2026 Critical Access Hospital Conditions of Participation: Oct. 23

Date: October 23, 2026 Time: 8:00 AM

Location:

Webinar: 8-12:15 p.m.

New for 2026: Same Comprehensive Content, Fewer Sessions
Previously delivered in five two-hour webinars, the full 10-hour curriculum is now offered as a three-part intensive webinar series. You’ll receive the same content in fewer sessions, with related topics grouped together for an integrated learning experience.

Registration:

Register for individual sessions or save approximately 10% by registering for the full 10-hour series. Fees reflect session length: October 23 and October 30 are four-hour intensive sessions, while November 6 is a two-hour webinar.

IHA Member HOSPITAL Registration
Four-Hour Webinars (Oct. 23 or 30) - $395 per webinar
Two-Hour Webinar (Nov. 6) - $195 per webinar
Full 10-Hour Series (Discounted Rate) - $895

IHA Member HEALTH SYSTEM Registration
Four-Hour Webinars (Oct. 23 or 30) - $795 per webinar
Two-Hour Webinar (Nov. 6) - $395 per webinar
Full 10-Hour Series (Discounted Rate) - $1,795

Non-Member HOSPITAL Registration
Four-Hour Webinars (Oct. 23 or 30) - $795 per webinar
Two-Hour Webinar (Nov. 6) - $395 per webinar
Full 10-Hour Series (Discounted Rate) - $1,795

Non-Member HEALTH SYSTEM Registration
Four-Hour Webinars (Oct. 23 or 30) - $1,595 per webinar
Two-Hour Webinar (Nov. 6) - $795 per webinar
Full 10-Hour Series (Discounted Rate) - $3,595

Hospital Registration
Applies to a single hospital location. All internal units and departments at that location may participate under one registration.

  • Example: Hospital A selects Hospital Registration and provides access to its own departments only. Affiliates or other facilities may not use this registration.

Health System Registration
Applies to an entire health system, including corporate offices and all affiliated hospitals. All units and departments within the registered system may participate.

  • Example: Health System B selects Health System Registration and provides access to every affiliated hospital and its corporate teams.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revises its Conditions of Participation (CoPs) regularly, challenging hospitals to adapt their processes to keep pace with evolving regulations and avoid costly citations. For Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), staying in compliance means mastering a 300-plus page State Operations Manual, absorbing constant updates from CMS, and navigating new survey protocols and interpretive guidelines. Your hospital’s compliance strategy must continually evolve to keep pace with new regulations and the latest standards of care.

Over the past year, CMS has updated CAH regulations and guidelines in several key areas, including emergency preparedness, nutritional services and care for obstetrical patients, even at CAHs without organized obstetrical services. Although the CAH manual does not include a dedicated Patient Rights section, CAHs must still maintain a safe care environment and uphold all patient rights.

This series will address recent regulatory changes affecting infection prevention and control, Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement, and discharge planning, as well as requirements that lack interpretive guidelines. You’ll also examine key compliance requirements related to nursing care plans, medication management, informed consent, and required policies and procedures.

Nationally recognized regulatory expert Nancy Ruzicka, BS, RPh, MBA, MJ, CHC, will lead this 10-hour intensive webinar series designed for CAH leaders and staff. Across three sessions, Ruzicka will walk you through what’s required, what’s new and where CAHs may be most at risk.

Why Attend?
Maintain compliance and minimize your risk of survey citations. Attend to learn the latest CMS requirements and stay survey ready. 

Whether you’re managing patient rights compliance, preparing for a routine recertification survey, or dealing with an unexpected complaint investigation, this program will give you the knowledge, tools, and confidence to lead your next survey or handle your next unexpected complaint investigation with certainty. You’ll receive practical compliance strategies tailored for CAHs, with each of the three sessions offering insights into the most commonly cited deficiencies in Illinois and across the nation.

What You’ll Learn
Each session will provide a deep dive into the full CAH manual, focusing on:

Frequently cited CoPs in Illinois CAHs:

  • Patient Rights, including restraint use

  • Physical Environment including Life Safety Code and Maintenance

  • Emergency Preparedness

  • Swing Bed Services

Regulatory changes and upcoming revisions:

  • Emergency Services and Transfers for Obstetrical Emergencies (2025-2027)

  • Patient Rights

  • Nutritional  Services

  • Infection Prevention Program

  • Antibiotic Stewardship Program

  • Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI)

  • Updated Swing Bed Requirements (including Appendix PP tags)

Agenda

Webinar 1 (Four Hours)
This webinar will focus on the provision of emergency services, CMS expectations for observation status, unique characteristics of a CAH, and available resources and methods to maintain current knowledge of the regulations. The second half will focus on CAH CoPs for organizational structure and governing body, physical plant and environment, and emergency preparedness requirements. 

Webinar 1 Topics

Part 1

  • General Information

  • Memos

  • Recent Regulatory and Interpretative Guideline Changes

  • Emergency Services

  • Observation Status

  • Most Frequently Cited Deficiencies

Part 2

  • Physical Plant and Environment

  • Emergency Services

  • Governing Board 

  • Organizational Structure

Objectives

At the conclusion of part one, participants should be able to:

  • Describe changes in emergency readiness requirements.

  • Discuss recommendations to do a gap analysis to ensure compliance with all hospital CoPs.

  • Explain emergency preparedness training requirements.

  • Describe telemedicine contract requirements.

  • Explain the required duties of the MD/DO and the ARNP or PA.

  • Explain the most frequently cited Illinois CAH deficiencies.

Who Should Attend

The series will benefit CAH leaders and staff organization-wide:

  • Hospital administration (CEOs, COOs, CMOs, CNOs) 

  • Compliance, accreditation and regulation

  • Quality improvement 

  • Risk management

  • Facility management

  • Infection preventionists and infection prevention committee members

  • Healthcare attorneys

  • Health information management

  • Directors of radiology, laboratory, emergency department, outpatient care, rehabilitation (OT, PT, speech pathology and audiology) and operating room

  • Clinical leaders including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and dieticians

Speakers

Nancy M. Ruzicka BS, RPh, MBA, MJ, CHC
Owner, Ruzicka Healthcare Consulting
A recognized expert, Ruzicka focuses on state and federal rules, regulations, and interpretative guidelines. She provides consultation to individual client hospitals, nursing facilities, rural health clinics, physician offices and other Medicare-certified healthcare providers through onsite mock surveys, remote consultation and interpretation of Medicare Conditions of Participation. Ruzicka also provides education on federal regulations throughout the nation to multiple state hospital associations. She has served as content expert and editor for regulatory client hospital education for Lammico, a medical malpractice insurance company.

Ruzicka previously worked as the Compliance and Integrity Officer at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and Director of Regulatory Compliance at UnityPoint Health, Des Moines. She has more than 20 years of experience with the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. While working for the State of Iowa, she surveyed hospitals, critical access hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, intermediate care facilities for developmentally disabled, nursing homes and other Medicare-certified entities. Ruzicka was responsible for updating state hospital licensing regulations, which had not been updated since the early 1970s.
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Register online