Survey procedures | NJ

SURVEY PROCEDURES

 

8:43E-2.1       Scope and types of surveys

 

  • The Department, or another State agency to which the Department has delegated the authority for conduct of surveys either partially or fully, may conduct periodic or special inspections of licensed health care facilities to evaluate the fitness and adequacy of the premises, equipment, personnel, policies and procedures, and finances, and to ascertain whether the facility complies with all applicable State and Federal licensure regulations and

 

  • The Department or its designee may also conduct periodic surveys of facilities on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or other Federal agency for purposes of evaluating compliance with all applicable Federal regulations or Medicare and Medicaid certification

 

  • The Department may evaluate all aspects of patient care, and operations of a health care facility, including the inspection of medical records; observation of patient care where consented to by the patient; inspection of all areas of the physical plant under the control or ownership of the licensee; and interview of the patient or resident, his or her family or other individuals with knowledge of the patient or care rendered to him or

 

  • All information pertaining to an individual patient shall be maintained as confidential by the Department and shall not be available to the public in a manner that identifies an individual patient, unless so consented to by the patient or pursuant to an order by a court of

 

  • The Department may conduct a survey of a facility upon the receipt of complaint or allegation by any person or agency, including a patient, his or her family, or any person with knowledge of the services rendered to patients or operations of a

 

  • The Department may evaluate the quality of patient care rendered by a facility through analysis of statistical data reported by facilities to the Department or other agency, or by review of reportable event information or other notices filed with the Department pursuant to regulation. Upon receipt of information indicating a potential risk to patient safety or violations of licensing regulations, the Department may conduct a survey to investigate the causes of this finding, or request a written response from the facility to ascertain the validity of the data and to describe the facility’s plan or current actions to address the identified findings.

 

  • Following a reasonable opportunity for facilities to review and comment on the validity of the Department’s statistical data related to the quality of patient care by facilities, the Department may make such information, as appropriately amended available to the

 

8:43E-2.2       Deficiency findings

 

  • A deficiency may be cited by the Department upon any single or multiple determination that the facility does not comply with a licensure regulation. Such findings may be made as the result of either an on-site survey or inspection or as the result of the evaluation of written reports or documentation submitted to the Department, or the omission or failure to act in a manner required by regulation.

 

  • At the conclusion of a survey or within 10 business days thereafter, the Department shall provide a facility with a written summary of any factual findings used as a basis to determine that a licensure violation has occurred, and a statement of each licensure regulation to which the finding of a deficiency

 

8:43E-2.3       Informal dispute resolution

 

  • A facility may request an opportunity to discuss the accuracy of survey findings with representatives of the Department in the following circumstances during a survey:

 

  1. During the course of a survey to the extent such discussion does

not interfere with the surveyor’s ability to obtain full and objective information and to complete required survey tasks; or

 

  1. During the exit interview or other summation of survey findings prior to the conclusion of the

 

  • Following completion of the survey, an acute care facility may contact the Inspections, Complaints and Compliance Program and a long term care facility may contact the Long Term Care Assessment Survey Program to request an informal review of deficiencies cited. The request must be made in writing within 10 business days of the receipt of the written survey findings. The written request must include:

 

  1. A specific listing of the deficiencies for which informal review is requested; and

 

  1. Documentation supporting any contention that a survey finding was in

error.

 

  • The review will be conducted within 10 business days of the request by supervisory staff of the Inspections, Complaints and Compliance Program or the Long Term Care Assessment Survey Program, as applicable, who did not directly participate in the survey. The review can be conducted in person at the offices of the Department or, by mutual agreement, solely by review of the documentation as submitted.

 

  • A decision will be issued by the Department within seven business days of the conference or the review, and if the determination is to agree with the facility’s contentions, the deficiencies will be removed from the record. If the decision is to disagree with the request to remove deficiencies, a plan of correction is required within five business days of receipt of the decision. The facility retains all other rights to appeal deficiencies and enforcement actions taken pursuant to these

 

8:43E-2.4       Plan of correction

 

  • The Department may require that the facility submit a written plan of correction specifying how each deficiency that has been cited will be corrected along with the time frames for completion of each corrective A single plan of correction may address all events associated with a given deficiency.

 

  • The plan of correction shall be submitted within 10 business days of the facility’s receipt of the notice of violations, unless the Department specifically authorizes an extension for Where deficiencies are the subject of informal dispute resolution pursuant to N.J.A.C. 8:43E-2.3, the extension shall pertain only to the plans of correction for the deficiencies under review.

 

  • The Department may require that the facility’s representatives appear at an office conference to review findings of serious or repeated licensure deficiencies and to review the causes for such violations and the facility’s plan of correction.

 

  • The plan of correction shall be reviewed by the Department and will be approved where the plan demonstrates that compliance will be achieved in a manner and time that assures the health and safety of patients or residents. If the plan is not approved, the Department may request that an amended plan of correction be submitted within five business days. In relation to violations of resident or patient rights, the Department may direct specific corrective measures that must be implemented by