[NCASG] Survey on Health Facilities Compliance Surveyor

[Reinemann, Adam J (CS)]

Hi Brandy,

Please see New York’s response below.

Thanks,

Adam Reinemann
Human Resources Specialist 2 (Classification & Compensation)

Department of Civil Service
Empire State Plaza, Agency Building 1, Albany, NY 12239

(518) 474-0789 l Adam.Reinemann at cs.ny.gov<mailto:Adam.Reinemann at cs.ny.gov>
www.cs.ny.gov<http://www.cs.ny.gov/>

From: Malatesta - DPA, Brandy <brandy.malatesta at state.co.us>
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2020 5:26 PM
To: dhr_ncasg_survey_list at admws.idaho.gov; Terry Pickett - DPA <terry.pickett at state.co.us>
Subject: [NCASG] Survey on Health Facilities Compliance Surveyor

Good afternoon!

I apologize for the length but we are gathering some information on a difficult to retain position, Health Facilities Compliance Surveyor. The current classification for these duties is Health Professional<https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=e320bcf8-bd90e3fa-e32245cd-ac1f6b44fec6-29b9063386c59465&q=1&e=8e77e812-ae8d-48b4-aed7-5088c6488547&u=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F0B4enHpLSVk4eZHJHQUdJblU4U1E%2Fview>. The Surveyors conduct resident-centered, outcome-oriented inspections of health care facilities or providers to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state statutes and regulations as well as professional standards of various health care disciplines.  Current guidelines state a registered nurse must complete the survey.


1.       Do you have a similar position?  If so, please list.  If you have a similar position but it does not have to be an RN please include that as well.


Yes, New York has Health Care Surveyor (HCS) 2 (Nursing), Grade 19, and Hospital Nursing Services Consultant (HNSC), Grade 22, titles. The titles require an RN.

We also have a Health Systems Specialist title series. Core titles in the HSS title series do not require RN or other licenses, but there is a Grade 20 level for licensed clinicians (link to standard in question 12). HSS function as part of survey teams with above titles. All titles are primarily classified at the Department of Health (DOH), as that is the state agency that conducts surveys and ensures compliance with State and federal (largely CMS) requirements.


2.       Does the position travel?

Yes, positions in all three titles travel.


3.       If so, how much per week do they travel?

Varies based on operating need.


4.       Does the position have a designated territory within the state?

Yes, DOH has four regional offices: Western New York (Buffalo, Rochester), Central New York (Syracuse), Capital District (Albany-Main Office), and the Metropolitan Area Regional Office (Manhattan, New Rochelle). Positions operate out of one of these locations, and generally cover multiple counties or boroughs. There are different divisions within DOH as well to cover nursing homes, hospitals, adult care facilities, etc.


5.       Does the position work with other positions using a rotation schedule or something similar?

Varies based on operating needs and staffing requirements.


6.       Do you provide some sort of stipend or premium pay for the position?

There are geographic pay and increased hiring salary (candidates brought in above the statutory hiring rate) enhancements for the nursing titles in the downstate metropolitan area, but these increases are not exclusive to these titles, as many other nursing and clinical titles also receive some form of an increase downstate. Enhancements range from $4,832-$11,611 on top of the base salaries noted in question 11. The increases specifically apply to Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, and Westchester counties, and are not available in other areas of the state.

HCS 2 (Nursing), Grade 19, and HNSC, Grade 22, also enjoy somewhat of a defacto premium because they are allocated higher than our regular nursing titles. Nursing positions assigned to direct care/facility operations are allocated to Grade 16, and supervisors in those settings are Grade 20. HCS 2 (Nursing), Grade 19, and HNSC, Grade 22, are typically non-supervisory at 19, and advanced performance level/supervisory at Grade 22. We intend to revise our nursing structure at some point, but it is difficult as these titles were set up many years ago and there are many filled positions that would require a concerted effort to address – including possible downward reallocation changes.


7.       What best practices can you share that you use to retain individuals in this position?

Cannot address this question completely. Recruitment information is kept with DOH HR. Specific to the titles requiring an RN, Civil Service has noticed that DOH tends to promote individuals from 19 to 22 as soon as possible. There are generally not retention issues at DOH for these classes due to the overall higher salaries paid in comparison to other state nursing classes. The classes also attract private sector nurses towards the end of their careers who are seeking some sort of pension.  There are no difficulties with the HSS title series.


8.       What best practices can you share that you use to recruit individuals for this position?

Cannot address this question completely. Recruitment lies with the hiring agency, and we have not heard anything to indicate that it is difficult to recruit for these classes. However, from a system perspective, the HSS title series is filled at the entry-level (HSS 1, Grade 18) by one of New York’s largest merit exams – the Professional Career Opportunities test, so there are almost always candidates available for that title series specifically. For the Grade 19 and Grade 22 titles, New York uses a Training & Experience exam that ranks candidates based on education and years of work experience, rather than a formal written test.


9.       Where have you had the most success recruiting from?

Cannot address this question. Recruitment lies with the hiring agency.


10.     Our RN's come into the position with a degree and two years of professional health care experience, then they have other requirements to learn the regulations. This usually requires 6-9 months before they can conduct a survey independently. How do your incumbents prepare for the position?

Cannot address this question completely. However, candidates are generally brought in at the Grade 19 level, and many have prior experience interacting with regulatory organizations at former employers. Generally speaking, there are also CMS modules and other training materials available.


11.     If possible, please provide your class description, minimum qualifications, and pay information for this series please?

There are no classification standards for HCS 2 (Nursing), Grade 19, or HNSC, Grade 22. Agency duties descriptions are attached. For HSS, here is a link to the classification standard: https://www.cs.ny.gov/tsplan/tsp_display2.cfm?speccode=6464100T

Here are the base salaries for all referenced titles.

Title
Grade
Year 1
Year 7 (Max)
Step Amount
(Yearly Increase)
Increase from Year 6 to 7
HCS 2 (Nursing)
19
$59,671
$75,785
$2,024
$3,970
HNSC
22
$69,603
$88,124
$2,294
$4,757

Title
Grade
Year 1
Year 7 (Max)
Step Amount
(Yearly Increase)
Increase from Year 6 to 7
HSS 1
18
$56,604
$71,980
$1,944
$3,712
HSS 2
20
$62,726
$79,577
$2,109
$4,197
HSS 3
23
$73,284
$92,693
$2,389
$5,075
HSS 4
25
$81,446
$102,661
$2,587
$5,693

Minimum qualifications for the HSS title series are on the linked classification standard. Here are the minimum qualifications for the HCS 2 (Nursing), Grade 19, and HNSC, Grade 22, titles:

HCS 2 (Nursing), Grade 19: RN license and three years of post-licensure professional nursing experience, at least two of which must have been professional clinical nursing experience in a licensed health care facility.

HNSC, Grade 22: RN license and five years of post-licensure health care, public health, community health, or other nursing experience in an appropriate facility setting. Three years of this experience must have been providing direct patient care in a licensed health care facility, and two years of this experience must have been in nursing supervision, or working in the capacity of a nurse administrator.

If we could have any responses by October 30 it would be great.  We really appreciate your time and any information you can provide.  Thanks so much!

Brandy B. Malatesta, MPA, CCP, SHRM-CP
Senior Manager, Compensation
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