After two years in pandemic mode, many skilled nursing providers are still hoping for a routine visit from surveyors. Thousands need a fresh chance to improve ratings.
When a major government watchdog blasted the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in January for a lack of timely survey activity, it detailed extensively what providers on the ground were experiencing — or more accurately, not experiencing.
“We know the surveyors are late,” says Melanie Tribe-Scott, RN, RAC-MT, director of quality initiatives for Zimmet Healthcare Services Group. “Facilities know they’re really, really late.”
Although some states have a history of extending standard surveys beyond the 15 months expected by federal regulators, Tribe-Scott calls the stats of the last two years “mind-boggling.”
