On June 2, 2017, the Survey and Certification Group at the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memorandum entitled "Requirement to
Reduce Legionella Risk in Healthcare Facility Water Systems to
Prevent Cases and Outbreaks of Legionnaires' Disease." The
memorandum requires facilities to develop and follow policies and
procedures that inhibit microbial growth in building water systems
to reduce the risk of growth and spread of Legionella and other
pathogens in water.
The memorandum was later revised to clarify that it applies to
long-term care facilities, hospitals and critical access hospitals.
On October 19, CMS released additional resources related to this standard,
including a surveyor training video that outlines what surveyors
will look for in assessing an effective water management plan as
required in the memorandum.
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