Preparing for Your Pre-OSV Conference Call

Preparing for a HRSA Operational Site Visit (OSV) requires careful planning and preparation. Management Solutions Consultant Group (MSCG - the company that holds the HRSA contract for managing OSV reviewers), the federal (HRSA) staff, and the health center each have important roles to play in the lead-up to the visit.

Initial Contact

In the weeks leading up to the OSV, MSCG will assemble the Review Team, coordinate logistics, issue task orders, and provide guidance to the consultants. The Review Team Lead will reach out to the health center around 7-8 weeks before the OSV. The Team Lead emails the Federal Representative and health center CEO to introduce the team, gather information, and start planning the agenda.

The Team Lead will develop a detailed agenda covering all 3 days of the OSV. This includes interviews, tours, and the board session. The agenda is approved by the team and Federal Representative before being sent to the health center CEO.

Scheduling The Call

The Pre-OSV video conference will be scheduled around 4-6 weeks prior to the OSV. If your health center is a subscriber to RegLantern’s tools and services, this is the time to reach out to your RegLantern team. Our experts will walk you through what to expect and can answer any questions you might have leading up to the pre-OSV conference call.

Consultants will review the health center’s website prior to the conference call to familiarize themselves with your health center’s region, site locations, and services.

The Call

The pre-OSV conference call will occur in two parts.

The first part includes only the consultant team and Federal Representative. This is typically scheduled for 15-30 minutes and will discuss any outstanding grant conditions, whether your health center is deemed under the FTCA, if it is a public entity with a co-applicant board, a Look-Alike FQHC, or if the health center receives special populations funding. They may also discuss past OSV findings and any Technical Assistance (TA) the health center has received to improve performance, increase access, or reduce health disparities.

The second part of the call is scheduled for around 1 hour and will begin with the health center team joining the call. The health center will typically be given a Conference Call Agenda about one week prior to the call.

The call will be made-up of a Federal Representative (HRSA Employee) and three independent consultants who are contracted through MSCG to provide expert consultation for OSVs. These consultants will be assigned to each of the three compliance areas (Governance/Admin, Fiscal, and Clinical). One of these reviewers is assigned to be the Team Lead (typically the Governance or Fiscal consultant).

The call will often begin with the Team Lead introducing the reviewers and the Federal Representative. The Federal Representative will then provide a general overview of the OSV and explain the purpose of the visit. They will serve as the health center’s BPHC sole point of contact for the preparation, onsite, and post OSV phases.

During the pre-OSV conference call, each consultant will clearly specify who they need to interview and when staff should be available to meet with each consultant.

Tips and Tricks

A few things to think about and ask about during your Pre-Site Visit Call:

• This is your opportunity to set a positive first impression with your reviewers. Come on-time and prepared to discuss your upcoming OSV. Come to the meeting with a positive, welcoming, attitude and try to communicate your team's preparedness and excitement to learn from the expertise of the Review Team.

• Confirm the date your Review Team wants all your documents by - this is generally 2 weeks prior to the start of your OSV.

• Once we know the date, and you receive your Citrix ShareFile credentials, please follow the support document Copying Documents From RegLantern to ShareFile – RegLantern or watch this explanation RegLantern | Citrix ShareFile Upload.

• Documents should be placed in the appropriate chapter folders, each supporting the appropriate program requirement.

• There will be a number of documents you will need to provide to your Review Team including Credentialing and Privileging Files as well as Patient Record examples. We recommend you tell the Review Team you would like to provide these documents through a “live review”. If you wish to do this, this is perfectly permitted, however, you must inform the Review Team during this meeting. If you choose to upload them to Citrix ShareFile, know that they must not contain any Protected Health Information (PHI) and that it must be redacted prior to uploading.

• Confirm the Naming Convention document revised date the Review Team will be expecting you to follow. There are several versions floating around out there so make sure you have the most recent one. You can read our blog article on this topic here. Our RegLantern tools will make this process a breeze.

• You will discuss a number of logistics. Tell the Review Team you will be able to provide menus for them to order lunch on the first day and will arrange for them to have it deliver. Confirm with the team the exact location (address) of the entrance conference and parking availability. It is customary to have light snacks, coffee, and water available for the Review Team but know that they are not permitted to accept any other gifts or meals. It is common during the Board interview to serve a lunch or meal - in this case, the Review Team can take part in this if it is being served to everyone. This is what most health centers do. Assure the team that a private room will be provided with extension cords and secure, password-protected WiFi internet access available.

• Be familiar with the most current HRSA Site Visit Protocol as these are the exact questions that the Review Team will be required to answer when they arrive.

• Let the staff know that you have gone through the HRSA Form 5A Self-Assessment as this is the #1 most common finding. Inform them that you will be preparing a document that will clearly explain your services and the associated contracts/MOUs. Also, familiarize yourself with the Form 5A Service Descriptors and Column Descriptors documents.

• Remember that as of October, 2023, FTCA (Chapter 21) is no longer included in the OSV process.

• The health center will be given the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification on any topic-make sure you take full advantage of this time.

• Any follow-up email correspondence with the Review Team should always carbon copy the Federal Representative and Team Lead.

If your team prepares well, this conference call can help your OSV get started on the right “foot” from the very beginning! As always, reach out to your RegLantern team as you prepare for your next OSV!