A surveyor doesn’t stop at your EMR. They look at your building, your staff, and your residents — and the 2026 citation data confirms exactly where that scrutiny is landing hardest.
CMS Compliance Group analyzed national and regional recertification survey data from CMS CASPER/QCOR through August 4, 2026 — covering 7,349 standard surveys across 14,722 active providers. The national top 10 tells one story. The regional breakdowns tell another — and for multi-site operators, the regional picture is often more important than the national headline.
Infection control is cited on more than half of all standard surveys nationally. One operational department appears in the top 3 in every single CMS region — the only tag with that distinction. And in at least three regions, a deficiency area is quietly climbing the rankings well before it has shown up as a national headline.
The full report breaks down the top 10 citations nationally and across all 10 CMS regions — with key insights for each region that flag what’s elevated locally versus what’s driving the national numbers.
[Download the CMSCG Survey Citation Trends Report — August 2026]
Questions about what these trends mean for your facility or portfolio? Contact CMSCG at info@cmscg.net or (631) 692-4422.
