAC LTC Leader. He has contributed to the NAC CHAT and ASHAVoices podcasts. He serves on the board of the AAPACN Education Foundation andthe AAPACN Expert Advisory Pannel. Joel presents nationally on all subjectsrelated to LTC regulation, the MDS and clinical reimbursement. 

Robin Hillier is a healthcare executive dedicated to post-acute and long-term care. Throughout her career she has been involved in all aspects of nursing facility operations, including ownership roles. She is currently the President of RLH Consulting, which provides operational and reimbursement consulting to providers of skilled nursing, assisted living and intellectual or developmental disabilities. She is a nationally recognized expert on payment system design, quality measurement and the Resident Assessment Instrument.

Jessie is a curriculum development specialist for AAPACN. Previously Jessie worked as the director of clinical reimbursement for a large long-term care organization overseeing 17 clinical reimbursement consultants across 21 states including nearly 300 living centers. She has more than 17 years of long-term care experience including restorative nurse, MDS coordinator, regional clinical reimbursement specialists, clinical reimbursement trainer, and director of clinical reimbursement. Jessie is passionate about developing the skills of nurse assessment coordinators, restorative nursing, and improving residents’ quality of life and care.

Maureen is the President and CEO of Celtic Consulting, a post-acute care consulting firm; and is the CEO of MDSRescue, which provides remote MDS completion services for facilities nationwide. She is a registered nurse with nearly forty years of work experience, including direct patient care, positions held as an MDS Coordinator, Director of Nursing, Rehab Director, and Medicare biller. Maureen combines clinical expertise with regulatory acuity to assist clients with developing sustainable remediation plans.

Maureen serves as the Medicare & MDS 3.0 Advisor for several state affiliates, is advisor to the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC-J13), the Chair for the Board of Directors of the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN) and Immediate Past Chair and member of the Expert Advisory Panel at AAPACN. She serves as the Chair of the Education Committee for the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA), and on the Clinical Practice Committee and Reimbursement Committee for the American Health Care Association (AHCA).

Beckie has over 25 years of long-term care experience and she has served in many roles in long-term care, including Clinical Reimbursement Specialist, wound team leader, staff education coordinator, and as a past member of the Clinical Committee of the American Health Care Association for two years. Beckie is passionate about Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) and believes in teaching the principles of the process to foster positive patient outcomes, not just paper compliance. Beckie has worked the RAI process since 1997, and is able to use her knowledge and experience to teach students how this process, when worked correctly, will foster resident-specific care planning. Beckie has taught the AANAC MDS 3.0 RAC-CT course across the United States for over ten years. She has also been a speaker for a number of prestigious associations, including the New England Alliance and Association of Rehab Nurses (ARN), Florida Association Directors of Nursing Administration/LTC (FADONA), and Maine Health Care Association (MEHCA), the AANAC Annual Conference, and has been a contributor to the AANAC publication, LTC Leader.