Editor's Note The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association (AHA) will offer a single cardiovascular (CV) certification program for hospitals beginning January 1, 2019, the Joint Commission announced on October 10. The single certification is designed to enhance CV patient care and improve outcomes and quality of life. It…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 26 announced a collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) that will incorporate AAOS’ clinical expertise into development of  standards and performance measurement requirements for the Joint Commission's Total Hip and Knee Replacement (THKR) Certification. The Joint Commission and AAOS will…

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Editor' Note The Joint Commission in partnership with the American Heart Association recently approved a new certification program that will provide an independent evaluation of an organization's eligibility to qualify as a comprehensive cardiac center. After reviewing program requirements, the Joint Commission identified the following areas for revision: Collaborative model…

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Editor's Note This study, which examined the relationship between nursing specialty certification and surgical site infections (SSIs), found that only Magnet status was associated with lower SSI rates. Analyzing data from 69 hospitals, 346 units, and 6,585 RNs, along with SSI data on 22,188 patients after colon and abdominal hysterectomy…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and American Heart Association (AHA) on July 25 announced a new jointly offered hospital cardiovascular certification program. The “Advanced Certification for Heart Failure” program is the first of multiple, jointly offered cardiac certifications that will be available to hospitals. Organizations must meet the following criteria:…

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Editor's Note The first exams have been scheduled for the recently launched new credential for infection preventionists in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) setting−Certified Ambulatory Infection Preventionist (CAIP). The exam will be online at a testing center October 1-31, 2018. Electronic application must be submitted between August 1 and 31.…

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Licensed healthcare professionals working in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) can now earn a Certified Ambulatory Infection Preventionist™ (CAIP™) credential to demonstrate their understanding of the skills and knowledge required to fill the role of an infection preventionist (IP) in an ASC. The new certification program can also help IPs working…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced November 1 that it is redesigning its Accreditation and Certification reports to be more user-friendly.  The redesigned reports will highlight the most relevant information about surveys and reviews, outcomes, and required follow-ups. Additional changes include: removing unnecessary white space and repetitive text prioritizing and grouping…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on July 19 announced that the University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City, is the first hospital in the nation to achieve its Comprehensive Cardiac Center (CCC) Certification. To achieve certification, hospitals must demonstrate compliance with consensus-based standards, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for cardiac care,…

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Are there nursing characteristics such as certification status or educational attainment that impact surgical site infection rates? The answer to questions such as this may provide evidence of modifiable factors that could lessen surgical site infections (SSIs) and thus decrease the financial and emotional impact from these adverse events. The…

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