Preparing for an accreditation or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) certification survey is a significant undertaking, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number and depth of infection control standards to which your facility must adhere. However, with proper preparation you will have a much better chance of not being cited for infection control deficiencies. These surveys are important assessments designed to make sure that a healthcare facility meets all the infection prevention and control Medicare and Medicaid conditions of participation and accrediting agency standards
We work with your facility to develop compliant protocols, processes, and strategies to achieve successful certification and accreditation through trusted survey prep from experienced professionals. There are a wide range of accreditations that facilities could achieve to gain a competitive edge, provide credibility, and showcase a commitment to patient safety. State survey agencies and nationally-recognized health care accreditation organizations strengthen your business from the ground up. ICR can help you with:
Facilities are encouraged to participate in CMS as involvement offers several benefits, such as:
We work with inpatient and outpatient (ambulatory) facilities to prepare for intensive accreditation surveys to:
Although it is ideal to begin preparing for the survey at least four months in advance, we are available to perform a mock survey at any point within the survey window. Infection Control Results audits your facility and identifies areas where improvements may be required. We offer survey prep services to assess your staff’s awareness of infection prevention measures, and the appropriate systems for patient care. It ensures that everyone in the entity will efficiently respond to the surveyor’s questions when they arrive.
Our survey preparation approach is thorough and extensive, so we can ensure our clients get the most accurate results. To achieve this, our consultants use various methods ranging from mock surveys, detailed reports of facility results, and areas of improvement to personalized strategies to eliminate problems, progress check-ins down the line, and post-survey education.
Conduct Mock Surveys
Our team improves the facility’s survey preparation in the following ways:
ICR can gather a comprehensive overview of your facility’s compliance with an accreditation organization’s requirements through detailed reporting. It includes a summary of the facility’s compliance status to include the number of deficiencies found and their severity. A list of recommendations to correct any problematic areas is also provided.
Every pain point, potential shortcoming, and area of improvement is reviewed by ICR to create a personalized plan to help your facility meet its goals and pass the upcoming survey. Our strategy will be developed after a thorough analysis of your facility’s current state and needs. A few of the ways to achieve this is by:
We work hand-in-hand by regularly monitoring staff progress, and preparing for the survey closer to the deadline. As part of our follow-up strategy, we conduct periodic actual or virtual visits to check progress, if desired. This approach aims to ensure that your facility has implemented the recommended changes, and that those changes have been effective in improving patient outcomes.
We also offer a post-survey education program to help bolster compliance. To identify areas for inservice education, we consider the following:
Accreditation is not just about meeting the minimum requirements set forth by a recognized organization. There are many different roles that accreditation plays for facilities with deemed status. These include:
To learn more about how Infection Control Results can help your healthcare facility keep your patients protected from HAIs, call us today at 704-207-7046 or request a consultation at the link below.