Iowa’s state auditor claims inspections of nursing homes are not taking place as frequently as required by federal regulators — a charge the sector’s largest advocate and the state’s own inspection agency say is not true. Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand unveiled his findings at a press conference Monday, alleging that the average gap between facility inspections is 17.1 months, which is above the federally required average gap of 12.9 months. Sand said he based his analysis on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. His report claims that 85% of the state’s nursing homes experienced a gap of more than 15.9 months between inspections. In addition, he claims Iowa lags neighboring states in nursing home inspection frequency and licensed staff levels at nursing homes.

The spokesperson further clarified that the state has been actively working to improve the inspection process, and the department has implemented several measures to ensure timely and efficient inspections. These measures include:

• Increased staffing:** The department has hired more inspectors to address the backlog and ensure timely inspections. * **Streamlined processes:** The department has streamlined the inspection process to reduce the time required for each inspection. * **Technology upgrades:** The department has invested in technology upgrades to automate tasks and improve efficiency.
  

  * The truth behind the nursing home allegations.

  Willett explained that the allegations of Sand’s nursing home being understaffed and under-resourced were not substantiated by the state’s own data. He further stated that the media coverage of the allegations had created a “false narrative” that was damaging to the nursing home industry. Willett’s comments came in response to a recent report by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that found Sand’s nursing home to be in compliance with federal regulations. The report, which was released on Tuesday, stated that Sand’s nursing home had met all the requirements for Medicare and Medicaid certification. The report also noted that the nursing home had a “good” rating in the area of staffing.

  “This difference between organizational methodology renders the surveyor-to-facility ratio statistically useless,” Willett added.