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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.

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Accreditation Connection

Issue 53, December 28, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Joint Commission releases interim Staffing Effectiveness standards

  The Joint Commission has released a series of interim requirements to the staffing effectiveness...

• Joint Commission opens proposed version of MS.01.01.01 (formerly MS.1.20) for comment

  The Joint Commission has released a proposed version of medical staff standard MS.01.01.01...

Issue 52, December 21, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• MRSA cases in California skyrocket

  The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development issued a report stating that...

• MRI unit shut down after patients receive mysterious burns

  Three patients who received MRIs from The Moncton Hospital suffered from mysterious burns over a...

Issue 51, December 14, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Patients in Alabama hospital notified of possible CT radiation over-exposure

  Alabama-based Huntsville Hospital has joined the list of hospitals that have exposed patients to...

• HHS launches internet healthcare program

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched three Internet initiatives to...

Issue 50, December 7, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• CMS Approves Joint Commission’s Application for Deeming Authority

  The Joint Commission's hospital accreditation program has been approved for continued deeming...

• Joint Commission names new representative

  The Joint Commission has named a new member to the board of commissioners as well as a new...

Issue 49, November 30, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• VA study shows communication is main reason for surgical errors

  The Veterans Administration (VA) recently released an in-house study concluding that poor...

• Joint Commission updates Quality Check Web site

  The Joint Commission will add the CMS' 30-day readmission rates for heart attack, heart failture...

Issue 48, November 23, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Perinatal Care Core Measures added for Joint Commission accredited hospitals

  Joint Commission accredited hospitals will now be able to report on a set of perinatal care core...

• CNN poll reveals majority of adults do not want H1N1 vaccine

  The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey revealed that more than half of all American adults do...

Issue 47, November 16, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Joint Commission changes preliminary denial of accreditation rules

  The Joint Commission has announced two changes to its Preliminary Denial of Accreditation (PDA...

• The Joint Commission appoints new laboratory executive director

  The Joint Commission has named Jennifer F. Rhamy, MBA, MA, MT(ASCP), SBB, HP to the role of...

Issue 46, November 9, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Rhode Island hospital fined after fifth wrong-site surgery in two years

  The Rhode Island Department of Health will fine Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, $150,000...

• Study finds MRSA strain resistant to treatment

  One strain of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), USA600, has been found to be...

Issue 45, November 2, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Bar codes on patient arm bands to improve safety and prevent medical errors

  Polk County hospitals in Florida are using bar-code technology at the bedside to help improve...

• Wall Street Journal reports on most effective ways to reduce HAIs

  Nearly two million patients a year will be hospitalized by an infection, resulting in nearly...

Issue 44, October 26, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• WHO warns hospitals about expected surge

  After a three-day meeting at the headquarters of the Pan American Health Organization in Washington...

• Medicare patients suffer from a medical error every 1.7 minutes

  A recent evaluation of almost 5,000 hospitals across the nation found that 913,000 "patient...

Issue 43, October 19, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Cedars-Sinai Medical Center exposes patients to dangerous radiation levels

  More than 200 patients who received brain scans after February 2008 were exposed to radiation...

• The National Quality Forum releases 2009 Updates; HFAP adopts safe practices

  Since The National Quality Forum (NQF) released the 2009 Update of its Safe Practices for Better...

Issue 42, October 12, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Unannounced Joint Commission survey leaked to hospital via e-mail

  New York's Bellevue Hospital was alerted by Eric Manheimer, MD, the head of patient safety, via...

• Broward General Medical Center warns patients of potential HIV infection

  A Fort Lauderdale nurse has resigned after being accused of reusing equipment to conduct cardiac...

Issue 41, October 5, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• The Joint Commission announces 2010 National Patient Safety Goals

  The official version of the 2010 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) have been released by the...

• The Joint Commission awards first Disease-Specific Care Advanced Certification Program in Heart Failure

  Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois has become the first organization in the...

Issue 40, September 28, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award Recipients announced

  The 2009 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award Recipients have been announced on the...

• Eleven California hospitals fined for medical errors

  The Department of Public Health issued eleven hospitals administrative penalties of $25,000 for...

