Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 24, announced that it is seeking comments on new infection control (IC) requirements for hospitals and critical access hospitals on preparedness for high-consequence diseases or special pathogens. These new requirements will replace the current standard IC.01.06.01 on preparing for an influx of potentially…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 24, announced that it was eliminating the term licensed independent practitioner from its Ambulatory Health Care and Office-Based Surgery accreditation programs, beginning August 27. The revisions are consistent with terminology used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Conditions for Coverage and…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 3, announced the launch of its new Health Care Equity Certification Resource Center, which provides practical strategies for meeting the new certification program’s standards and elements of performance. Resources, such as tools, templates, and guides, are organized in the center by certification domains…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 3, announced the revision of several of its elements of performance (EPs) for critical access hospitals to align with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) Conditions of Participation (CoPs). The revisions primarily address restraint and seclusion, the complaint process, and unified…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 26, announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement to count the volume of ventricular assist device (VAD) implants by surgeons will be reinstated on May 11. CMS stopped this requirement during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Editor's Note The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), on April 10, announced the release of updated standards for its 3-year Advanced Orthopaedic Certification program, which will take effect July 1, 2023. The updated Certification Handbook for Advanced Orthopaedics, v42, introduces new terminology and standards architecture plus a revised…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 19, posted the Top 5 requirements and corresponding elements of performance (EPs) identified most frequently as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews in 2022. The Top 5 for Hospitals have to do with: Implementing infection control activities when performing intermediate and high-level disinfection…
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), on April 19, released new breast cancer standards that put the individualized needs of the patients first and focus on shared decision-making. Previous standards addressed surgical care issues through an interdisciplinary lens, but they were…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 12, announced that it and Kaiser Permanente are still accepting applications for the 2023 Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity. The award, now in its third year, gives national recognition to a healthcare organization for an intervention…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 10, released a new Quick Safety advisory on preventing patient burns from light sources used during laparoscopic or arthroscopic procedures. Burns from these light sources can go unnoticed because they typically do not produce smoke or charring, even of surgical drapes, The Joint…