Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE ON:
October 22, 2001
Contact: Mike Heideman, 785-296-5795
Today Governor Graves proclaimed October 22-28, 2001 as "Health Facility Surveyor Week" in Kansas. All state health facility surveyors were honored recently by the national Association of Health Facility Survey Agencies (AHFSA) during an awards ceremony at the annual AHFSA meeting on October 17, 2001, in Anaheim, California.
Kansas surveyors are employed through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Health Facilities. Surveyors travel to all corners of the state to visit health care facilities. State surveyors have the important task of visiting Kansas health care facilities to ensure that they are providing quality care in compliance with state and federal regulations.
While at a facility, surveyors talk with residents or patients, staff and family as well as observe facility practices. They may be found watching a nurse give medications, checking meal preparations or meeting with a group of residents to discuss the care they receive.
Surveyors have diverse backgrounds including social work, nutrition, activities, life safety, administration and nursing. They must be go through rigorous training by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (formerly Health Care Financing Administration or HCFA), be clinically proficient and have strong people skills.
The awards ceremony for state surveyors at the annual AHFSA conference highlighted the important work that surveyors perform every day. The KDHE Bureau of Health Facilities regulates many types of health care facilities including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, residential care and other long-term care facilities. To learn more about the Bureau, visit the KDHE Web site at http://www.kdheks.gov/bhfr/ or call (785) 296-1240.