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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 51, December 15, 2011

• Joint Commission weighs in on worker fatigue

  The Joint Commission’s latest Sentinel Event Alert targets an issue that has been...

• Veteran receives $275,000 settlement after two towels are left inside him during surgery

  The federal government has agreed to pay a 47 year old veteran $275,000 after two towels were left...

• Texting while rounding?

  The Patient Safety Monitor Blog has a fantastic post by writer Tami Swartz that might be of...

Issue 50, December 8, 2011

• Joint Commission proposes revisions to patient flow in the ED

  The Joint Commission released on December 7, 2011 a set of proposed revisions to the accrediting...

• Joint Commission releases new information on flu vaccine standard

  The Joint Commission has released new information on IC.02.04.01, the Infection Control standard...

• CMS releases quality information to consumer groups

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), under the Affordable Care Act, announced...

Issue 49, December 2, 2011

• CMS posts changes to medication administration timing requirements

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced that the organization is...

• Joint Commission seeks comments on NPSG addressing overuse of treatments

  The Joint Commission is proposing a new National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) addressing growing...

• HCPro announces 2011 Nursing Image Award winners

  This year's search for nurse leaders and staff who have helped elevate the image of nursing is...

Issue 48, November 23, 2011

• Joint Commission announces new engineering department, names Mills director

  The Joint Commission has announced the formation of a new Department of Engineering, intended to...

• Three healthcare organizations take home Baldridge Awards

  Three healthcare organizations were among the winners of this year's Malcolm Baldridge National...

• Kaiser sues nurses’ union over strike

  Kaiser Permanente's Northern California hospital unit and medical group has filed a lawsuit against...

Issue 47, November 18, 2011

• Texting verbal orders FAQ published

  The Joint Commission has published an FAQ addresssing texting orders on its Frequently Asked...

• Effective date announced for patient-centered communication standards

  The Joint Commission has announced that the previously approved patient-centered communication...

• Joint Commission announces new E-App launch, downtime

  The Joint Commission has announced that it will launch its newly enhanced electronic application...

Issue 46, November 10, 2011

• Joint Commission changes term "disruptive behavior" in the standards

  The Joint Commission has altered the term “disruptive behavior” in the...

• Joint Commission releases field guide for improving patient care for LGBT community

  The Joint Commission has released a new field guide urging hospitals to create a more welcoming and...

• AHAP still seeks participants for document management survey

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) is still seeking participants in...

Issue 45, November 4, 2011

• Joint Commission and SGS team up for accreditation/ISO program

  The Joint Commission announced this week that it will work with SGS, a leading verification...

• HRET awarded contract toward reduction of catheter-associated infections

  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has awarded the the American Hospital...

• AHAP launches latest benchmarking survey targeting document management

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) has launched the latest in its...

Issue 44, October 28, 2011

• FDA launches initiative to prevent surgical fires

  The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a new initiative and program designed to...

• New FAQ posted on storing laryngoscope blades

  The Joint Commission has posted its latest Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) information, discussing...

• Joint Commission seeks feedback for EM drills for home care program

  The Joint Commission is looking to the field for feedback on proposed revisions to its home care...

Issue 43, October 21, 2011

• CMS proposes changes to CoPs to "cut red tape"

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced proposed changes to the...

• HFAP appoints new director of accreditation services

  The Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) announced it has named a new director of...

• Joint Commission Critical Access Hospital Accreditation program receives CMS recognition

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have granted deeming authority to The Joint...

Issue 42, October 14, 2011

• Accreditation in fiction

  The following topic is being discussed in the Association for Healthcare Accreditation...

• We need your help

  HCPro is looking for your help. We’re working on an accreditation regulations product and we...

Issue 41, October 7, 2011

• Enhanced certification alliance expands connection between Joint Commission and American Heart Association

  In order to help organizations provide even better care through Certified Primary Stroke Centers...

• Study: Lower performing hospitals treat more minorities, poor patients

  According to a new report by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, hospitals which...

• MAP announces finalized strategy for aligning quality measures

  The Measures Application Partnership (MAP) released its final strategy this month to align public...

Issue 40, October 3, 2011

• Cappiello named COO of Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program

  Joseph L. Cappiello has been appointed new Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago-based Healthcare...

