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July 2, 2020 PANAC CMS Infection Control Survey Session 1
July 2, 2020
PANAC CMS Infection Control Survey
Session 1
2
Series Content
7/02/2020 – Part 1 – Do you have all the
pieces in place for a successful survey
outcome? Review of Infection Control Survey
process and components.
7/10/2020 – Part 2 – Use of tools and best
practices to promote and monitor for
compliance with Infection Control related to
COVID-19.
3
What We Strive For
4
CMS Communication
Nursing home guidance documents
Technical assistance webinars
Weekly COVID-19 Webinars
5
CMS COVID-19 Focused Infection Control Survey
COVID-19 Focused Surveys
March 23, 2020 (QSO-20-20-All) – Prioritization
of Survey Activities
June 1, 2020 (QSO-20-31-All) – COVID-19
Survey Activities, CAREs Act Funding, Enhanced
Enforcement for Infection Control deficiencies,
and Quality Improvement Activities in Nursing
Homes
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FROM:
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop C2-21-16
Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850
Center for Clinical Standards and Quality/Quality, Safety &OversightGroup
Ref: QSO-20-20-All
DATE: March 23, 2020
TO: State Survey Agency Directors
Director
Quality, Safety & Oversight Group
SUBJECT: Prioritization of Survey Activities
Memorandum Summary
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s health care facilities are prepared to respond to the threat of disease caused by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
• On Friday, March 13, 2020, the President declared a national emergency, which triggers the Secretary’s ability to authorize waivers or modifications of certain requirements pursuant to section 1135 of the Social Security Act (the Act). Under section 1135(b)(5) of the Act, CMS is prioritizing surveys by authorizing modification of timetables and deadlines for the performance of certain required activities, delaying revisit surveys, and generally exercising enforcement discretion for three weeks.
• During this three-week timeframe, only the following types of surveys will be prioritized and conducted:
• Complaint/facility-reported incident surveys: State survey agencies (SSAs) will conduct surveys related to complaints and facility-reported incidents (FRIs) that are triaged at the Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) level. A streamlined Infection Control review tool will also be utilized during these surveys, regardless of the Immediate Jeopardy allegation.
• Targeted Infection Control Surveys: Federal CMS and State surveyors will conduct targeted Infection Control surveys of providers identified through collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). They will use a streamlined review checklist to minimize the impact on provider activities, while ensuring providers are implementing actions to protect the health and safety of individuals to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Self-assessments: The Infection Control checklist referenced above will also beshared with all providers and suppliers to allow for voluntary self-assessment of their Infection Control plan and protections.
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Background
CMS is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s health care facilities, providers, and clinical laboratories are prepared to respond to the threat of COVID-19 and other respiratory illness. Specifically, under section 1135(b)(5) of the Act, CMS is prioritizing and suspending certain federal and SSA surveys, and delaying revisit surveys, pursuant to federal requirements for the next three weeks, beginning March 20, 2020, for all certified provider and supplier types. Also, for Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), we intend to prioritize immediate jeopardy situations over recertification surveys, and generally intend to use enforcement discretion, unless immediate jeopardy situations arise. During this three-week timeframe, SSAs and CMS surveyors will prioritize and conduct surveys (including revisit surveys) related to complaints and facility-reported incidents (FRIs) that are triaged at the Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) level, for all allegations, in addition to a review with a Focused Infection Control survey. Federal surveyors will perform targeted Infection Control surveys of facilities in those areas most in need of additional oversight, as identified through collaboration with the CDC and ASPR.
If state or federal surveyors are unable to meet the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) expectations outlined by the latest CDC guidance to safely perform an onsite survey due to lack of appropriate PPE supplies, they are instructed to refrain from entering the /provider, and obtain information necessary remotely, to the extent possible. Surveyors should continue the survey once they have the necessary PPE to do so safely.
The Focused Infection Control Survey is available to every provider in the country to make them aware of Infection Control priorities during this time of crisis, and providers and suppliers may perform a voluntary self-assessment of their ability to meet these priorities.
This shift in approach will allow health care providers time to implement the most recent infection control guidance from both CMS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At the same time, we are doing our duty to protect patients from harm, and ensuring providers are implementing actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Memorandum Summary Continued
• During the prioritization period, the following surveys will not be authorized: Standard surveys for long term care facilities (nursing homes), hospitals, home health agencies (HHAs), intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IIDs), and hospices. This includes the life safety code and Emergency Preparedness elements of those standard surveys; and revisits that are not associated with IJ.
