A pending survey led one four-hospital system to take a hard look at its anticoagulation therapy policies and procedures. The fact that those facilities ranged in size from 25 to 250 beds simply made the process more complicated. Jim Lile, BS, PharmD, clinical pharmacy supervisor at MidMichigan Health (composed of Gratiot Medical Center in Alma, MI, and MidMichigan Medical Center hospitals in Midland, Gladwin, and Clare), helped update existing protocols to make them consistent across the four different facilities.

Editor's note: The following is adapted from the April 17 HCPro audioconference, "Core Measures: Comply with Joint Commission Data Requirements." All hospitals are reviewing core measures in some fashion. The question is, where to start? "What are the things each hospital needs to do to understand core measures?" said Jacqueline Matthews, RN, MS, director of quality and infection control in the Quality and Patient Safety Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.

Every year, certain National Patient Safety Goals present additional challenges to facilities, particularly at survey time. During its recent unannounced survey, Baptist Health, a five-hospital healthcare system, servicing the regions of Duval, Nassau, Baker, Clay, and St. Johns in northeast Florida, faced some specific goal challenges, which they are now focusing on for improvement.

Editor's note: Sue Dill Calloway, RN, MSN, JD, director of hospital risk management for OHIC Insurance Company, The Doctor's Company, in Columbus, OH, is the "CMS corner" lead contributor. Submit a topic idea to her by contacting BOJ Managing Editor Matt Phillion at mphillion@hcpro.com.