Editor's Note This study from Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, finds that hospital occupancy greater than 85% was linked to increased emergency department (ED) boarding beyond the 4-hour standard, during the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2020 through December 2021), and ED boarding increased even when hospital occupancy did…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 28 announced it is seeking input from the field on requirements for a new advanced certification program focused on improving healthcare equity. The voluntary program will recognize hospitals that strive for excellence in providing equitable care, treatment, and services across multiple domains, including…

Read More

A lot has happened with ASC quality measure reporting in the last 2 years, especially this year, says Gina Throneberry, MBA, RN, CNOR, CASC, director, education and clinical affairs, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). Throneberry spoke at the ASCA annual conference in April. In the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on September 13 that it is reviewing its standards and requirements that go beyond the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conditions of participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs to determine whether some should be permanently retired. “As the [COVID-19 public health…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 7 released sentinel event data for the first 6 months of 2022. Of 832 events reviewed this year from January 1 to June 30, the top 10 most frequently reported were: Falls—199 Unintended retention of foreign objects—30 Suicides—26 Delays in treatment—25 Wrong surgery—19…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August  31 announced a new patient safety campaign to help patients understand telehealth visits, titled: “Speak Up At Your Telehealth Visit.” Educational resources for the Speak Up program include: an infographic poster/flyer an animated video a distribution guide on how to provide the materials…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 17 announced that refreshed Accelerate PI Dashboard Reports are now available for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF), inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPF), and long-term acute care hospitals (LTCH) to provide data on a select subset of quality measures. The IPF reports contain data through the…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 10 announced that it will collaborate with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to offer Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care (ACPC) to accredited and nonaccredited hospitals and critical access hospitals with perinatal care programs, beginning January 1, 2023. The Joint Commission…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on July 27 announced that it is revising its National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) Standard NPSG.15.01.01, element of performance (EP) 1, to now include long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals, effective January 1, 2023. The change will allow The Joint Commission to score environmental risk assessment…

Read More

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) has been accrediting ambulatory healthcare facilities, including ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), for more than 40 years, with some 6,100 accredited organizations. A top philosophy of AAAHC is “1095 Strong,” which emphasizes the importance of integrating quality practices throughout a facility’s 1,095 days…

Read More