How To Get Through a Survey And Avoid $ 30,000 per day in Civil Money Penalties ( CMPs )
By Kathie Kane
At this year ’ s annual conference , attendees heard in-depth information from the state Department of Health about the survey process and what to expect in the upcoming weeks , months and years .
In their session , Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook – State Survey Edition , presenters Elliott Frost and Sherrie Turano of LeadingAge New York ProCare illustrated concrete strategies for staff to make the survey process easier and more successful .
By the time the time the surveyors are in your building , everything you have done to that point to prepare for the survey will determine the outcome . Have you measured your side rails and mattress height ? What is your plan to reduce antipsychotics ? How are grievances handled and who is your grievance officer ? Review the Phase 1 requirements and fix any you ’ re struggling with before surveyors point them out .
In other words , the time to detect and correct your own problems is before the surveyors arrive !
What is the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS ) Strategy ? 1 . Enhance Customer Awareness 2 . Strengthen Survey Processes , Standards and Training 3 . Improve Enforcement Actions 4 . Promote Quality Improvement 5 . Create Strategic Approaches Through Partnerships Of these , numbers 2 , 3 , and 4 are the hottest issues .
SURVEY READINESS AND MANAGEMENT Yes , there is little consistency from surveyor to surveyor and from region to region but you need to know what is expected in your region from your surveyors . Training staff is your best defense . Be on the floor when the surveyors are in the building . You can ’ t hide from them and even when they are reviewing charts and reading your policies ; they are listening – to your staff and residents . It ’ s a good idea to prepare your staff to say “ Let me get that information for you ” or “ I can get the staff member who has that information to speak with you ” when they don ’ t know the answer to a surveyor ’ s question .
One answer they should not give is :“ I don ’ t know ” or “ that ’ s not my patient .”
COMING IN THE SUMMER OF 2017 Starting this summer is a new survey process where 70 percent of the samples will come from software and 30 percent will be identified by the surveyor . There will be a heavy reliance on interviewing – leading to more fact finding . This is where training , mock surveys and preparation will work in your favor .
PREVENTION VERSUS REACTION The best way to get through your next survey is to prepare , educate and implement . Are you doing internal mock surveys ? Have you thought about crossing over departments ? Don ’ t have your nursing staff review your nursing staff . Rather , cross over and have your activity therapy staff review nursing and compliance and your nursing staff review your food service compliance . Sometimes when you live and breathe a job the way staff does , it is hard to see the little ( and big ) problems in front of you every day .
Contact your ProCare representative for more information on how to prepare for your next survey and you too can save $ 30,000 per day in CMPs .
CMS
Enhance Customer Awareness
Strengthen Survey Processes , Standards and Training
Improve Enforcement Actions
Promote Quality Improvement
Create Strategic Approaches Through Partnerships
18 Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Summer 2017