Issue 39, September 21, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Universal screening helps prevent MRSA hospital infection outbreaks

  A recent study conducted by three Northshore University Healthsystem (NUHS) hospitals in Evanston...

• HHS launches online guide to promote data standards for newborn screening

  An online guide has been launched by the Department of Health and Human Services' National Library...

Issue 38, September 14, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• The Joint Commission launches the Center for Transforming Healthcare

  In search of new methods to find the causes of dangerous and potentially deadly breakdowns in...

• Few savings for Medicare generated from hospital penalties

  Last year, on October 1, 2008, Medicare adopted a policy that refuses to pay hospitals' extra costs...

Issue 37, September 7, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• The Joint Commission seeks comments on tobacco, alcohol, and similar issues

  The Joint Commission is seeking public comment on candidate measures for assessing and treating...

• Poor performing hospitals found near hot tourist destinations and state parks

  Two dozen hospitals near popular travel destinations have death rates among the worst in the United...

Issue 36, August 31, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• The Joint Commission circulates the first draft of revised staffing effectiveness

  The first draft of The Joint Commission’s revised staffing effectiveness standards is now...

• Medicare posts policies for H1N1 pandemic or other emergency

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a 22-page document on Medicare...

Issue 35, August 24, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company's Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Government led effort helps hospitals reduce heart attack deaths

  The death rate for patients hospitalized for heart attacks has been reduced after a decade-long...

• MRSA infection believed to be surging in U.S.

  A recent study in the September issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases found that...

Issue 34, August 14, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company?s Center for Healthcare Accreditation will...

• Joint Commission creates vision statement

  The Joint Commission has crafted a new mission/vision statement intended to more clearly explain...

• New program for implementing HAI-related NPSGs

  The Joint Commission has developed a new program intended to help hospitals achieve compliance with...

Issue 33, August 7, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company’s Center for Healthcare Accreditation...

• Requirements for Interim Staffing Effectiveness to receive field review

  The Joint Commission announced this week that proposed requirements for Interim Staffing...

• Joint Commission issues clarification on Medicare Condition-Level Deficiency Follow-Up Survey

  The Joint Commission has issued a clarifying statement following its July 15, 2009 announcement...

Issue 32, August 3, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company’s Center for Healthcare Accreditation...

• High-risks group targeted by ACIP to receive H1N1 vaccine first

  Five groups have been targeted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Advisory...

• MRSA report reveals transparency disinfects

  A recent study shows the number of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections...

Issue 31, July 27, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company’s Center for Healthcare Accreditation...

Issue 30, July 20, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company’s Center for Healthcare Accreditation...

• The Joint Commission’s critical access hospital program receives CMS deeming authority

  The Joint Commission has again received deeming authority from the Department of Health and Human...

• MS.1.20 Task Force reaches consensus

  The Joint Commission is seeking feedback on changes to standard MS.01.01.01 recommended by a task...

Issue 29, July 13, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company’s Center for Healthcare Accreditation...

• Dedicated doctors work to cut hospital-acquired infections

  According to a 2009 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately...

• H1N1 preparedness grants to be released by HHS

  Congress recently authorized the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release $350...

Issue 28, July 6, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company’s Center for Healthcare Accreditation...

• Joint Commission updates position on steam sterilization

  After having discussions with multiple professional and trade organizations regarding the common...

• Rhode Island hospitals agree on same safety protocol for surgeries

  Rhode Island will become the first state to have all surgical providers adopt a uniform protocol to...

Issue 27, June 29, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company’s Center for Healthcare Accreditation...

• Joint Commission offers free monograph to improve vaccination rates for HC workers

  Seasonal influenza poses a personal threat to health care workers, but also puts patients in their...

• Miami veterans' facility needs more oversight

  In light of recent incidents in which the Miami Veterans Affairs (VA) improperly sterilized medical...

Issue 26, June 22, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company’s Center for Healthcare Accreditation...

• First draft at redefining "meaningful use" is attempted

  Last week, the Health Information Technology Policy Committee attempted a first draft of the...

Issue 25, June 15, 2009

• Greeley Reflections

  Each week, a senior consultant from The Greeley Company’s Center for Healthcare Accreditation...

