Editor's Note The Joint Commission on June 12 announced that it is reviewing the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) revisions to its General Chapter <797> Pharmaceutical Compounding−Sterile Preparations. The Joint Commission is evaluating the effect of the revisions on its accredited organizations and plans to issue guidance and updated survey…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced June 5 that beginning January 1, 2020, accredited office-based surgery practices that provide fluoroscopy services will be required to comply with element of performance (EP) 17 of Environment of Care (EC) standard EC.02.02.01: The practice manages risks related to hazardous materials and waste. This…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 29 announced performance measures for two newly developed advanced Disease-Specific Care Certification programs−Acute Heart Attack Ready and Primary Heart Attack Center. The measures will go into effect July 1, 2019, for critical access hospitals and hospitals (including freestanding emergency departments) pursuing these certifications.…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 14 announced that it is expanding its quality measure program to provide accredited hospitals with year-round, real-time access to quality measures without additional outside vendors. The Joint Commission can now use a single environment to specify, develop, test, and distribute clinical quality language…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 8 announced that its Ambulatory Care Accreditation team is launching a "We Know Surgery" campaign to highlight its 45-year history accrediting ambulatory care organizations. The campaign, which is being launched in conjunction with the Ambulatory Surgery Centers Association (ASCA) conference in Nashville May…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on April 24 announced that it will be posting spring 2019 updates to the E-dition® of its accreditation and certification manuals in May. The changes, which can be viewed on an organization’s Joint Commission Connect® extranet site, will go into effect July 1 unless otherwise…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 27 posted the “Top 5” requirements identified most frequently as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews in 2018. The Top 5 for hospital accreditation are: LS.02.01.35: The hospital provides and maintains systems for extinguishing fires (88.85%). EC.02.05.01: The hospital manages risks associated with…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 6 announced that it is moving the inpatient and outpatient Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement (THKR) implementation guides from the performance measure webpage to the 2019 Specifications Manual for Joint Commission National Quality Measures. The Manual was published in February. The move will…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 6 reminded organizations submitting CY 2018 electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) data that the deadline is 8 pm CT on March 15. Two submission methods are available: Listed ORYX eCQM Vendor. Direct Data Submission Platform. There will be no extensions, and data cannot…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on January 23 announced that it is reinstating the individual mechanical thrombectomy volume eligibility requirement for the Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center (TSC) and Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) certification programs. The Joint Commission is also implementing a revised volume requirement in 6 months that expands which physicians…

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