Editor's Note The Joint Commission on February 7 announced that it is seeking comments on proposed revisions to its credentialing and privileging standards for contract services in Hospital, Critical Access Hospital, Ambulatory Health Care, Office-based Surgery, Nursing Care Center, and Behavioral Health Care accreditation programs. The revisions clarify or consolidate existing…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on January 31 announced that a new brochure is available to help healthcare organizations inform patients about healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and prevention. The brochure, titled, “For Our Patients and Their Visitors: Help Prevent Infections,” is derived from the resource, “Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission reported on January 31 that it had confirmed with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that organizations are required to have two exercises of their emergency operations plan annually. Among the organizations to which the requirement applies are: deemed hospitals critical access hospitals…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on January 24 announced that its January Quick Safety examines second victim experiences and safety actions to consider, and it also includes an anonymous, personal story of a Joint Commission employee who is a second victim. Though the patient and family are the priority for…

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Editor's Note Joint Commission Resources on January 17 released the 2018 Hospital Compliance Assessment Checklist, a self-assessment workbook designed to help organizations with standards compliance and survey readiness. In addition to hospital standards and elements of performance (EP), this year’s Checklist includes: High-level prompts to promote staff discussion and cultivate…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on January 10 announced that three new requirements for maternal status assessment and documentation will become effective July 1, 2018, for accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals that offer obstetric services, specifically labor and delivery. The new requirements were designed to: Document or assess the…

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Editor's Note Joint Commission Resources announced on January 3 the release of two new publications to help organizations comply with requirements for accreditation. “Medical Staff Essentials” breaks down difficult concepts in the Medical Staff (MS) standards. “Root Cause Analysis in Health Care: Tools and Techniques” provides a systematic approach to…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on January 3 announced that it is no longer requiring hospitals, critical access hospitals, or ambulatory care organizations to credential and privilege pathologists who provide diagnostic services through independent reference (contract) laboratories. The Joint Commission says accredited organizations can safely presume that pathologists who work…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on December 20, 2017, posted new and revised standards that go into effect in January 2018. Included are: Life Safety Code revisions that address topics such as testing of emergency lighting systems and inspection and testing of piped medical gas and vacuum systems. Medication Management…

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When Medicare and Medicaid legislation was passed and signed into law in 1965, the US Congress formed the precursor federal agency to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to write the rules and regulations spelling out the “Conditions of Participation” (CoPs) required to obtain federal funding under these…

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