• Joint Commission seeking comments on proposed requirements

  Now through July 10, the Joint Commission will be accepting comments on its proposed changes to its...

• License suspension has West Hills Hospital facing closure

  After a patient overdosed on pills she brought into Reno's West Hills Hospital (WHH), Nevada health...

Issue 24, June 8, 2009

• The board's role in conflict of interest situations

  Part 2 of 3: Effective January 1, 2009, the Complete Accreditation Manual for Hospitals (CAMH...

• New legislation praised, but no guarantee for medical safety

  In 2008, the Southern Nevada Health District had 50,000 patients tested for HIV and hepatitis after...

• New England doctor fears restraints will be used in preventing patient falls

  In October 2009, the federal government stopped paying hospitals for extra care if a patient fall...

Issue 23, June 1, 2009

• The board's role in conflict of interest situations

  Part 1 of 3: What is conflict of interest and why is it important? Isn’t it just a concern...

• New Jersey Assembly approves bill to publicize hospital errors

  The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) will now have to publicly report certain...

• VA veterans possibly exposed to HIV and hepatitis notified

  More than 10,000 patients treated at one of three Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities are being...

Issue 22, May 15, 2009

• Joint Commission solicits feedback on NPSG, Universal Protocol updates

  The Joint Commission has asked the field to review and comment on revisions to the 2009 National...

• CDC releases interim guidance for H1N1 influenza

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued interim guidance for clinicians...

• Infection Control Q and A

  Q. Our infection control nurse would like to know where to find literature to support not using...

Issue 21, May 11, 2009

• Tips to meeting Infection Control milestones

  In 2009 three infection control goals were added to the list: prevent healthcare-associated...

• South Carolina hospitals turning to DNV for accreditation

  The first hospital in South Carolina to make the switch from Joint Commission accreditation to Det...

• MRSA screening and testing bill signed into law by Washington governor

  Washington will become the fifth state to have passed legislation concerning health care-associated...

Issue 20, May 4, 2009

• Weighing accreditation options

  It has been a little over six months since Det Norske Veritas (DNV) was awarded hospital deeming...

• Screening guidance for H1N1 flu issued by CDC

  With over 100 confirmed cases of the swine flu in 11 states, the Center for Disease...

• New rule proposed to inpatient rehab facilities by CMS

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule updating...

Issue 19, April 27, 2009

• 2009 Franklin Award announced

  The Joint Commission and the American Case Management Association have awarded this year’s...

• AHA and others urge CMS to withdraw physician supervision policy

  After a recent policy change to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) policy on...

• Business associates: HIPAA survey

  We want to hear from business associates about their need for HIPAA training. Business associates...

• New York hospital aims to eliminate MRSA cases

  When Rochester (NY) General Health System determined to cut down on methicillin-resistant...

Issue 18, April 17, 2009

• Joint Commission targets hand hygiene compliance

  The Joint Commission, as part of ongoing efforts to prevent infections in healthcare facilities...

• Organizations team up to address disruptive behavior

  The American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) and the American Organization of Nurse...

• CMS pilots program to prevent readmissions

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the names of 14 communities...

• Final week for AHAP conference giveaway

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) will bring its contest for free...

• Weighing accreditation options

  It has been a little more than six months since Det Norske Veritas (DNV) was awarded hospital...

Issue 17, April 10, 2009

• Scoring guidelines released for revised Joint Commission standards

  Accreditation professionals across the country have known for months that revisions to Joint...

• Joint Commission renews deeming authority for hospice

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has renewed the deeming authority status for...

• Hospital prepares for accreditation survey, sheds troubled past

  For a number of years, Nassau University Medical Center in Long Island, has been beset upon by...

• AHAP continues conference giveaway contest

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) continues its contest for free...

• Validation surveys: Tips for maintaining readiness

  Reports from the field indicate that validation surveys by state surveyors on behalf of CMS are...

Issue 16, April 3, 2009

• One in five Medicare patients readmitted within month of discharge

  Roughly 20% of Medicare patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, a new...

• Hospital spends $3 million a year to remove language barriers

  In order to clear the lines of communication between healthcare providers and a diverse population...

• GAO seeks better HAI data

  The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has pushed for better ambulatory surgical center data on...

