Navigating the Exit Conference
Understanding the CMS Survey Process · 7 min
What Happens at the Exit Conference
The exit conference is a meeting between the survey team and facility leadership on the final day of the survey. The survey team shares their preliminary findings — this is your first formal indication of what will appear on the CMS-2567.
Important: Exit conference findings are preliminary. They may change before the final 2567 is issued. Deficiencies may be added, removed, or reclassified. However, the exit conference gives you a substantial head start on your Plan of Correction.
Typically present at the exit conference:
- Survey team leader and surveyors
- Administrator
- Director of Nursing (DON)
- Department heads (dietary, activities, social services)
- Corporate/regional support staff (if available)
- Medical Director (optional but recommended)
How to Conduct Yourself
The exit conference is informational, not adversarial. Your approach should be professional, receptive, and strategic:
Do:
- Listen carefully and take detailed notes
- Ask clarifying questions about specific findings
- Request clarification on scope and severity assessments
- Provide additional information or documentation that surveyors may have missed
- Thank the survey team for their work
Don't:
- Argue or become defensive
- Make excuses or blame individual staff
- Promise immediate corrections that you can't deliver
- Challenge the surveyors' professional judgment
- Record the conference without permission
Remember: how you conduct yourself at the exit conference sets the tone for your ongoing relationship with the State Survey Agency. Professionalism and receptiveness are always the right approach.
Starting Your POC Response During the Exit Conference
Smart administrators use the exit conference as the starting point for their POC. While listening to the preliminary findings, begin thinking about:
Immediate actions: What can you start correcting today? Begin implementing corrective actions before the official 2567 arrives. Document everything.
Assignment: Which department head or leader will be responsible for each citation area? Assign ownership immediately.
Evidence gathering: Start collecting documentation that will support your POC — training records, policies, assessment tools, audit forms.
Timeline: Begin mapping out realistic completion dates for corrective actions. The 10-day clock starts when you receive the official 2567, but there's no reason to wait to begin your work.
Facilities that begin their POC process during the exit conference consistently submit stronger, more thorough responses than those that wait for the official document.