Editor's Note Since February 2024, changes to the Registrant Validation Toolset from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have introduced new hurdles for healthcare organizations, MedTrainer October 2024 reports. The updates, which aim to prevent fraud by adding multi-factor authentication, are causing compliance challenges during primary source verification (PSV). Credentialers are…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on July 31 it has secured renewed deeming approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for its Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Accreditation Program. This renewed approval is effective from September 1, 2024, through September 1, 2030, the maximum term allowed by…

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Editor's Note Starting August 1, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) will need to comply with new and revised requirements for Life Safety Code® and patient rights, a June 26 news update from The Joint Commission reports. These updates align with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions for Coverage.…

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Editor's Note According to the annual Sentinel Event Data Report, The Joint Commission received 1,411 reports of sentinel events—an event not related to the natural course of an illness or condition that causes severe harm, permanent harm or death—in 2023. Of that total, 96% of events were voluntary self-reported by…

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Editor's Note Effective July 1, telehealth providers can apply for a new Joint Commission accreditation designed to ensure safe, high-quality care. Announced April 23 by The Joint Commission, the new Telehealth Accreditation Program is designed for organizations that exclusively provide care, treatment and services via telehealth. Hospitals and other healthcare…

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Editor's Note Data collected from more than 1,300 hospitals nationwide for Kaufman Hall’s National Hospital Flash Report shows strong margins—averaging 3.9% in February—but does not account for significant, near-term headwinds, according to a March 28 article from HealthLeaders. Revenue growth is primarily from outpatient care, and inpatient revenue continues to…

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Editor's Note Connecticut-based Stone Academy is the latest nursing program to close doors on three campuses due to compliance issues related to unqualified faculty, invalid student clinical experiences, and recording attendance, as cited by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education (OHE). This closure comes one year after Phoenix, Arizona-based Aspen…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on December 21 that they are eliminating 168 standards (14%) and revising 14 other standards across its accreditation programs in the new year. The Joint Commission additionally announced that it will not raise accreditation fees for domestic hospitals in the coming year due the…

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Editor's Note The last day of the OR Manager Conference saw perhaps its most inventive breakout session yet. The ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leadership roundtable panel led attendees through an education-filled hour marked by games, interaction, and trivia. “Technology is the way of the future, it is here, and we…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission reported on June 1 that a new independent study of 161 Joint Commission-accredited ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) finds that for each dollar invested in accreditation, an organization has that dollar returned along with an additional $6.28 in benefits. Key areas of financial return include: Revenue,…

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