SA Responsibility for Staff Training and Development

4003.2 - SA Responsibility for Staff Training and Development (Rev. 1, 05-21-04) 4003.2A - Staff Training (Rev. 39, Issued: 12-19-08, Effective: 12-19-08, Implementation: 12-19-08) All health facility surveyors employed in the Medicare and/or Medicaid programs must successfully complete the Basic Health Facility Surveyor Training Course within the first year of employment. When applicable, the surveyor must also attend laboratory, LSC, ESRD, and other specified training as necessary or required by the Federal government. Each State is responsible for providing continuing education to its surveyors. In conjunction with and subject to the approval of the Regional Training Administrator, each SA must have a procedure for identifying the training needs of its surveyors. Each SA provides the appropriate training through in-service education, State, regional, and/or national conferences, seminars and workshops, and related courses as needed and appropriate within fiscal limitations approved by CMS. The SAs are to assure that surveyors are trained to survey for all regulatory requirements and have the necessary skills to perform the survey. For surveyors of long term care facilities, i.e., nursing homes, CMS is implementing a computer-assisted survey process, the Quality Indicator Survey (QIS), in selected State Survey Agencies to determine if Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes meet the Federal participation requirements. In addition to completion of any other requirements, surveyors of nursing homes in States implementing the QIS are required to successfully complete the additional QIS training requirements described below at §4009F. 4003.2B - In-Agency Training (Rev. 1, 05-21-04) Each SA must have its own program of staff development that responds to the needs of new employees for orientation and basic training, and to the needs of experienced employees for continuing development and education. 4003.2C - Outside-of-Agency Training (Rev. 1, 05-21-04) In evaluating the appropriateness of any outside training activity for survey and certification funding, the SA and CMS must consider the degree to which the benefit to the trainee is applied toward his/her service to the survey and certification program. This is especially important where personnel are serving on a part-time basis.