CMS to Resume Routine
Nursing Home Inspections
August 18, 2020

Resumption of Normal Survey Process 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will resume routine inspections to improve the safety and quality of life of patients and residents. CMS had previously suspended certain routine inspections as part of its response to COVID-19.
CMS directed the resumption of onsite revisit surveys, nonimmediate jeopardy complaint surveys and annual recertification surveys as soon as resources are available.

Resolving Enforcement Cases
CMS intends to resolve those enforcement cases that were suspended and provide guidance for closing them out. This process involves four components:
  1. Expanding the Desk Review policy for Plans of Corrections (POCs);
  2. Processing enforcement cases that were started before March 23, 2020; 
  3. Processing enforcement cases that were started on March 23, 2020, through May 31, 2020; and 
  4. Processing enforcement cases that were started on or after June 1, 2020.

Updated COVID-19 Laboratory Survey Activities
CMS updated guidance for the re-prioritization of routine State Survey Agency (SA) Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) survey activities, subject to the SA’s discretion.

CLICK HERE to view the memo in its entirety.
CLICK HERE to view the updated toolkit for nursing homes.
CMS-CDC COVID-19 Prevention
Training Series
The new CMS-CDC Fundamentals of COVID-19 Prevention for Nursing Home Management 13-part training series will be available in an on-demand, prerecorded format with the first session (Cohorting Strategies) accessible on 8/20/20.

Additionally, CMS and CDC will have subject matter experts available on bi-weekly Q&A sessions through early January 2021 to answer questions you may have about the trainings.

CLICK HERE to access the training series (beginning 8/20/20).
CLICK HERE to sign up for updates including new training releases, resources, and tools.
CLICK HERE to register for upcoming Q&A sessions.