Enacted in 1987, the federal Nursing Home Reform Act put in place provisions regarding the safety of residents and the quality of care they receive at Medicare/Medicaid certified nursing homes. Part of the reform requires that state agencies conduct inspections—known as “surveys”—of nursing homes as part of the certification process. These surveys are conducted once a year, along with emergency surveys that are conducted if a complaint of negligence is received. Surveyors will also return to a facility from time to time to ensure that the proposed corrective actions to facility deficiencies were taken.