Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 21 announced an update of its policy on notification of changes in accredited organizations, which will take effect October 1. Previously, organizations had to notify the Joint Commission within 30 days after a significant change. The new policy requires organizations to provide written…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 7 released its 2017 ORYX Performance Measurement Reporting Requirements for accredited hospitals. Hospitals will report on 5 chart-abstracted measures and a choice of 6 of 13 electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs). Critical access and small hospitals may choose the six eCQMs from 13…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 31 released its top five most challenging requirements for the first half of 2016. The top five requirements cited most frequently as “not compliant” for hospitals during surveys and reviews from January 1 through June 30 are: 66% EC.02.06.01 The hospital establishes and…

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Editor's Note In this study, the preponderance of medical evidence supports Center of Excellence accreditation for bariatric surgery centers. This meta-analysis analyzed 13 studies that included more than 1.5 million patients. Among the benefits of accreditation: 10 studies found a substantial benefit for risk-adjusted outcomes 6 studies reported a considerable…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on May 18 that it had updated its Quality Check website. The website, launched in 1996, allows customers to search for accredited and certified organizations by city, state, name, zip code, or Joint Commission identification number. The updated site also lets customers search by services…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 29 approved the San Francisco-based Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) as a national accrediting organization for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) that participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs (known as deemed status), the May ASC Focus reports. IMQ…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 30 posted the top requirements for accreditation identified most frequently as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews from January 1 through December 31, 2015. Among the most challenging: Granting initial, renewed, or revised clinical privileges to individuals who are permitted by law and…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 16 announced that the new Patient Blood Management Certification Review Process Guide (2016) is now available. Contents include a description of activities that take place during an on-site certification review and tips to prepare for the review process.   Patient Blood Management Certification…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on February 16 launched a new initiative called “Pioneers in Quality.” The program provides education and support for hospitals as they strive to meet the growing requirements for electronic clinical quality measures. Key components of the initiative include: Educational webinars Resource portal Modified annual report focusing…

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Editor's Note The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore sustained top performance on all Joint Commission accountability measures from 2012 through 2014, and now more than 96% of patients receive recommended care consistent with national quality measures, this study finds. The sustainability process included: declaring and communicating goals creating an enabling…

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