AHCA/NCAL releases four-part webinar series on recent and significant changes to SOM Chapters 5 and 7
To our nursing facility members,
As you know, on January 30th CMS released QSO-26-03 NH containing significant updates and changes to Chapters 5 and 7 of the State Operations Manual. This is a comprehensive document of over 300 pages. WHCA/WiCAL staff previously reported on these updates and changes in the February 4th Care Connection edition. The updates and changes take effect on March 30, 2026.
To further assist members in getting up to speed with all of the changes, our national affiliate, AHCA/NCAL, has developed a four-part webinar series that is free to all members. Details are set forth immediately below, including how to sign up to attend (See “webinar series link”). Staff has attended all four parts of the webinar. Total time commitment is approximately 90 minutes. The webinars are extremely helpful in understanding and explaining the updates and changes. Importantly, each part contains a multitude of useful resources to help members comply with the new requirements. Please do not hesitate to contact Eric, ekoch@whcawical.org , or Rick, rick@whcawical.org if we can be of further assistance.
From AHCA/NCAL:
On January 30, CMS released QSO-26-03-NH, outlining significant changes to both Chapters 5 and 7 of the State Operations Manual (SOM). Related to these changes, AHCA has released a webinar series exploring the recent updates to the SOM. Across four focused sessions, the webinar breaks down the key revisions and offers practical insights to help you navigate the updated requirements. The four parts include the following information:
- Part 1: Introduction to the overall updates and a detailed review of the changes made to Chapter 5.
- Part 2: An overview of the newly added/updated definitions in Chapter 7, along with important updates related to Nursing Waivers and Life Safety Code (LSC) Waivers.
- Part 3: A deep dive into the extensive changes to the survey process, including what providers can expect moving forward.
- Part 4: A review of updates affecting IJ determinations, IDRs, and CMPs, including procedural and operational impacts.
This series is designed to equip facilities with the knowledge they need to confidently implement and respond to these regulatory updates. The course is free to members and $65 for nonmembers. Please send any questions about the webinar to educate@ahca.org and any questions about the webinar content to regulatory@ahca.org.
