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Tip of the week: Document ways you address security incidents

Healthcare Security Weekly, October 1, 2007

During an April survey by The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) at Valley Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas, surveyors wanted to see the facility document actions taken to address security incidents. It wasn't enough for surveyors that the hospital documented incidents in its safety committee meeting minutes, says Kyle Sprague, CBET, MBA, assistant director of facilities and clinical engineering.

Instead, surveyors wanted to see in the minutes what the hospital was doing with the information to prevent a similar incident from happening. Although Valley Hospital didn't receive a citation in this regard, there was a discussion about the requirements. Two possible standards this concern could fall under include EC.2.10 (managing security risks) and EC.9.10 (monitoring conditions in the environment).

For example, suppose an employee is assaulted in the parking garage, he says. The facility might address the particular security problem by issuing flyers to warn staff members. "[But] there was no mention in the minutes of what we were doing" about security concerns, Sprague says, adding that Valley Hospital had addressed the particular issues in question, but they hadn't noted the solutions in the meeting minutes. "That's what they wanted to see-it was that simple," he says.

To read more about the survey, go to www.hcpro.com/ppv-76192.html. The cost is $10. Briefings on Hospital Safety subscribers received this story with their subscriptions.

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