Full speed ahead: CMS resumes most surveys

CMS surveyors could be on your doorstep tomorrow if you have faced a complaint in the last two months that did not involve an immediate jeopardy to patients, staff, or visitors.

Effective now, CMS surveyors are resuming hospital surveys on the limited basis as set out in a Quality, Safety & Oversight Group memo last August. Up first are uninvestigated complaints, with a target survey within 45 days.

"Onsite revisits are authorized and should resume as appropriate,” according to the memo.

Since January 20, CMS state surveyors were only investigating serious patient safety issues that potentially put patients, staff or visitors in immediate jeopardy, as outlined in QSO-21-13-Hospitals. Most other surveys were on hold as CMS evaluated the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The January memo temporarily suspending all but major CMS surveys was effective for 30 days, with 30-day renewal notices. That last renewal was up March 22.

The full three-page memo on resumption of surveys can be found at www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-21-16-hospitals.pdf.

Editor's note: The article is an edited excerpt published on our sister site, Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare.