Can I schedule my survey?
How should I prepare for my survey?
What if I’m not ready for the survey?
Do surveyors show up on holidays?
What if I have plans to be out of the office?
What if I have an emergency and need to step out of the office during my regular business hours?
Does the facility owner need to be present during the survey?
Can I schedule my survey? The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires that all surveys be unannounced. On-site surveys will be conducted during your facility’s posted business hours, as indicated on your application. By submitting your application, you declare yourself ready for an on-site inspection at any time. ABC will not reschedule a survey because of conflicts or the unavailability of certain staff members.
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How should I prepare for my survey?To understand what the surveyors will be looking for, please make sure you have a copy of the ABC Accreditation Standards. The standards manual will give you an overview of what ABC surveyors look for when they inspect your facility. The standards can be downloaded by clicking here.
What if I’m not ready for the survey?Please do not submit your application until you are ready for your onsite survey.If you have already submitted your application and believe you are not ready for your onsite review, ABC recommends placing your accreditation application on hold until you are comfortable with the preparedness of your facility. Please be advised that placing your application on hold takes you out of the survey process and resets your application date to the date you come back into active status. You must request on hold status in writing with at least 10 business days advance notice. Furthermore, when your site is available to be surveyed again, you must also notify ABC in writing. The maximum length of time ABC can hold your application is six months from the date of your notification. If communication is not received by the six month deadline, your facility will have to resubmit an application and appropriate fees.
Do surveyors show up on holidays?No, surveyors will not conduct surveys on major holidays or holiday observation days.
What if I have plans to be out of the office?Per CMS, all on-site surveys must be unannounced. However, if you plan on being out of the office, you may request blackout dates. All requests for blackout dates must be in writing with at least ten business days advance notice. Black-out periods can only be for a maximum of two consecutive weeks. If you wish to have a longer black-out period, you must put your application on hold. Hold requests must also be made in writing with at least ten business days advance notice. Please note that ABC will attempt to honor these types of requests but this is not always possible. You can fax these requests to (703) 836-0838 or you may mail them to 330 John Carlyle St, Ste 210, Alexandria, VA 22314, to the attention of Facility Accreditation.
What if I have an emergency and need to step out of the office during my regular business hours?ABC recommends that facilities have contingency plans for all emergencies. However, if another individual is not available to be present at the facility, the facility should place a visible note outside their door with contact information (name, cell phone number) and the time of return so that if the surveyor arrives during your absence, they can contact someone to return to the facility.
Does the facility owner need to be present during the survey?No. As long as someone can allow the surveyor on site, answer questions, and access paperwork, the owner is not required to be present.
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If you have questions or need more information about the Facility Accreditation program, contact
Christine MichaelAccreditation Coordinatorcmichael@abcop.org(703) 836-7114 x 250
Carolyn WrightStandards and Compliance Specialistcwright@abcop.org(703) 836-7114 x 248
Chrissy HeckenbergDirector, Facility Accreditationcheckenberg@abcop.org(703) 836-7114 x 223
Tammi RichardsManager, Facility Accreditationtrichards@abcop.org(703) 836-7114 x 230
Paolo AstorgaFacility Accreditation Assistantpastorga@abcop.org(703) 836-7114 x 205
Kyle SinsAssistant Standards andCompliance Specialistksins@abcop.org(703) 836-7114 x 200