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Office of Healthcare Quality reports reduced vacancy rate and uses contractors to clear long-term care complaint backlog
Summary
DLS analysis and OHCQ testimony described progress reducing vacancy rates, use of contracted nurse surveyors (total $5.6 million) to address a complaint-investigation backlog, an increase in annual survey completion rates, and federal nursing-home staffing-rule monitoring plans.
The Maryland Office of Healthcare Quality (OHCQ) told the Health and Social Services Subcommittee on Feb. 13 that the office has accelerated survey work, filled key nurse-surveyor positions and used contracted nurse surveyors to reduce a backlog of long-term care complaint investigations.
Victoria Martinez of the Department of Legislative Services said the OHCQ fiscal 2026 allowance increases by about $2.2 million (5.4%) to $41.9 million and that personnel make up about 83% of the office's spending. DLS noted that the office's vacancy rate improved from 17% to about 5% over the prior year and that DLS had asked the agency to clarify whether a newly authorized physician surveyor position had been filled.
DLS reported that OHCQ awarded two contracts totaling $5.6 million to provide nurse surveyors for overdue complaint surveys; the contracts were funded primarily with $3.9 million in general funds and $1.5 million in special funds. The contracts provide an estimated five to 13 nurse surveyors per week depending on availability. DLS asked the department to clarify the special-fund source because the agency's budget included less than $600,000 in special funds for that purpose.
OHCQ executive director Tia Witherspoon said the office regulates more than 22,000 providers across 47 industries and that annual full-survey completion rates increased to 60% in fiscal 2025 and to 77% in the first part of fiscal 2026. Witherspoon said OHCQ filled 12 long-term-care nurse-surveyor positions and expects newly hired staff to complete CMS's 12-month training and become certified surveyors, reducing reliance on contract surveyors.
DLS asked whether the use of contracted nurse surveyors is cost-effective compared with hiring state surveyors; the transcript records DLS pointing out that the total salary cost for 72 state nurse surveyors would be about $6.8 million, and asked OHCQ to comment on cost-effectiveness. OHCQ said the contracts allowed immediate deployment to reduce backlog while state hires complete certification.
DLS also summarized federal staffing-rule developments for nursing homes and asked OHCQ to explain how the office will monitor compliance; OHCQ said it will monitor facilities during annual surveys and outlined improved recruitment and training to support survey capacity.
In response to committee questions about travel-cost increases and federal funding levels, OHCQ said increased travel reflects higher survey activity and noted that federal funding supports but does not fully cover survey costs; OHCQ committed to providing a more detailed federal funding breakdown for long-term care inspections when requested.
DLS recommendation: concur with the governor's allowance; OHCQ said it is improving hiring, training and survey processes to meet annual-survey mandates and clear the backlog.
