Collecting Building Safety Data
The data in this Web site reflects the latest survey results for Pennsylvania health care facilities. The inspection results are collected by the Department of Health's Division of Safety Inspection during an onsite evaluation of health care facilities, i.e., nursing care facilities (at least once during a 9 - 15 month period); hospitals (at least once during a one to three year cycle); ambulatory surgical centers, birthing centers, hospices, etc., (at least once during a one year cycle) to determine compliance with the Building Safety Code, NFPA 101 (1967, 1973, 1981, and 1985 Editions). Every attempt is made to assure the accuracy and timeliness of this information; however, the Department of Health advises interpreting this information cautiously and supplementing it with information from the ombudsman's office, the health care facility, or other sources.
The Complete Building Safety Inspection
The data on this Web site refers to the regulatory requirement that the health care facility failed to meet. The detailed inspection report (the form HCFA-2567) contains the specific findings that support the determination that the requirement was not met. A complete inspection report and the health care facility's corresponding plan of correction to address the deficiencies found during the inspection are available from the Department of Health, in addition, each health care facility that provides Medicare or Medicaid services is required to make the results of its last full inspection available onsite for public review.
The Results of the Building Safety Inspection Report
It is important to consider, in reading these results, that conditions can improve or deteriorate significantly in a short period of time. Findings of inspections do not present a complete picture of the structure of the building. The inspection measures whether the health care facilities meets the minimum standard for a particular set of requirements. If a health care facility has no deficiencies, it means that it met the minimum standards at the time of the inspection. However, this information cannot be used to identify health care facilities that provide outstanding care.