Effective 28 Aug 2012

198.527. Inspectors and surveyors of long-term care facilities — uniformity of application of regulation standards. — To ensure uniformity of application of regulation standards in long-term care facilities throughout the state, the department of health and senior services shall:

(1) Evaluate the requirements for inspectors or surveyors of facilities, including the eligibility, training and testing requirements for the position. Based on the evaluation, the department shall develop and implement additional training and knowledge standards for inspectors and surveyors;

(2) Periodically evaluate the performance of the inspectors or surveyors regionally and statewide to identify any deviations or inconsistencies in regulation application. At a minimum, the number and type of actions overturned by the informal dispute resolution process under section 198.545 and formal appeal shall be used as part of the evaluation. Based on such evaluation, the department shall develop standards and a retraining process for the region, state, or individual inspector or surveyor, as needed;

(3) In addition to the provisions of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this section, the department shall develop a single uniform comprehensive and mandatory course of instruction for inspectors/surveyors on the practical application of enforcement of statutes, rules and regulations. Such course shall also be open to attendance by administrators and staff of facilities licensed pursuant to this chapter.

­­--------

(L. 1999 H.B. 316, et al. § 2, A.L. 2009 H.B. 395, A.L. 2012 H.B. 1608)