• Joint Commission releases R3 report looking at CAUTI

  The Joint Commission has just released a new R3 report examining the 2012 National Patient Safety...

• First Disease-Specific Care certifications for nursing homes issued by Joint Commission

  The Joint Commission has announced that to Illinois nursing homes have become the first facilities...

Issue 39, September 23, 2011

• ISMP updates confusing drug name list

  The Institute for Safe Medical Practices (ISMP) recently updated its “List of Confused Drug...

• Joint Commission seeks pilot testers for sudden cardiac arrest measures

  The Joint Commission has announced it is seeking organizations to act as pilot testers for draft...

• New law bans anonymous complaints on physicians

  Those looking to file a complaint against physicians in Texas can no longer do so anonymously...

Issue 38, September 15, 2011

• Joint Commission lists top performers in annual quality report

  The Joint Commission has released its Annual Report on Quality and Safety, and for the first time...

• AHA releases report looking at readmissions

  he American Hospital Association’s (AHA) TrendWatch has released a recent report looking at...

• Inexpensive infection control saves millions of lives, billions of dollars

  A new study by University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill found that adopting inexpensive...

Issue 37, September 7, 2011

• HHS announces funding for health IT in rural locations

  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced earlier this month that health networks...

• College of Surgeons require hospital to include navigation through cancer programs

  A patient-centered approach is at the forefront of new accreditation standards for hospital cancer...

• Enter HCPro?s nurse leader best practices contest

  Enter HCPro’s nurse leader contest and share best practices with your peers! How do you deal...

Issue 36, September 2, 2011

• New performance measurement program provides incentives for excellence

  The Joint Commission has announced it will launch a program for performance measurement recognition...

• Joint Commission to launch E-App enhancements in October

  The Joint Commission has announced it will implement new enhancements to its electronic application...

• Study shows temporary ED nurses a potential safety threat

  Temporary emergency room nurses who are unfamiliar with their surroundings may inadvertently be a...

Issue 35, August 26, 2011

• Latest Sentinel Event Alert focuses on radiation risks

  The Joint Commission has released its 47th Sentinel Event Alert, this time targeting the risks...

• Joint Commission announces new president of JCR and JCI

  The Joint Commission has announced a new head of Joint Commission Resources (JCR) and Joint...

• Drug shortages and the gray market?

  Are hard economic times and a lack of key drugs leading to more drugs being sold through the...

Issue 34, August 19, 2011

• Joint Commission posts "Sudden Cardiac Arrest Initiatives" publication

  The Joint Commission unveiled this week a free PDF publication entitled “Sudden Cardiac...

• First Primary Care Medical Home option awarded

  The Joint Commission has awarded the first Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) award to AltaMed Health...

• More children hospitalized with MRSA

  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a new report showing more children are...

Issue 33, August 12, 2011

• Joint Commission continues telemedicine discussion with CMS

  The Joint Commission stated this week that is has submitted proposed changes to its standards...

• John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award accepting nominations

  The John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award is now accepting nominations for the 2011...

• CMS expands Hospital Compare data

  Federal health officials have announced that they have expanded the HospitalCompare website, making...

Issue 32, August 5, 2011

• Telemedicine prepublication standards released

  The Joint Commission has published its prepublication standards for telemedicine (LD.04.03.09 and...

• Joint Commission releases two new educational videos

  As part of its ongoing "Speak Up" ™ campaign, The Joint Commission has unveiled its...

• Irish law would require admission of medical mistakes

  In an effort to ensure more reporting of adverse events, Minister for Health James Reilly is...

Issue 31, July 27, 2011

• Joint Commission recommends a look at sterilization and high-level disinfection

  In a recent announcement, The Joint Commission has urged hospitals and other accredited...

• Surgical standardization a takeaway from AHA Leadership Summit

  HealthLeaders Media reporter Cheryl Clark attended the American Hospital Association’s...

• Most challenging standards chapter?

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) is currently running a survey...

Issue 30, July 22, 2011

• News spotlight: Last week! Nominate a star for the HCPro 2011 Nursing Image Awards

  There’s still time to nominate someone for the 2011 HCPro Nursing Image Awards. The...

• HHS aims to improve health and cost for dual eligible patients

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has introduced three new initiatives to help...

