The date on the most recent edition of CMS State Operations Manual, Appendix A, now says it was revised as of July 21, 2023. But the latest update only involved one section.
After years of changing and adding new Conditions of Participation (CoP), CMS has finally updated its only guidance for surveyors, State Operations Manual, Appendix A (SOM)....
A new CMS Quality, Safety & Oversight group memo on suicide prevention urges hospitals to go above and beyond to help protect patients from themselves. Accrediting organizations like ACHC and TJC cite resources and offer tools to help.
CMS is worried that hospitals have too much advance notice of when surveyors will be on the premises to audit patient safety practices and identify problems, including those found while investigating patient complaints.
So, jumping back a little in time, I want to loop back to the physical environment “problem list” identified in CMS’ most recent assessment of the survey effectiveness of the various accreditation organizations (AOs) just to, if you will, tie a bow around specific physical environment items...
Keep required documents up to date and ready for surveyors, and have someone within the hospital leadership team available to come in on short notice once your hospital is within six months of its triennial survey date.
Brush up on discharge procedures and requirements, and review communication with post-acute care (PAC) providers, CMS says, including discharges to home health care.
In its ever-increasing strategies to assert control over the accreditation survey process, the good folks at CMS have basically instructed the various accreditation organizations to cease and desist from any practices that might reflect an early warning of a survey visit.
