One of the most stressful times for many of our clients is the HRSA mandated Operational Site Visit (OSV) for Federally Qualified Health Centers. This three-day inspection ensures that FQHCs and Look-Alikes are compliant with federal regulations. Although clearly a necessary component of being a grantee or designee, the OSV can be daunting for health centers that are primarily focused on delivering primary care.
FQHCs and Look-Alikes may have a difficult time keeping up with updates to the HRSA Compliance Manual, and are sometimes unaware of changes in their practice that they need to make. Changes in personnel, structure, contracts, and other factors can affect an organization’s compliance. It can also be challenging to be presented with a list of non-compliance conditions that need to be addressed after a site visit.
This is why Gary Bess Associates helps guide our health center partners through the OSV process. We clarify HRSA expectations and make sure that our partners are confident in maintaining and proving compliance.
The best way to help FQHCs and Look-Alikes that are expecting an Operational Site Visit is through a mock site visit conducted by our expert consultants. This is a new service developed from an emerging need that our partners have expressed:
Knowing what to expect during the official inspection to minimize uncertainty;
Identifying areas of non-compliance before the official site visit; and
Creating a timeline to address issues and preemptively working to meet compliance as needed.
These steps are truly a team effort between GBA consultants and partner organizations. Our mock site visit is typically conducted in one day and walks partner staff through multiple OSV scenarios. The FQHC or Look-Alike receives a report soon afterward, and together we work to meet all areas of compliance.
It is ultimately the responsibility of our partners to be compliant with HRSA standards, and with our guidance, reminders, and training, our partners have found value in having a helping hand.
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