Healthcare Facility Nurse Inspector​/Investigator

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Under general supervision, performs comprehensive Medicare/Medicaid certification surveys (initial, complaint, re-certification, validation) of Title 18 & Title 19 facilities for compliance with Federal, State, and other applicable laws and regulations for Healthcare Quality.

• Conducts inspections, surveys, and investigations of healthcare facilities, service providers, and/or applicants. Evaluates the activities to determine the degree to which standards are carried out effectively. Applies extensive knowledge of nursing techniques and patient care planning to evaluate quality of care. Identifies all conditions that do not meet standards. Advises personnel administering activities and services to develop a plan of correction to remedy deficiencies, prevent their reoccurrence, and improve overall quality control and compliance with standards.
• Completes written reports of deficiencies and submits all reports of findings and required documentation in a timely manner. Ensures that all files pertaining to a survey are secured in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and in adherence to federal and state laws. Meets deadlines on written correspondence, documentation, and data entry. Abides by stringent rules regarding the completion of agency forms and practices pertaining to travel, reimbursement, training, and the use of state and/or federal resources.
  
  Serves as team leader to a survey team when requested and/or on a rotating basis.
• Conducts pre‑survey/inspection/investigation team meetings, reviews of survey findings, entrance and exit interviews, travel arrangements, and directions to survey team when serving as team leader. Represents team as the spokesperson or liaison for surveys when needed. Must be knowledgeable of all applicable regulations, and policies and procedures. Performs other duties when asked, including but not limited to attending local and regional meetings with DPH staff and external organizations as needed.
  
  Assists with training staff and participates in hearings and trials.
• Participates in disaster preparedness tasks as outlined in the DPH plan during hazardous weather or state of emergency and reporting to duty and/or being on call on a 24‑hour basis when a disaster event occurs.

• Graduation from an accredited school of nursing.
• Licensed as a registered nurse by the South Carolina Board of Nursing.
• Must hold an active South Carolina nursing license in good standing, or a valid multistate license in good standing from a Nurse Licensure Compact participating state.
• Must be able to accommodate round‑trip travel up to four (4) hours and distances of up to 400 miles, and accommodate overnight travel 3‑4 nights per week.
• Work flexible hours, including occasional weekends and holidays, and able to exceed eight (8) hours of work per day when needed.
• Ability to bend, stoop, lift and carry up to 50 pounds to a distance and/or height of up to 20 feet.
• Must pass and become SMQT (Surveyor Minimum Qualification Test) certified; this certification will provide a 5% salary increase.
• Must have a bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Public Health Administration, Physical Science, Natural Science, or a related field; or a master's degree in Nursing; or a bachelor's degree in Nursing with two (2) years’ clinical experience as a Registered Nurse; or an associate degree or diploma in Nursing with four (4) years of clinical experience as a Registered Nurse.
• Clinical experience in a Long‑Term Care Facility.
• Reside within 50 miles of Columbia.
• Institutions of higher learning must be recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

EEO: The Department of Public Health is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions including, but not limited to lactation), national origin, age (40 or older),…