2026 CIHQ Accreditation & Regulatory Summit: Where Compliance Takes the Field

It’s that time of year again. Time for the annual CIHQ Accreditation & Regulatory Summit. If you are responsible for compliance to accreditation and regulatory requirements at your hospital, then the 2026 CIHQ Accreditation & Regulatory Summit is the “must attend” conference of the year. The challenges facing healthcare institutions have never been greater as the regulatory environment undergoes rapid change! This is one conference you don’t want to miss!

The bases are loaded with great topics and speakers this year. It’s up to you to hit a grand slam and have a walk-off survey at your facility. 

CMS STATE OF THE UNION

The regulatory environment is in a period of uncertainty. Get first-hand knowledge on the latest in the CMS certification arena. This opening address will cover current and likely future actions from CMS and their impact on accrediting organizations and hospitals. To be forewarned is to be forearmed!

ENGAGING GOVERNANCE & LEADERSHIP

Lack of buy-in by senior management and the governing body is the single most significant barrier to a successful regulatory compliance program. This presentation will offer practical real-world strategies to engage these key stakeholders in championing your hospital’s compliance program.

MAKING THE BUSINESS CASE FOR QUALITY

A strong quality and safety program isn’t just about good patient care. It’s also good business! Learn how to make the “business case” for your quality improvement and patient safety initiatives. This presentation will help you demonstrate that investing in better processes, safety, and efficiency yields financial returns, reduces waste, and enhances reputation.

PI PROJECTS FROM START TO FINISH

CMS has set a high bar for hospitals to show that they are sustaining improved performance. The PI projects your hospital undertakes will undergo increased scrutiny during surveys. This presentation offers a step-by-step guide in how to develop, implement, and monitor your hospital’s improvement projects.

PREPARING FOR A SURVEY

Did you know that 90% of the work that goes into a successful survey occurs before the survey even starts! Learn how to get your hospital survey ready – everything from logistics, to document preparation, internal assessments, staff education and more. This presentation will leave you confident in facing the challenge ahead.

CIHQ ACCREDITATION UPDATE

This presentation is for CIHQ accredited organizations. Get the latest information on changes to standards, survey procedures, and the top condition-level deficiencies levied over the past 12 months. This will also be your opportunity to seek interpretation of standards and get your questions answered.

FROM RISK TO RESILIENCE – BUILDING A ROBUST DRUG DIVERSION COMPLIANCE PROGRAM

Drug diversion is a growing problem in healthcare. This presentation provides an overview of the scope and breadth of drug diversion in the hospital setting, the potential impact on patient safety, and how hospitals can establish structures / processes to prevent / identify / respond to diversion issues.

BUILDING MAINTENANCE PLANS – STILL A VITAL COMPLIANCE TOOL

How does your hospital possibly prepare its buildings for inspection? One answer is by establishing a building maintenance plan. This presentation provides an overview of what a building maintenance plan is, the major components, and its usefulness in preparing for survey and maintaining compliance with the life safety code.

KEY CHALLENGES IN CARING FOR A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH POPULATION

Caring for the behavioral health population can be challenging – both from a patient care and a compliance standpoint. This presentation will focus on key regulatory / safety challenges for behavioral patients – both in psychiatric as well as general acute care hospitals.

TRENDS IN HEALTHCARE SECURITY AND WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Threats and risks have evolved in healthcare in recent years, enhanced by the Covid Epidemic. People are more confrontational and assaults against staff and other violence has been increasing. This presentation will cover the four facets of Workplace Violence Planning – Prevention, Mitigation, Response and Recovery as well as appropriate physical and staffing security measures.

SPECIAL PATIENT POPULATIONS – OBSTETRICS

CMS has published a new Condition of Participation addressing the care of obstetrical patients. Your accrediting agencies quickly followed suit. This presentation will systematically review the new COP and the key challenges that hospital’s face in caring for the obstetrical patient.

IMPLEMENTING A WATERBORE PATHOGEN MANAGEMENT PLAN

Waterborne pathogens can spell big trouble for a hospital. Having an effective plan to deal with these pathogens is paramount. This presentation will focus on the steps that a hospital must take to develop and implement a compliant water pathogen management program.

MEDICAL STAFF COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES

Did you know that negligent credentialing can bring a hospital to its knees! Assuring that your medical staff is appropriately credentialed and privileged is a “must do”. This presentation will cover key regulatory requirements governing medical staff’ and compliance challenges during surveys.

ESTABLISHING AN ALTERNATE EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Maintaining equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions can be both time-consuming and expensive! Deploying an alternate approach can be beneficial, but it must be done correctly. This presentation will address the steps needed to establish an alternate equipment management plan that will be acceptable to CMS and accrediting agencies.

EMTALA

EMTALA violations are on the rise, and CMS is cracking down on hospitals that violate these regulations. You’ll learn about the latest interpretation of EMTALA requirements and where hospitals are being cited. Then, test your knowledge in real world occurrences-are they violations or not?

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS – AN ALTERNATE APPROACH

Issues surrounding temperature, humidity, and air balance in environmentally sensitive areas continue to be one of the most frequent citations during a survey. This presentation will address regulatory requirements surrounding environmental controls in hospitals, and ASHRAE/ASHE Guideline 43 - Implementing a Ventilation Management Plan.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – THE NEW REGULATORY FRONTIER

Healthcare organizations worldwide are rapidly deploying artificial intelligence (AI) across clinical, operational, and administrative workflows. While current oversight initiatives rigorously evaluate traditional quality, safety, and compliance, AI introduces new categories of operational, ethical, and governance risk that are not systematically assessed today. This presentation lays the groundwork for establishing an ongoing AI compliance program that addresses the growing call for regulatory oversight.

LEADING QUALITY AND ACCREDITATION IN THE NEW PARADIGM

There has been a fundamental philosophical shift in how CMS and accrediting agencies are surveying hospitals. This new paradigm requires new ways of thinking and preparing for surveys. This closing presentation will explain the new paradigm and the importance of establishing a culture of ongoing compliance.

The conference allows participants to learn amazing information from expert presenters. There are opportunities to get information and resources from many vendors including Soleran. Don’t strike out on your opportunity to learn new skills to help your organization prepare for a survey.

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