Life Safety and Physical Environment: Survey Issues: October 24
Location:
Webinar - 9-10:30 a.m.
Registration:
Health System Registration
IHA offers a “Health System” registration to accommodate systems enrolling multiple hospitals and offsite offices. To register as a Health System, choose the “Health System” option when registering.
| Registration Option | Registration Fee |
| IHA Member HOSPITAL Registration | $195 |
| IHA Member HEALTH SYSTEM Registration | $395 |
| Non-Member HOSPITAL Registration | $395 |
| Non-Member HEALTH SYSTEM Registration | $795 |
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.
Register OnlineSurvey findings show a steady rise in physical environment and environment-of-care deficiencies across hospitals and critical access hospitals. This webinar will focus on the most frequently cited life safety code and physical environment issues, helping your team understand what surveyors are looking for and how to stay ahead of compliance challenges.
You’ll also hear the latest updates on critical topics from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), including changes in ligature-resistant environments, categorical waivers, and air pressure and humidity requirements in surgical suites that could impact your facility.
Objectives
At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:
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Identify the most common physical environment and life safety code deficiencies cited during surveys.
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Understand when and how relative humidity may be safely lowered in anesthetizing locations.
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Apply practical strategies to prevent commonly cited deficiencies.
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Know when and how to use a CMS categorical waiver effectively.
Who Should Attend
This program is designed for hospitals and health systems of all types, including general acute hospitals and critical access hospitals. It is especially relevant for:
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Facilities teams, including engineers, maintenance and environmental services staff
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Compliance and regulatory professionals
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Risk managers, safety officers and quality improvement leaders
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Legal counsel and other staff involved in compliance and survey preparation
Speakers
Nancy M. Ruzicka, BS, RPh, MBA, MJ, CHC
A recognized expert on state and federal rules, regulations and interpretative guidelines, Ruzicka 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. She also provides education on federal regulations to multiple state hospital associations. Ruzicka has served as content expert and editor for regulatory client hospital education for Lammico, a medical malpractice insurance company.
Ruzicka was previously Director of Integrity and Compliance and a Privacy Official at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and Director of Regulatory Compliance at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines. She also 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. She also updated state hospital licensing regulations, which had not been updated since the early 1970s.