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Record employees’ health with same care as patients’ health

Ambulatory Safety Monitor, November 4, 2004

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In addition to proper patient medical recordkeeping, ASCs must also make employee health records a priority. The AAAHC and JCAHO have standards that require staff health record maintenance.

What the AAAHC requires

Standard 19.D requires that organizations maintain work injuries or illnesses in records, consistent with reporting requirements, and employee health records.

When Children's West Surgery Center in Knoxville, TN hires employees, they are required to take a pre-employment physical, including a urine drug screen. The facility also verifies whether the new hire has had a tuberculosis test in the past year and offers a hepatitis vaccination.

Make sure you lock the results away in a file separate from the employee's personnel file. At the Knoxville facility, policy allows only three people to have access to the records-the administrator, nurse manager, and employee health nurse-which ensures that the records remain private and that the files are maintained.

What the JCAHO requires

Although JCAHO standards don't specifically address employee health records, you must verify compliance with the applicable health screening requirements your organization establishes, according to Mark Forstneger, JCAHO media relations specialist. This requirement is covered in standard HR.1.20, which states that "the organization has a process to ensure that a person's qualifications are consistent with his or her job responsibilities," he says.

In addition, JCAHO standard IC.4.10 requires that you implement strategies to achieve the organization's goals for preventing the development of healthcare-acquired infections among patients, staff, and visitors. The strategies should include screening for exposure/immunity from infectious diseases that staff may come in contact with on the job.

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