Differences and Similarities in the 2021 Special Focus Facility Program

The Special Focus Facility Program is a resource-intensive quality improvement intervention reserved for the lowest-performing nursing facilities (NFs) in the United States. NFs are eligible for enrollment after three consecutive surveys during which the facility is not substantially compliant with regulations. SFFs are subject to increased oversight and escalating penalties. Due to the intensive nature of the intervention, the number of SFFs is capped at 88 nationally. In addition to enrolled SFFs, there is a list of 435 Special Focus “Candidates” (SFFcs).