Attn: All Federally Certified Facilities
IMPORTANT: Guidance related to Emergency Preparedness - CMS Issues Memo: QSO-20-41-ALL Revised June 21, 2021
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issues QSO-20-41-ALL Revised 06.21.2021 (PDF) Guidance related to Emergency Preparedness.
Memorandum Summary
Emergency Preparedness Training and Testing Program Exemption - CMS regulations for Emergency Preparedness (EP) require facilities to conduct exercises to test the facility’s EP plan to ensure that it works and that staff are trained appropriately about their roles and the facility’s processes. During or after an actual emergency, the regulations allow for a 1-year exemption from the requirement that the facility perform testing exercises.
This worksheet presents guidance for surveyors, as well as, providers and suppliers, with assessing a facility’s compliance with the EP requirements, in light of many of the response activities associated with the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE).
As the PHE continues, many facilities continue to operate under their respective activated emergency plans; therefore, CMS is providing additional guidance related to the exercise requirements full-scale functional drills and exercises for inpatient providers and suppliers.
This exemption only applies to the next required full-scale exercise, not the exercise of choice, based on the facility’s 12-month exercise cycle. The cycle is determined by the facility, for example by calendar, fiscal, or another 12-month timeframe.
Questions If you have questions about this information, please contact QSOG_EmergencyPrep@cms.hhs.gov
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