How to Write a Plan of Correction for F656

When your facility receives a F656 citation on the CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies, you must submit a Plan of Correction — typically within 10 calendar days. A compliant F656 POC must address all five CMS-required elements for the cited deficiency.

The 5 Required Elements of a F656 POC

1. Corrective action for residents found to have been affected by the deficient practice
2. Identification of other residents having the potential to be affected
3. Systemic changes — policy revisions, procedure updates, and staff in-service education to prevent recurrence
4. Monitoring plan — audit frequency, responsible party, and integration with your QAPI committee
5. Completion date by which full compliance will be achieved

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Vague corrective actions without specific dates or responsible parties
• Failing to address how other residents at risk were identified
• Monitoring plans that end after a few weeks instead of sustaining compliance
• Disputing the citation inside the POC instead of using the IDR process

Related Resources

• F656 citation data and deficiency details
• Generate a F656 POC automatically (free)
• Plan of Correction examples
• POC writing guides for all F-Tags