HRSA Site Visit Protocol, Chapter 3 requires health centers to credential all clinical staff, including clinical supervisors, peer reviewers, and administrators. This blog discusses the HRSA and FTCA requirements.

HHS updated Section 504 for the first time in 50 years. Here's what FQHCs, LALs, and community health centers need to know — and do — before the May 2026 compliance deadlines.

Discover what Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Look-Alikes (LALs) need to know about HRSA’s Basic Life Support (BLS) requirements. This brief guide explains who at your health center needs BLS training, what counts as valid documentation, and how to keep your records compliant and current. Learn how to identify clinical staff who require BLS, what evidence is acceptable for audits, and why even remote providers must meet these standards. Find out the best practices for maintaining up-to-date BLS credentials, including onboarding checks, renewal reminders, and the importance of clear policies. The article also covers what emergency supplies you should have on hand and how to decide between in-person, online, or licensure-embedded BLS training. Stay ready for emergencies and site visits by ensuring your health center’s policies are comprehensive, and your staff are always prepared to deliver life-saving care. Perfect for health center leaders looking for compliance tips and practical advice on BLS readiness.

On November 20, 2025, HRSA released an updated Health Center Program Site Visit Protocol (SVP), the tool reviewers use to assess compliance during Operational Site Visits (OSVs).

Behind the scenes, HRSA made more than a thousand edits; when you strip out formatting, you’re still left with hundreds of meaningful changes that affect how compliance is tested and documented.

HRSA updated language in the Health Center Site Visit Protocol to align with the Administration’s Executive Order around “Gender Ideology”. It is recommended that health centers review their bylaws or other corporate or governing documentation and consider changing any language around “gender” to align with the changes in the HRSA Site Visit Protocol, replacing the word “gender” with “sex”.

Health centers are commonly confused about what it means to “monitor contract performance” for the contracts the health center enters into to provide health center services or to acquire other goods and services in support of the HRSA-approved scope of project. This is a requirement in HRSA’s Program Requirements and can be found in the HRSA Site Visit Protocol, Chapter 12, Element f.

In today's complex healthcare environment, robust tracking systems are crucial for ensuring patient safety and maintaining continuity of care for health centers’ most vulnerable patients. The potential consequences of health centers not maintaining an effective tracking program are poor patient outcomes, dissatisfied patients, ineffective communication, and potential medical malpractice lawsuits. Not only do tracking programs lower risk and improve care, but community health centers must implement comprehensive tracking systems for referrals, hospitalizations, and diagnostics to meet HRSA and Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) requirements.

Updating your service area is a crucial step for community health centers aiming to align services with community needs. It’s also required. Chapter 3 of HRSA’s Site Visit Protocol asks if the health center uses the most recent Uniform Data System (UDS) to update the zip codes on HRSA’s Form 5B-Service Sites annually. Here's a quick guide on what to consider and how to make this happen.

During the Health Center Operational Site Visit (OSV) process, there are a number of patient record samples that are requested by the HRSA review team. These requests for documentation cover chapters 4, 7, 8, and 10 in the HRSA Site Visit Protocol. This is a part of the preparation process that can take a great deal of time and it's important to understand what the HRSA reviewers are looking for.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) play a critical role in providing access to healthcare for underserved populations. To ensure that care is delivered in a manner that respects the diverse needs of these communities, FQHCs must adhere to specific requirements and guidelines related to culturally competent care.

The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) assessment in the FTCA Deeming Requirements section of the Site Visit Protocol (SVP) was discontinued effective October 27, 2023.

Community health centers are required to develop and maintain policies or procedures that demonstrate the health center is working to mitigate patient safety risks. Four of those policies are Referral Tracking (RT), Hospitalization Tracking (HT), Diagnostic Tracking (DT), and After-Hours Call Follow-up Tracking (AH) policies.

RegLantern has developed a clever solution to the Naming Convention in our platform to assist users with easily applying the naming convention in front of the document name for all HRSA documents.

The HRSA Site Visit Protocol was updated on April 13, 2023.

HRSA has updated this year’s FTCA deeming application! The RegLantern team has reviewed the document in detail and guides your team through the changes.

Bringing on a new CEO or Program Director is an exciting time for a health center. There is fresh energy and new opportunities. There are also learning curves for the CEO, Board and staff as everyone adjusts to a new leadership and a new vision for the organization.

FTCA redeeming application…don’t wait!

Which policies must the Board approve? Does the Board adopt policies or approve them? Is there a difference?

HRSA updates Site Visit Protocol with minor changes focused on look-alikes and FTCA-deemed organizations.

HRSA has recently updated its FTCA application requirements. Read more how health centers can be prepared.