• AHAP giveaway continues

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) continues its contest for free...

• Washington hospital moves to DNV accreditation

  For one Washington hospital, making the move from Joint Commission accreditation to DNV Healthcare...

Issue 15, March 27, 2009

• Joint Commission revises January 5 changes

  The Joint Commission has announced changes to the 2009 standards revisions originally released...

• Joint Commission announces heart failure disease-specific care advanced certification

  The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American Heart Association, has rolled out the...

• Few hospitals have electronic medical records in all units

  Only approximately 1.5% of U.S. hospitals have a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR...

• AHAP contest heats up

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) has sponsored a contest for free...

• Infection control and prevention in 2009 is front page news

  The past 12 months have been incredibly busy with regard to infection control issues. Take a look...

Issue 14, March 20, 2009

• Maryland hospital cited for safety issues

  The Maryland Department of Health and Hygiene has cited a Silver Spring, MD hospital treating...

• University receives grant to study antibiotic-resistant infections

  The Pennsylvania Department of Health has awarded the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine a...

• New Jersey Senate votes to improve transparency

  The New Jersey Senate has approved unanimously a bill that would require the health department to...

• AHAP holds contest for free registration to annual conference

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) has announced it will give away a...

• Hospital offers helping HAND

  In 2005, Pam Stodghill, MS, RN, director of performance improvement and risk management at Shriners...

Issue 13, March 13, 2009

• Robots assist physicians at California hospital

  It may sound like something out of Star Wars, but at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital in Orange...

• Facility uses simulation training to educate staff

  Taking a cue from the aviation industry, facilities such as Lucile Packard Children’s...

• Medical error reporting in NYC faulty

  According to a report issued by the office of the City Comptroller, New York City hospitals are the...

• California physicians slow to give up handwritten prescriptions

  Although electronic prescriptions were thought to bring about the end of stereotypical...

• Kentucky collaborative targets MRSA

  Infection prevention and control issues continue to weigh heavily on hospitals. National Patient...

Issue 10, March 6, 2009

• MRSA: Not just a hospital issue

  While hospitals receive the bulk of attention in the battle to prevent methicillin resistant...

• MRSA infections rising in children

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has seen an increase in reports of hospital...

• Cameras help rural sites meet med management compliance needs

  Medication management compliance is difficult enough, but when you are trying to comply while...

Issue 9, February 27, 2009

• Difficult patients increase challenges for physicians

  One in six physicians reported they regularly encountered patients who appeared to be dissatisfied...

• Stimulus package to benefit use of electronic medical records

  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will include financial incentives promoting the...

• Should the government fund evacuation plans?

  A new report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) suggests that the federal...

• NQF aims for improved, culturally appropriate patient care

  The National Quality Forum has endorsed 45 voluntary practices intended to benefit patient care and...

• Clarifying processes for patient identifiers

  Q. Our cardiopulmonary staff members have a short period of time to perform EKGs on patients coming...

Issue 8, February 20, 2009

• ICUs in 600 hospitals see drop in staph superbugs

  A recent government report has found a dramatic drop in the rate of dangerous staph infections in...

• Employee information jeopardized by laptop theft at Parkland Memorial Hospital

  On February 3, a laptop computer which possibly contained the names, birthdates and Social Security...

• AHA to look at quality improvement via safety-net hospital leaders

  The American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Research & Educational Trust has announced it...

• Fall assessment policy raises the bar

  In summer 2006, Bellin Home Health Care in Green Bay, WI, created a tool to assess patients&rsquo...

Issue 7, February 13, 2009

• Texas hospital streamlines ED procedures following Joint Commission visit

  Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, TX, has announced major improvements to its emergency...

• Hospital rises again after near-collapse

  Two years after it lost its accreditation and its own physicians were writing to the city to warn...

• Canadian study finds disparities in hand washing recommendations

  A recent discussion between Ontario and federal officials uncovered disparities in the amount of...

• HAI improvement initiative wins over skeptic

  When his facility initiated a project to improve healthcare-acquired infections (HAI) in the...

• A look at Joint Commission scoring 101

  During its Standards Improvement Initiative, The Joint Commission’s goal was to review its...