• Furthermore, for Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), we intend to prioritize immediate jeopardy situations over recertification surveys, and generally intend to use enforcement discretion, unless immediate jeopardy situations arise.
• Finally, initial certification surveys will continue to be authorized in accordance within current guidance and prioritization.
8
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop C2-21-16
Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850
Center for Clinical StandardsandQuality/Quality, Safety& OversightGroup
Ref: QSO-20-31-AllDATE: June 1, 2020
TO: State Survey Agency Directors
FROM: Director
Quality, Safety & Oversight Group
SUBJECT: COVID-19 Survey Activities, CARES Act Funding, Enhanced Enforcement for
Infection Control deficiencies, and Quality Improvement Activities in Nursing
Homes
Memorandum Summary
• CMS is committed to taking critical steps to protect vulnerable Americans to ensure America’s health care facilities are prepared to respond to the CoronavirusDisease2019(COVID-19) Public Health Emergency (PHE).
• CMS has implemented a new COVID-19 reporting requirement for nursing homes and is partnering with CDC’s robust federal disease surveillance system to quickly identify problem areas and inform future infection control actions.
• Following the March 6, 2020 survey prioritization, CMS has relied on State Survey Agencies to perform Focused Infection Control surveys of nursing homes across the country. We are now initiating a performance-based funding requirement tied to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act supplemental grants for State Survey Agencies. Further, we are providing guidance for the limited resumption of routine survey activities.
• CMS is also enhancing the penalties for noncompliance with infection control to provide greater accountability and consequence for failures to meet these basic requirements. This action follows the agency’s prior focus on equipping facilities with the tools they needed to ensure compliance, including 12 nursing home guidance documents, technical assistance webinars, weekly calls with nursing homes, and many other outreach efforts. The enhanced enforcement actions are more significant for nursing homes with a history of past infection control deficiencies, or that cause actual harm to residents or Immediate Jeopardy.
• Quality Improvement Organizations have been strategically refocused to assist nursing homes in combating COVID-19 through such efforts as education and training, creating action plans based on infection control problem areas and recommending steps to establish a strong infection control and surveillance program.
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CMS COVID-19 Focused Infection Control Survey
Requirements
Survey
Nursing home reporting requirements
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Components of the Survey
Pre-site preparation
On-site survey
Post-site survey activities
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Pre-site Survey Activity
Review of COVID-19 information submitted by
facility
Review of prior survey activity and outcomes
Review of case status in community
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On-site Survey Activity
Entrance conference
Data collection
Observation
Interviews
Off-site access to health records
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Data Collection
Alphabetical list residents/room numbers
List residents confirmed/presumed COVID-19
Name of Infection Preventionist
List of key personnel
Policies and procedures (ICP)
Emergency plan (includes contingency staffing
plan)
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Observation
Facility access
PPE
Resident gathering/groups
Meal service and staff break areas
Medication pass or treatment
Smoking
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Interviews
Director of Nursing
Administrator
Infection Preventionist
Resident Council President
Direct care staff
Social workers
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Survey Review
COVID-19 Status and plan
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Staffing
Admission and appointment processes
Visitation
Lab agreement
Internal and external communication
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Post-site Survey Activity
COVID-19 related plan, policies and
procedures
Medical records
Family interview
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Outcomes
Best – exit with no findings or deficient
practices
Findings – history of past non-compliance?
Scope and Severity – how serious and how
many does it impact?
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Avoid…
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Infection Control F-Tags
F880 – Infection Prevention & Control
F881 – Antibiotic Stewardship Program
F882 – Infection Preventionist Qualifications/Role
F883 – Influenza & Pneumococcal Immunization
F884 – Reporting – National Health Safety
Network
F885 – Reporting – Residents, Representatives
& Families
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Key Regulatory Resources
CMS Newsroom
April 2, 2020 COVID-19 Long-Term Care
Facility Guidance
CDC Guidance related to COVID-19 in nursing
homes
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Candy Sanchez, RN, NHA, IPCO, CDP Dee Adkins, RN, NHA, RAC-CT, CDP
Manager – Health Care Services Senior Manager – Health Care Services
e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected]
voice: 304.346.0441 or 800.642.3601
Connect with ACT:
Thank you!
