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  Accreditation Connection Accreditation Connection 
 
This e-mail newsletter delivers the latest weekly accreditation news, analysis, and advice for any healthcare professional involved in CMS (formerly HCFA), JCAHO, or other survey preparation-in any setting.

July 21, 2008   (Volume 11, Issue 30)
 
New Medicare law changes Joint Commission deeming authority status
Congress last week overrode a presidential veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008—a bill that included a provision which changed the Joint Commission’s deeming authority status with CMS.  
 
Patient education: ED patients frequently unclear on instructions

Seventy-eight percent of emergency department (ED) patients interviewed did not understand key instructions about their health, according to a study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.  

 
Kansas City insurer will not reimburse for preventable errors
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City has joined the growing ranks of insurers who will not reimburse hospitals for key preventable medical errors, the Kansas City Business Journal reports.
 
Survey: Patient satisfaction can be improved

A survey of hospital chief quality officers found that 97% of survey takers agreed that quality improvement activities in their facility had improved patient care outcomes, but only 28% said that patient satisfaction was at the level it should be.  

 
Heparin recall brings attention to policies
Anticoagulation drugs have been in the spotlight already in the past year, primarily due to National Patient Safety Goal #3E, which targets the safe use of these drugs.  
 

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