• Joint Commission seeks panel experts for critical access hospital project

  The Joint Commission is seeking panel members for its new project to assess and implement...

Issue 29, July 15, 2011

• Joint Commission aligns patient visitation rights requirements with CMS

  The Joint Commission has updated two Elements of Performance (EP) under its Patient Rights (RI...

• Field review opened for proposed revised EPs targeting pediatric care

  The Joint Commission on Friday opened up a field review of proposed revised and new Elements of...

• Can videos curb infection rates?

  Our colleagues over at the Patient Safety Monitor blog found an interesting project this week...

Issue 28, July 8, 2011

• Joint Commission helps empower younger patients with latest video

  The Joint Commission has released the latest of its Speak Up™ videos, this time targeting a...

• Not enough research to substantiate assumption that July brings higher mortality rates

  Because a new class of medical school graduates begin their residencies in July, the month has a...

• Joint Commission announces improved E-App later in 2011

  The Joint Commission announced recently that its electronic application for accreditation (E-App...

Issue 27, July 1, 2011

• Wall Street Journal: The road to fewer re-admissions

  One in every ten dollars spent on healthcare goes toward preventable readmissions, according to a...

• CMS proposes new rule for community mental health centers

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would provide...

• Last chance to participate in AHAP tracer survey

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) recently launched a survey for...

Issue 26, June 24, 2011

• AHAP launches benchmarking survey on tracers

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) has launched its latest...

• Is preventing wrong-site surgery rocket science?

  A very interesting article by Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with The Washington Post...

• Nominate a star for the HCPro 2011 Nursing Image Awards

  Nominations are open for the HCPro 2011 Nursing Image Awards, which honor nurses whose leadership...

Issue 25, June 17, 2011

• AAAASF receives deeming authority through CMS

  Earlier this week, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the approval of...

• Joint Commission teams up with ASHI

  The Joint Commission and the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) have...

• Joint Commission reports on HHS rules review

  Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a plan for a retrospective...

Issue 24, June 10, 2011

• AHAP shares survey results on restraint and seclusion

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) surveys its members regularly on...

• CMS proposes making hospital performance data public

  A new proposed rule would allow Medicare and private sector claims data to be used to produce...

• Website hosts combined efforts for improving medical labs

  Lab Advantage ™ has launched a new web site to help highlight the concerted efforts of The...

Issue 23, June 3, 2011

• AHAP unveils salary survey results

  In 2010, the annual Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) salary survey...

• CMS posts new FAQs on diagnostic imaging standards

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have released a set of ten Frequently Asked...

• Joint Commission releases latest educational video

  The Joint Commission has released the latest in a series of short animated videos in its Speak Up...

Issue 22, May 24, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Comment period for Advanced Certification in Heart Failure Measures open

  The Joint Commission has announced that it is seeking comment on the proposed specifications for...

• Joint Commission posts new FAQs for HR standards

  The Joint Commission has issued a new set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for its Human...

Issue 21, May 20, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• New NPSG announced

  They Joint Commission has approved a new National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) set to go into effect...

• Joint Commission announces launch of new Disease-Specific Careprogram

  The Joint Commission has announced that its latest Disease-Specific Care (DSC) certification...

Issue 20, May 13, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Joint Commission calls CMS revised telemedicine standards a "positive step"

  The Joint Commission has released an official statement reacting to revisions by the Centers for...

• Joint Commission seeks volunteer hospitals to test new performance measures

  The Joint Commission is in the process of developing Sudden Cardiac Arrest performance measures...

Issue 19, May 6, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• CMS posts telemedicine final rule in Federal Register

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have released a much-anticipated final rule...

• Joint Commission releases new animated Speak Up video

  The Joint Commission released this week the latest in a line of animated short videos as part of...

Issue 18, April 28, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Research shows simple post-surgical step reduces infections

  According to the latest edition of the Archive of Surgery, a basic bedside technique of gently...

• CMS seeks input on new medication measures

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is working with Florida Medical Quality...

Issue 17, April 22, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Joint Commission opens two new field reviews

  The Joint Commission is seeking feedback on two separate field reviews, both closing in early May...

• Joint Commission and FDA target alarm fatigue

  The Joint Commission recently told The Boston Globe that it would work with the Food and Drug...

• AHAP conference features data management tips

  The 5th Annual Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) Conference will...

