Accreditation Newsletters

Ambulatory Quality and Compliance Insider Briefings on The Joint Commission

Whether you're complying with The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals, meeting CMS requirements, or overcoming AAAHC survey challenges, maintaining highquality patient care is no small task. Every issue of Ambulatory Quality and Compliance Insider is packed with field-tested compliance tips you can implement right away and how-to advice from ambulatory experts across the country.

2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Ambulatory Quality and Compliance Insider

Issue 12, December 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Joint Commission addresses wrong-site surgery

  This fall, The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare will release its Targeted...

• FDA focuses on preventing surgical fires

  Christiana Care Health System in Wilmington, DE, knows more about surgical fires than it ever hoped...

• Keeping obese patients safe through surgery

  The U.S. population is growing in size. The CDC estimates that about one-third of the nation's...

• Mercury spills still a healthcare hazard

  You don't see it reported as much now compared to a few years ago, but in September a Houston-area...

Issue 11, November 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Watch out for needlestick hazards in nonhospital ­settings

  Despite the volume and complexity of procedures, hospitals don't have a monopoly on needlestick and...

• CDC checklist puts more focus on infection control in ­outpatient settings

  The CDC has posted a 16-page checklist to use as acompanion to its infection prevention guide for...

• Facility finds new ?takes' on improved hand hygiene ­success

  Of all the challenges U.S. hospitals face, few are as unifying as hand hygiene-extremely important...

Issue 10, October 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Adding it up: Fresh data on OSHA violations and fines

  OSHA has been busier this year than in past years in handing out violations to medical and dental...

• From bedside to courtroom: The legal implications of infection prevention missteps

  When patients are admitted to a healthcare ­facility, they enter with some basic expectations...

• Duct tape reduces infections and saves money

  It's the fix-all tool for carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, or the household handyman, but now duct...

Issue 9, September 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Ozone disinfection ?systems are effective, ?but are they practical for ?hospitals to implement?

  As infection prevention has gained prominence in the healthcare environment, so has the need for...

• Establish a slip, trip, and fall prevention program in your healthcare facility

    Slips, trips, and falls (STF) are the second most ­common injury to healthcare staff...

• Improving hand hygiene with posters that focus on ?shock and shame

  Advertising 101 will tell you that sometimes the best way to get someone's attention is to grab it...

• CDC releases minimum guidelines for safe care in ?outpatient facilities

  In May, the CDC released a new document that ­focuses specifically on infection prevention in...

Issue 8, August 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Electronic faucets pose a risk for

  When electronic faucets were first introduced to the healthcare environment, they offered a number...

• Focusing on eyewash station compliance

  The very brief final section of OSHA's Medical Services and First Aid standard (1910.151[c]) brings...

• Surveyors continue to focus on sterilization, disinfection of medical equipment

  In the May issue of The Joint Commission Perspectives, The Joint Commission lists top standard...

Issue 7, July 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• CDC data shows a decrease in CLABSI, releases updated guidelines on prevention

  The CDC released statistics in its March issue of Vital Signs indicating that medical professionals...

• Protect your workers from glutaraldehyde exposure

  Glutaraldehyde is widely used in medical practices. When medical equipment cannot be subjected to...

• Safe glutaraldehyde use checklist

    General rules when using high-level disinfectants

• Isolated cases of CRKP provide a glimpse at an uncommon drug-resistant bug

  When it comes to MDRO prevention, most IPs have their hands full concentrating on some of the more...

• OSHA targets outpatient facilities

  ASCs, freestanding emergency care clinics, and primary care medical clinics in Alabama, Florida...

Issue 6, June 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• First aid for workers in medical practices

  On the surface, the concept of providing first aid training in medical practices seems redundant...

• OSHA enforcement guidelines offer update on PPE compliance

  At the beginning of February, OSHA released a ­directive updating enforcement guidelines for...

• New MRSA guidelines offer updated prevention strategies

  In February, amid an increasing amount of research on preventing MRSA infections in healthcare...

Issue 5, May 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Annual safety device ­evaluations catch many practices short on ­compliance

  The two sections of the Bloodborne Pathogens standard that make it unique among OSHA regulations...

• Using positive reinforcement to boost compliance, improve hand hygiene

  For years, hand hygiene compliance has been a focus for hospitals and medical facilities around the...

• AAAHC Institute releases procedure quality reports

  The AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement issued six new reports that offer ways to increase the...

Issue 4, April 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• New treatment guidelines focus on MRSA

  MDROs are a constant worry for hospitals, particularly because these organisms have grown stronger...

• A fresh start: Keeping infections out of your new facility

  In the infection prevention profession, there are very few occasions where you get a fresh start-a...

Issue 3, February 9, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Mistaken beliefs lead to infection risks

  There's good news when it comes to safe injection practices: The majority of healthcare workers are...

• Dissecting IC challenges for the upcoming year

  To prepare for another year of infection prevention, AQCI's sister publication Briefings on...

• What might OSHA have planned for you in 2011?

  OSHA released its semiannual regulatory agenda in the Federal Register published December 20, 2010...

• Making active surveillance easier, cheaper

  Active surveillance continues to be an essential part of determining which patients are carrying...

Issue 2, February 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• APIC award highlights leadership in ASCs

  ASCs across the country have faced considerable backlash over the past few years for a failure to...

• Conference focuses on current, future needlestick safety

  When needlestick prevention advocates observe an anniversary, there’s a lot of substance to...

• AORN updates recommendations on surgical attire

  When it comes to infection prevention, usually it’s the little things that make the biggest...

Issue 1, January 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act at the 10-year mark

  In November, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Needlestick Safety and...

• White paper calls for elimination of HAIs

  It may not be the first white paper to call for the elimination of healthcare-associated infections...

• Ambulatory Quality & Compliance Insider 2010 index

  AAAHC accreditation AAAHC revises infection control/safety standards. Feb., p. 6. Facilities and...

• Privileging, medication storage top list of most-cited Joint Commission standards

  Surveyor concerns with privileging, medication storage, infection control, and waived testing are...