CMS has recently
issued new S&C letters:
1) Life Safety
Code--Exit Discharge Requirements and the Fire Safety Evaluation
System
I know many of you
have received deficiency citations during a LSC survey for not having paved
exits. This letter clarifies that paving is NOT required--however, if your
exits are unpaved, you must have proof that they are deemed safe by showing that
you've achieved a passing score on a Fire Safety Evaluation for Health
Care. Please read the memo for further clarification. Here is a brief
excerpt:
On
January 10, 2006, the NFPA issued a Formal Interpretation (FI) that states that
the FSES/HC (NFPA 101A, Chapter 4, 2001
edition) can be used to evaluate the level of safety provided for a Health Care occupancy that does not conform
with the provisions of “Discharge from Exits”
(NFPA 101, Section 7.7).
CMS is adopting this NFPA formal interpretation effective
immediately.
2) RAI MDS
2.0 Web-based Training
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/downloads/SCLetter07-03.pdf
The MDS 2.0 WBT is a comprehensive training tool designed to
provide clinicians and other
interdisciplinary professionals with detailed instructions on completing
the Long Term Care RAI, MDS 2.0. The
information contained in the Revised Long-Term Care Facility Resident
Assessment Instrument User’s Manual, MDS
version 2.0 is presented in an interactive and easily navigated manner in the CMS MDS WBT.