Issue 16, April 15, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Salary survey for accreditation coordinators

  Every year The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) host an anonymous...

• HCPro offers Patient Safety Monitor demo

  HCPro will be hosting a complimentary live demo of Patient Safety Monitor on April 26! Patient...

• AHAP Conference features panel discussion

  This year's Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) Annual conference will...

Issue 15, April 8, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Animated short encourages patients to be engaged in healthcare

  The Joint Commission’s Speak Up ™ campaign has launched the second in a series of...

• Joint Commission releases additional FAQs

  The Joint Commission has announced that several additional Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) have...

• AHAP Conference to feature roundtable discussions

  This year at the annual Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP), attendees...

Issue 14, April 1, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Joint Commission posts new FAQs

  The Joint Commission has posted a significant number of new FAQs on the following topics...

• Joint Commission to release update to manual in April

  The Joint Commission announced this week that its annual "Update 1" to its accreditation...

• AHAP Conference update

  With the annual Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) Conference coming up...

Issue 13, March 25, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16, 2011

  National Healthcare Decisions Day, an event intended to encourage patients to express their wishes...

• National Strategy for Quality Improvement announced

  The Department of Health and Human Services announced this week its National Strategy for Quality...

• AHAP Conference update

  With the annual Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) Conference coming up...

Issue 12, March 18, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• AHAP Conference announces 2011 agenda

  The formal agenda for this year’s Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals...

• Two MS.01.01.01 FAQs posted

  The Joint Commission has posted two new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the ever-challenging...

• Joint Commission releases new BoosterPak

  The Joint Commission has posted the latest in a series of BoosterPaks ™ to assist hospitals...

Issue 11, March 11, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• CDC report targets CLABSI

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a media advisory stating that...

• Joint Commission launches latest Speak Up program

  The Joint Commission has launched the latest in its ongoing Speak Up™ campaign, this time...

Issue 10, March 4, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Patient Safety Awareness week update

  Patient Safety Awareness Week is coming up and the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) is...

• CMS recognizes Joint Commission for psychiatric hospital accreditation

  CMS announced that is has granted deemed status to The Joint Commission for the accreditation of...

Issue 9, February 25, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Joint Commission opens field review for Primary Care Home program

  The Joint Commission has launched its field review of its Primary Care Home program and is...

• Hospitals failing on communication compliance

  Two former language-expert hospital administrators in conjunction with Language Line Services have...

Issue 8, February 17, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Deadline for implementing telemedicine requirements extended

  The Joint Commission announced this week that, because the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...

• AHAP contest brings out the best

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) recently announced a contest for...

Issue 7, February 11, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Joint Commission updates sentinel event page

  The Joint Commission has updated its sentinel event statistics webpage with the latest statistics...

• AHAP sponsors conference giveaway

  The Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) announced this week that they...

Issue 6, February 4, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• New FAQ published for lab services standards

  The Joint Commission has published a new Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) clarifying a common point...

• BMJ reports on patient care and falls

  In a January report, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that patients who fall out of bed...

Issue 5, January 28, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Joint Commission proposes performance expectations for ORYX measures

  The Joint Commission has opened for field review a proposed requirement intended to establish...

• EP deleted from Medication Management standards

  A change to the Elements of Performance (EP) for The Joint Commission’s Medication Management...

Issue 4, January 21, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• 2010 John M. Eisenberg winners announced

  The Joint Commission has announced the recipients of this year’s John M. Eisenberg Patient...

Issue 3, January 14, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Joint Commission to align with CMS changes to patient visitation CoPs

  CMS has recently updated its requirements under the Conditions of Participation (CoP) for patient...

• New standards changes towards CMS compliance

  As part of the organization’s ongoing process to comply with CMS Conditions of Participation...

• CMS proposes new rule: Perform well, be rewarded

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new rule for hospital...

Issue 2, January 7, 2011

• Greeley Reflections

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

• Boston hospital admits three spinal surgery errors in two months

  Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is in the spotlight after its surgeons made...

• NPSG field review still open for comment

  The Joint Commission continues to request comments on its proposed National Patient Safety Goals...

Issue 42, October 14, 2011

• Study finds performance trends tied to Joint Commission accreditation

  A recent study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine found that hospitals accredited by The...