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ABOUT AHFSA
MISSION
The mission of the Association of Health Facility Survey
agencies (AHFSA) is to strengthen the role of its member state agencies in
advocating, establishing, overseeing, and coordinating health care quality
standards that will assure the highest practicable quality of health care
for all state and federally regulated health care providers. These
goals are met through member advocacy to various organizations and
agencies; through the gathering, communicating and exchanging of health
related information; through advice and recommendation to the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS),
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Inc. (ASTHO) and
other health care agencies, associations and entities; through helping to
improve the quality of state and territorial health facility survey
programs; and, through the professional development of its members.
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HISTORY
The
Association of Health Facility Survey Agencies (AHFSA) was
established in 1968 as a not-for-profit organization to provide a
forum for health care regulatory agency directors and managers to
address common interests, concerns, and health care program issues.
Today, AHFSA actively participates with the Department of Health and
Human Services through its Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS), providers and advocacy groups in planning, implementing and
assessing the quality and effectiveness of health care programs. |
MEMBERSHIP
The state licensing and certification agencies
in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are
members of this association.
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RESPONSIBILITY
PROMOTING QUALITY HEALTH CARE SERVICES
AHFSA
member agencies are responsible for improving the quality of care
and services provided by health care facilities, agencies, and
programs by ensuring that they meet established standards.
Member agencies promote practices to improve the quality of care and
quality of life by providing training and educational programs to
providers and consumers of health care services. The members
of AHFSA are the quality assurance arm of the Medicare-Medicaid and
state regulatory programs.
PROTECTIVE OVERSIGHT
Members of AHFSA
also investigate complaints of abuse and/or neglect of individuals
and poor care or inadequate practices by health care providers.
Providers and/or individuals face criminal prosecution,
administrative sanctions, and fines for abusing, neglecting, or
harming the health, safety, or welfare of individuals under their care.
ENFORCEMENT
AHFSA
members conduct periodic, on-site, comprehensive inspections of
health care institutions and programs to determine compliance with
federal and state requirements. Failure to comply with
applicable requirements may result in the imposition of a variety of
remedial actions.
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| IMPACT ON
HEALTH CARE AHFSA
members impact virtually all regulated providers of health care in
the United States. The Medicare and Medicaid participating
institutions, services, and programs regulated include thousands of
facilitities with millions of beds and programs and services of over
one hundred thousand providers. AHFSA members regulate these
providers with several thousand professional staff with a total cost
that is less than one percent of the total payments made on behalf
of the beneficiaries.
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| IMPROVING
THE REGULATORY PROCESS
AHFSA
has taken a leadership position in developing and implementing programs and initiatives to Improve quality of care and quality of
life of health care consumers; enhance and improve inspection
procedures, regulatory processes, and inspection team performance;
educate providers and consumers about health care regulatory
requirements; improve the efficiency of the regulatory process by
developing and implementing computerized programs that effectively
manage data and information; and provide information and data about
health care systems.
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| PUBLIC
ACCOUNTABILITY Since
AHFSA members are state governmental agencies that are accountable
to state and federal legislative and administrative agencies, their
performance is monitored on an on-going basis. Performance
measures are routinely reported and are accessible to the public.
In addition, survey and complaint findings are open to review by the
public in each state. |
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