Accreditation Newsletters

Briefings on Accreditation and Quality will help you with all of your accreditation and survey preparation needs. Every month, Briefings on Accreditation and Quality takes a look at problematic standards, identifies best practices, and clarifies the latest updates and changes from The Joint Commission, CMS, and other regulatory and accreditation organizations. Briefings on Accreditation and Quality also offers bonus content, tools, sample policies, and more online.

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Issue 6, May 14, 2019

• BOAQ has moved to Accreditation & Quality Compliance Center website

  Briefings on Accreditation & Quality (BOAQ) has changed its name to Inside Accreditation &...

Issue 5, May 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• CMS revises immediate jeopardy process

  Be prepared to be held accountable for actions by contractors, staff, or volunteers that result in...

• Sentinel event statistics for 2018

  The Joint Commission (TJC) has released its full sentinel event data for 2018. Published annually...

• Depression screening and treatment

  In the January edition of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, a study was...

• ER doctor: Protect your staff from workplace violence

  Amy Costigan, MD, wants to be able to practice emergency medicine without being punched in the face.

• SHEA urges increased focus on preventing superbugs

  Progress against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections has slowed in...

• Joint Commission wants de-escalation training

  The Joint Commission (TJC) released Quick Safety 47: De-escalation in Health Care earlier this year...

Issue 4, April 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Case study: Air disaster response

  The partnership between San Diego International (SAN) airport, airlines, and local hospitals is now...

• Quick look: Accreditation-specific certifications

   Hospital quality leaders who find themselves growing more skilled and successful in...

• Joint Commission and CIHQ respond to CMS conflict-of-interest concerns

  TJC and the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) were among the first hospital AOs...

• Examine your dialysis space to ensure room to separate infectious patients

  Hemodialysis is one of four areas The Joint Commission (TJC) says it’s increasing focus on...

• Dialysis tips

  Here are some additional tips from Kathleen Good, MSN, RN, a former surveyor with TJC and now an...

• Four steps to improve your hospital quality and safety rankings

  For one hospital, a poor Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade rating in 2014 became a launching pad for...

• Study: Most sepsis-associated deaths caused by coexisting conditions

  Most sepsis-associated deaths are linked to other underlying causes and are not preventable with...

Issue 3, March 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Look to Blueprint to understand new EPA requirements on hazardous drug waste

  Consider managing all your pharmaceuticals as hazardous waste, especially if you are a smaller...

• SHEA issues infection control guidance for anesthesiology

  Published in SHEA’s journal Infection Control & Healthcare Epidemiology, the guidance...

• Joint Commission refutes AO conflict of interest study

  A study that found independent hospital accreditation carries no real benefit for patient outcomes...

• Part one: ECRI tech hazards 2019

  But we have some new additions to this year’s list, including retained surgical items and...

• Harris Health System vs. Hurricane Harvey

  It’s been one year since Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, flooding the city and displacing...

Issue 2, February 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• What to look for in 2019: ligature risk, infection control, drug safety, and more CMS pressure on AOs

  Make sure your staff knows and implements your policy on continuous observation of suicidal...

• Joint Commission: Four new suicide prevention EPs, three revised

  The Joint Commission (TJC) announced revisions to its suicide prevention National Patient Safety...

• Joint Commission updates anticoagulant NPSG

  The Joint Commission (TJC) announced revisions to its anticoagulant therapy National Patient Safety...

• When the snow falls

  By this point, many facilities in the U.S. will have faced their share of snowstorms, most of which...

• CMS asks if AOs offering consulting services have a conflict of interest

  Ever had questions about whether it was good or appropriate to pay your accrediting organization...

• Final EPA rule on hazardous waste pharmaceuticals

  Soon, flushing or rinsing hazardous waste pharmaceuticals down a drain into the sewers will be...

Issue 1, January 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Case Study: Winter Storm Jonas

  Consult your emergency management plan when facing an impending storm, and update this plan with...

• Q&A: Smoke, flames, and wildfires

  In 2007, San Diego County had a huge wildfire that forced several hospitals, nursing homes, and...

• Human trafficking response program at Dignity Health

  The problem of human trafficking has caught the attention of healthcare authorities like The Joint...

• Treating violence and abuse victims with PEARR

  The worst thing a care provider can do when they suspect victimization, Gibbs says, is ignore the...

• Use TRAIN matrix to triage patients in mass evacuation

  Developed by the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford in Palo Alto, California, the...

• BOAQ 2018 index

  Most would agree 2018 was a busy and interesting year. With that in mind, we’ve made you this...