Critical Access Hospital Changes

October 11th, 2016

CMS revised the Critical Access Hospital Conditions of Participation (COPs) effective April 7, 2015, changing about one-third of the hospital manual.

Most of the changes are similar to, or a shortened version of, the CoPs for hospitals under Appendix A. This is helpful for hospitals in systems because there are now fewer variations between programs. It should also be easier for surveyors since many of the sections are now more similar. CMS rewrote all the sections on pharmacy, outpatient, contracted services, infection control, nursing, dietary, rehab, and drugs and biological.

Here are details on four major changes to the CAH manual.