Patient Rights: Tackling South Dakota's #1 CMS Citation
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Event Details
Overview: Patient Rights - Hospitals, critical access hospitals and rural emergency hospitals must comply with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation. In 2025, non-compliance with Patient Rights was the #1 most frequently cited Condition Level in South Dakota and was the second most frequently cited Condition in 2024. Within that condition, most non-compliances arise from the regulations governing privacy issues, patient safety concerns, abuse, restraints and seclusion.
Objectives
- Explain CMS definitions of abuse, restraints and seclusion
- Describe the documentation requirements for restraints and seclusion usage
- Describe CAH responsibilities under the NEW 2023 Patient Rights Condition of Participation
- Explain the concept of provision of care in safe environment
- Explain what constitutes a grievance vs a complaint
Audience: Hospital
Nancy Ruzicka, B.S., RPh, MBA, MJ, CHC is a recognized expert on state and federal rules, regulations and interpretative guidelines. She is the owner of Ruzicka Healthcare Consulting and provides consultation to individual client hospitals, nursing facilities, rural health clinics, physician offices and other Medicare certified healthcare providers through both onsite mock surveys, remote consultation and interpretation of Medicare Conditions of Participation. She also provides education on federal regulations, throughout the nation to multiple state hospital associations including South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organization, Iowa Hospital Association, Minnesota Hospital Association, Illinois Health and Hospital Association, Missouri Hospital Association, Texas Hospital Association, and others.
Previously Nancy worked as Director of Integrity and Compliance and Privacy Official at Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines and Director of Regulatory Compliance at UnityPoint Health, Des Moines. She also has more than 20 years of experience working for the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (Medicare state survey agency) While working for the State of Iowa, she worked as a surveyor, program manager/supervisor, and assistant Division Administrator.
Nancy holds master’s degrees in health law and business administration and a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, all from Drake University. She is certified in health care compliance and maintains her Iowa pharmacy license.