Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 31 issued a new Quick Safety advisory to help prepare healthcare organizations for disasters such as, power failure, fire, flood, industrial accident, or cyberattack. The advisory, "Quick Safety 41: Emergency management: Need for continuity of operations planning," provides risk factors, safety recommendations, and…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 16 announced that approximately 25% of applicable elements of performance (EPs) in its ambulatory care program will no longer apply to organizations that primarily provide surgical and nonsurgical services via a telehealth platform. Among the reductions: 12 EPs in the Environment of Care…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on May 2 that beginning January 1, 2019, it will start applying minimum mechanical thrombectomy volume requirements to the Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) certification program. Organizations applying for certification will have to meet the new volume requirements in addition to previous volume requirements, such…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on April 17 announced that it had issued a new Sentinel Event Alert 59: Physical and verbal violence against healthcare workers. The Joint Commission issued the alert during Workplace Violence Awareness Month to help healthcare workers in hospitals and other healthcare settings recognize violence from…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on April 11 released the top 5 requirements identified most frequently as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews that took place from January 1 to December 31, 2017. New to the table is data on Perinatal Care Certification. The top 5 for Hospital Accreditation are:…

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Editor's Note Joint Commission president Mark R. Chassin, MD, FACP, says he doesn’t want healthcare organizations to just imagine a day of zero harm, he wants them to achieve it, the Joint Commission announced on April 4. Dr Chassin talked about “Leading the Way to Zero” in an article for…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on April 4 that it is no longer scoring two elements of performance (EPs), effective March 9, that were removed from the Medication Compounding chapter in the Home Care Accreditation program standards manual and the Compounding Sterile and Nonsterile Preparations chapter in the Medication…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 21 announced that the first hospital to earn its Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center (TSC) certification is St Joseph Mercy Oakland, Pontiac, Michigan, a member of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System. In collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA), the TSC certification signifies…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 20 announced the deletion of RI.01.01.01, element of performance (EP) 8: “The hospital respects the patient’s right to pain management” because it is no longer relevant and necessary to ensure quality of care and safety. The deletion is effective immediately. The Joint Commission’s…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 14 announced that three revised requirements across the Life Safety (LS) and Environment of Care (EC) chapters went into effect March 11. The revisions are: LS.02.01.30, element of performance (EP) 13, is designed to maintain alignment with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid…

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