According to the release, the HHS plans to use funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to “implement the nationwide application of a new infection control survey tool developed in consultation with CDC and a case tracer methodology that tracks a patient’s care from admission to discharge.”
A CMS/CDC pilot test of centers in Maryland, Oklahoma and North Carolina in 2008 showed “superior” results in the detection of deficient infection control practices. ASCs were chosen due to “likely continuing infection control deficiencies in this setting,” according to the report.
The Recovery Act funds will be used to pay for the expansion of the ASC surveys in quality, time and number and will allow states to hire additional surveyors. According to the report, the CMS will plan to survey centers at a rate of once every three years as opposed to every 10-14 years as is currently the case.
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