Candice Whitaker

Organization: 8-ADVS

Candice Whitaker is the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services Regional MDS Coordinator. She oversees nurse assessment coordinators, ensuring they follow state and federal regulatory guidelines.

Candice is accountable for coordinating and managing the full collaborative, interdisciplinary assessment and care planning process in post-acute care, long-term care, and skilled nursing facilities. The ultimate goal of the assessment and care planning process is to promote the Veterans’ quality of care and life including individuality, safety, wellness, satisfaction, and dignity. She follows person-directed care and facilitates this through the assessment and care planning process.

She is responsible for overseeing and attesting to the completion of the Minimum Data Set (MDS), which is the key driver for Medicare payment and Medicaid reimbursement systems. Along with the coordination of care delivery by applying advanced nursing clinical skills, completing assessments, analyzing data, educating team members, and coordinating the exchange of Veteran information across the care settings.

Candice has worked in the healthcare industry since 2006 with 11 years in Long Term Care, Specialty Care units, and Skilled Long Term Facilities as a floor nurse, charge nurse, and as an MDS coordinator.

Candice holds a Bachelor degree in Science Nursing from Clarkson College Omaha, Nebraska.