Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on March 22 that MedStar-Georgetown University Hospital in Washington DC received the first Patient Blood Management Certification by the Joint Commission and AABB (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks). The certification provides a third party evaluation of patient blood management programs…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission’s Targeted Solutions Tool (TST) for Hand-off Communications provides a framework for what the communication process between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities should be to reduce potential patient readmissions, the Joint Commission said in a March 15 news release. “The TST helps organizations: Facilitate examination of…

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Editor's Note As a result of the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on powdered gloves that went into effect January 18, the Joint Commission is now evaluating organizations on the implementation of non-powdered glove use during accreditation surveys, the Joint Commission announced March 7. Instances of noncompliance are being cited…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced March 3 that they are collaborating on a project designed to adapt, enhance, and disseminate CDC guidelines related to infection prevention in ambulatory healthcare settings. The goal of the initiative, called “ADOPT (Adaptation and Dissemination Outpatient…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 1 issued a new Sentinel Event Alert on “The essential role of leadership in developing a safety culture.” Leadership’s failure to create an effective safety culture is contributing to adverse events such as wrong-site surgery and delays in treatment, the Joint Commission says.…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on February 22 announced that recent changes had been made to simplify and streamline the accreditation post-survey process and decision rules. Among the changes: An organization with an accredited with follow-up decision will receive full accreditation once it has successfully submitted evidence of standards compliance.…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced February 22 that it had updated its sentinel event statistics through the end of 2016. Of 824 events reviewed, unintended retention of a foreign object topped the list at 120. Wrong-patient, wrong-site, or wrong-procedure was second at 104 events, and operative/postoperative complication was seventh…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on February 21 launched a Medication Compounding Certification that addresses new medication compounding laws and regulations. The certification, which is awarded for a 2-year period, was developed in collaboration with the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) to help healthcare organizations ensure compliance with Joint Commission…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced February 15 that it will now evaluate all accredited organizations for compliance with the January 18 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ban on powdered gloves. Citations will be listed under Leadership (LD) 04.01.01 element of performance (EP) 2: “The organization provides care, treatment and…

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Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed two e-learning modules on informed consent that will be available through the Joint Commission’s learning management system for continuing education credit. The modules, which are available for free: help hospital leaders provide guidance on developing policies and ensuring…

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