Editor's Note The Joint Commission has launched a major redesign of its healthcare accreditation and certification programs with Accreditation 360: The New Standard. According to a June 30 announcement, the new framework introduces outcome-focused performance tools, eliminates hundreds of requirements, and promises to made standards publicly accessible. Reportedly supported by…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) are partnering to set national standards for responsible artificial intelligence (AI) use in healthcare, according to a June 11 announcement from the organizations. This effort will deliver AI implementation guidance, tools, and a certification program to over 80%…

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Vaccine health has been dominating the news amid ongoing measles and whooping cough outbreaks and high influenza activity last season. It is also on the minds of The Joint Commission surveyors, as the organization has updated infection control standards that took effect in July 2024 for hospitals and critical access…

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Editor's Note On this National Time Out Day, perioperative leaders are being called to reinvigorate the time-out process to combat complacency and reduce adverse events. Despite decades of safety initiatives, the adverse event rate in surgical care remains high—38% of perioperative cases, with nearly half tied directly to surgical procedures,…

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Editor's Note Wrong-site surgeries are on the rise, and insufficient surgical time outs are a key contributor, according to new data highlighted by AORN on June 10 in honor of this year’s National Time Out Day on June 11. Based on The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Data 2023 Annual Review,…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum (NQF) on May 12 announced the recipients of the 2024 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The Awards recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations to improve patient safety and healthcare quality. This year’s recipients are: National Level Innovation…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced significant updates taking effect immediately to the eligibility requirements for its cardiac and stroke certifications, developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA). According to the April 2 announcement,  key revisions involve the removal of percutaneous coronary…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission has announced UNIFY 2025: Convening for Quality, a national event set for September 16-17, 2025, in Washington, DC. The two-day gathering will bring together healthcare leaders and policymakers to address critical challenges in patient safety and healthcare quality. According to the announcement, the event will…

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Editor's Note Applicants for the 2025 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards and the 2025 Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity have until March 31 to submit, according to a recent announcement from The Joint Commission. There is no cost to apply.…

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Takeaways • The prevalence of needlesticks and other sharp object injuries to OR team members is 42.8%, an increase of 16% over the past decade. • New research and perspectives are shaping the discourse around sharps safety, such as new and expanded evidence-based practices presented in AORN’s 2025 update to…

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