Issue 6, February 6, 2009

• Medication reconciliation to get a face lift?

  After three-plus years of struggling with the issue of medication reconciliation, hospitals may be...

• Texas survey shows that patient safety hurt by insurers’ paperwork

  Physicians consider their financial hardships a threat to both the quality of care and their...

• 2009 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality nomination forms posted

  Applications and nominations for the 2009 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards are...

• Florida hospital system weathers survey surprises

  One survey. Five hospitals. More than 40 ambulatory and outpatient locations. When Joint Commission...

Issue 5, January 30, 2009

• CMS finalizes policy for non-payment of three medical errors

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized changes, originally proposed...

• Death rate 27% lower in America’s top rated hospitals

  According to a recent survey conducted by HealthGrades, an independent healthcare ratings...

• HRET awarded grant to study high-performance health systems

  The Commonwealth Fund awarded a grant to The Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET), an...

• Lax attitudes linked to the spread of deadly hospital infection

  How much does attitude have to do with infection rates? Quite a bit, according to a recent USA...

• Mock surveys make a difference in staff education

  Constructing a tracer process from scratch for a 645-bed hospital is no simple matter, but that was...

Issue 4, January 23, 2009

• California hospitals provide transparency on death rates

  A new report conducted by California state officials takes a look at death rates among the...

• Patients contracting HAIs see significant increase in hospital bill

  Infections acquired during a hospital visit frequently result in a significant increase in the...

• Managers more involved in quality improvement in hospitals

  A recent report by the American Hospital Association’s Health Research & Educational...

• LD.03.01.01: Leadership evaluation of culture of safety

  Q. The new leadership standard LD.03.01.01 says leaders regularly evaluate the culture of safety...

Issue 3, January 15, 2009

• Boston hospital uses metrics to improve medication reconciliation

  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA has focused on looking at process improvement...

• Are no-pay rules for never events punishing hospitals?

  While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pronouncement that it would no longer...

• Kentucky increases efforts to prevent hospital-associated infections

  Two new initiatives with very different approaches have targeted hospital-associated infections in...

• Group calls for standardization of patient IDs

  The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) has launched a campaign to push for standardized...

• Joint Commission survey brings positive insight to hospital's policies and procedures

  When Joint Commission surveyors came to St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, MO, the morning...

Issue 2, January 9, 2009

• Joint Commission appoints executive director of Hospital Programs, Accreditation and Certification Services

  The Joint Commission has announced Mark G. Pelletier, RN, MS, as the organization’s new...

• HHS releases HAI action plan

  The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a new action plan for the...

• CMS retires acute myocardial infarction quality measure set

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced that it will retire a quality...

• Study shows EMR use to experience significant growth

  Use of electronic medical records (EMR) has grown in recent years and is expected to increase by...

• Understand the guiding principles of behavioral restraint

  Implementing, utilizing, and monitoring behavioral restraints continue to pose challenges and...

Issue 31, July 27, 2009

• 2009-10 seasonal flu vaccine approved by the FDA

  A vaccine for 2009-2010 seasonal influenza in the United States has been approved, the U.S. Food...

• After gall bladder surgery, an airman loses his legs

  After what should have been a routine surgery to remove his gallbladder, Colton Read, a...

Issue 26, June 22, 2009

• Maryland hospital fined for not reporting medical errors

  Maryland health regulators have fined Doctors Community Hospital in Prince George's Country after...

Issue 1, January 2, 2009

• AHRQ distributes planning model for emergency evacuations

  The Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ) has made available a new evacuation planning...

• Leaders advocate culpability for patient safety

  Final accountability of patient safety and quality should lie with the CEO, writes Paul Levy...

• Poll: Environmental services and infection prevention should collaborate

  A new poll has found that professionals in the areas of environmental services and infection...

• Universal Protocol FAQs offer clarity for compliance

  The Joint Commission has attempted to clear up several points of confusion surrounding Universal...

Issue 10, March 6, 2009

• Three CA hospitals fined over safety concerns

  The California Department of Health has issued fines to three hospitals in Orange County for...

Issue 4, January 23, 2009

• HHS assesses state flu plans

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a report examining progress...