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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Editor's Note National Time Out Day, June 8, draws attention to the need for everyone on the surgical team to pause before a surgical procedure begins to make sure they are doing the right procedure on the right patient at the right site. AORN created the National Time Out Day…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 25 announced that refreshed Accelerate PI Dashboard Reports are available for accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals to provide updated performance measurement data on a select subset of quality measures. The Interim ORYX reports contain data through the second quarter of 2021, and…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 18, posted a reminder for organizations to submit applications for the Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Health Equity, an award program in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, by June 30 at 11:59 pm CT. The Award, named in honor…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 11, announced that surveyors and reviewers will remain masked, adhere to social distancing, and follow other Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines while onsite at an organization. The Joint Commission asks that healthcare workers (HCWs) and organization staff also remain masked while…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 11, posted the Top 5 requirements that were most frequently identified as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews in 2021. The Top 5 for Hospitals were: IC.02.02.01 EP 2: The hospital reduces the risk of infections associated with medical equipment, devices, and supplies.…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced May 3 that applications are now being accepted for the second annual Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity. This award, created by The Joint Commission and Kaiser Permanente, recognizes advancements in reducing healthcare disparities in the name of…

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Editor's Note In response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) interim final rule regarding COVID-19 vaccinations for healthcare workers (HCWs), The Joint Commission has approved a new Infection Prevention and Control (IC) Standard IC.02.04.02 and new elements of performance, the regulator announced on April 27. The new…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association, on April 20, announced the launch of a Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification program, which recognizes hospitals providing care to the most complex and critically ill patients. To be certified, hospitals must provide 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week on-site coverage for primary percutaneous…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum, on April 20, announced the 2021 recipients of the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards, which recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations to improve patient safety and healthcare quality. The awardees are: Individual Achievement Awardee: Hardeep Singh, MD,…

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