May 2nd, 2024

Critical Incident Management System Monthly Provider Demonstrations

FEI Systems will host a monthly provider demonstration webinar on May 14, 2024, from 10–11 a.m. Monthly provider demonstration webinars are offered to providers with access to the Critical Incident Management System. HHSC encourages providers to take advantage of these live training opportunities.

This applies to:

• Community Living Assistance and Support Services providers (CLASS)
• Deaf Blind with Multiple Disabilities providers (DBMD)
• Home and Community-based Services providers (HCS)
• Texas Home Living providers (TxHmL)
• Local intellectual and developmental disability authorities (LIDDAs)

Register for the webinars by logging into CIMS and navigating to Help (top right of dashboard). Click on Help, followed by Training. Choose Register for Provider Demonstrations from the available courses.

Email MCS_CIMS@hhs.texas.gov with any questions or concerns.

February 25th, 2024

Critical Incident Management System Monthly Provider Demonstrations

June 2nd, 2023

Critical Incident Management Reporting System (CIMS) Incident Report Submission Status

HHSC has published IL 2023-19, Critical Incident Management Reporting System Incident Report Status. This letter is an update on the form submission status of critical incident reports entered into CIMS.

This Information Letter applies to:

• Community Living Assistance and Support Services providers and case management agencies (CLASS)
• Deaf Blind with Multiple Disabilities providers (DBMD)
• Home and Community-based Services providers (HCS)
• Texas Home Living providers (TxHmL)
• Local intellectual and developmental disability authorities (LIDDAs).

Please contact MCS_CIMS@hhs.texas.gov with any questions.

October 13th, 2022

Please Don’t Forget To Sign Up For CIMS Training

Only 200 of the 800 providers/users have completed the training and have signed in/register

Providers must start using CIMS by November 1st, 2022. If you are a member of one of the 3 IDD associations, HHSC will provide each of these associations with the names of those entities so each association can reach out to their respective IDD waiver members who are not on the list/have yet to complete these steps.

August 11th, 2022

Critical Incident Management System (CIMS) Now Live

HHSC announces the new Critical Incident Management System is now live. CIMS is a statewide tool for reporting critical incidents.

All providers must begin entering critical incidents into CIMS no later than Nov. 1.

See IL 2022-23 for more information about CIMS.

This alert applies to:

• Community Living Assistance and Support Services providers
• Deaf Blind with Multiple Disabilities providers
• CLASS case management agencies
• Home and Community-based Services providers
• Texas Home Living providers
• Local intellectual and developmental disability authorities

INSTRUCTIONS FROM HHSC FOR COMPLETING TRAINING AND CORRECTING/ADDING USERS:

“The provider administrator with the active user account created in CIMS is required to complete the training in the system. Once the provider administrator completes the training, provider administrators can begin adding new users to their organization and reassigning roles so other members of the organization can enter critical incidents into CIMS.

If the designated provider administrator still works for an organization, HHSC will not change the designated administrator for a provider organization. If the designated provider administrator no longer works for the organization, HHSC will work with the current designated employee to ensure that person is added as a user in CIMS. HHSC staff must verify the employee requesting CIMS access works for a contracted provider or a local intellectual and developmental disability authority before access can be granted.

Now that CIMS has gone live, providers can no longer change contact information in CARE or send provider administrator contact updates to HHSC if the provider administrator is employed with the organization.”

Providers are required to use current systems for entering critical incidents until they have completed CIMS registration and training and begin entering critical incidents into CIMS.

Email questions to the MCS-CIMS inbox.

April 12th, 2022

• Revised IL 2022-23:   https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/il2022-23.pdf
• CIMS Part II Webinar on April 26th:  https://www.hhs.texas.gov/provider-news/2022/04/04/register-now-april-26-webinar-hhscs-new-cims-part-ii
• Due date for Correcting/Updating Contact Information extended to April 15th:

April 10th, 2022

Register Now for the April 26 Webinar on HHSC’s New CIMS Part II

HHSC is offering CLASS CMAs, CLASS DSAs, DBMD, HCS and TxHmL providers more information on the new Critical Incident Management System
debuting this summer. The webinar will be held:

Tuesday, April 26, 2022
2:30 – 4 p.m.

Register here to attend the New Critical Incident Management System Webinar.

From HHSC I-2022-23 revised letter: 

The system is targeted to go live July 25, 2022. Prior to the go-live date, HHSC and FEI Systems will provide training on the new system for waiver provider staff who will use the CIMS to report critical incidents. There will be training provided by FEI Systems using webinar formats; however, there will be limited capacity and these trainings will be focused on staff using the CIMS to report incidents. Virtual training resources will be available and accessible to waiver provider staff in addition to the information provided during training webinars. The goal is to support waiver provider staff with virtual training available for reference at any time to support using the system.

April 10th, 2022

HHSC has Published Critical Incident Management System (CIMS) 1915(c) Medicaid Waiver Program Providers (Revised) IL-2022-23

IL-2022-23 is posted to the HHS site CLASS, LIDDA, DBMD, HCS, and TxHmL

This letter replaces Information Letter 2022-14 and is a status update on the CIMS implementation which impacts fee-for-service 1915(c) waiver program providers, CLASS Case Management Agencies and LIDDAs.

Submit questions to LTSS_Policy@hhs.texas.gov

February 27th, 2022

HHSC Publishes New Reporting System for Critical Incidents Management

 (CIMS) See Letter (IL 2022-14)

(As if providers don’t have enough new things to learn, lol)

Sorry to say, we are gearing up for a new critical incident reporting system, and I know providers have so many other new things to learn between Migrating from CARE to TMHP,  Utilizing the E-learning portal, EVV, etc.., but, HHSC has approved IL-2022-14 CIMS for CLASS, LIDDA, DBMD, HCS and TxHmL Providers.

The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will implement a new statewide critical incident management system (CIMS) for reporting critical incidents. The new system will be in compliance with guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on March 12, 2014.  There will be training sessions leading up to the implementation date of June 1st, 2022.

Questions about this project can be submitted to the following email address:  LTSS_Policy@hhs.texas.gov

HCS and TxHmL Webinar Slated for March 10th, 2022

Program providers and other interested stakeholders can now register for the upcoming HCS and TxHmL webinar.

• Webinar topics include:

  • HCS & TxHmL Forms and Claims Migration Project
  • Critical Incident Management System

  HCS and TxHmL Webinar
  March 10, 2022
  3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
  Register for the webinar

  Email questions about the webinar to your program policy mailbox:

  • HCS Policy
  • TxHmL Policy