Nursing Home Survey Exit Conference

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a Survey and Certification letter (S&C 16-11) outlining what surveyors should share with providers at the time of the survey exit conference. While CMS sees the exit conference as both a courtesy to the provider and a way to informally communicate findings in advance of the Statement of Deficiencies (CMS-2567), it cautions that in some instances the findings communicated at the time of the exit are subject to change pursuant to both state and CMS supervisory review processes. 

CMS advises that if the survey team is still deliberating which tags will be most pertinent, the survey team must not speculate at the exit conference as to the specific tag coding that will be applied. For example, the team may still be deliberating whether the finding was a care planning deficiency or staff training deficiency. Similarly, the team may believe that additional consultation should occur with other state personnel (e.g. a pharmacist) before a specific tag number is assigned to the deficiency finding. In these instances, the survey team is directed to describe the general area of non-compliance without identifying a specific tag code.

The S&C letter states that under no circumstances are surveyors to provide Scope and Severity (except in immediate jeopardy) at the exit. 

Contact:  Elliott Frost, efrost@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8832