Supporting Safer Healthcare

Here is the list of 405 hospitals that the Joint Commission honored as 2010 top performers in the following categories: Heart Attack Heart Failure Pneumonia Surgical Children’s Asthma You may be suprised to see who made the list, and who didn’t.  

The Implementation Guide for The Joint Commission Patient Blood Management Performance Measures 2011 is now available.   Detailed specifications are provided for seven measures related to transfusions and select elective surgery patients.   The 2011 JC Patient Blood Management Implementation Guide

The Joint Commission released a statement applauding the revised Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Telemedicine Credentialing and Privileging requirements. The new rule, long supported by the Joint Commission, becomes effective on July 5, 2011. The rule, which applies to all hospitals that participate in Medicare, and inpatients at critical access hospitals (CAH), upholds The Joint Commission’s [...]

The Joint Commission is adding no new National Patient Safety Goals in 2011.  Minor revisions to existing elements of perfomance have been made, which are effective immediately. Click here for the full-text of the JC announcement.  2011 NPSG’s from the Joint Commission

If you’re facing an upcoming accreditation survey, you’ll want to know what the Joint Commission is reporting as the most challenging standards so far this year. Here is what is giving Hospitals and Ambulatory Care organizations the most trouble in 2010: Hospital RC.01.01.01 The hospital maintains complete and accurate medical records for each patient.  (62%) LS.02.01.20 The hospital [...]

Are you wondering what the Joint Commission’s thought process is for Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE) or whether specific privileges are required for the administration of moderate sedation?  Those and many other topics are covered under the Medical Staff section in JC’s Frequently Asked Questions. DNV  and AOA’s HFAP accreditation programs also have FAQ’s related to questions [...]

Prior to providing care, treatment, and services, the hospital obtains or renews orders (verbal or written) from a licensed independent practitioner. Sounds like a no-brainer right?  How difficult can it be for hospitals to comply with such a simple standard? Turns out, pretty difficult.  Nearly every hospital struggles to comply with at least one aspect of that simple-sounding [...]

The Joint Commission has released partial pre-publication standards updates for 2011, which will remain available on their web site until October 1, 2010.    The currently available pre-pubs include:   Hospital and Critical Access Hospital Standards – Language for the long-awaited MS.01.01.01 regarding Bylaws requirements - Effective March 31, 2011  Hospital Standards – Patient Centered Communication, which sets requirements for [...]

Been knocking yourself out over the past few months to get your telemedicine providers credentialed before the looming July 15th Joint Commission standards change?  Nevermind… The NAMSS Blog provides an update on the July Joint Commission deadline for credentialing telemedicine providers. It’s now being held until March 2011, and likely will be changed before then.  Although it would be easy [...]

National Patient Safety Week in the US is March 7-13, 2010.  This year, to promote patient safety The Joint Commission will give away 20 copies of “YOU: The Smart Patient,” and a new book “The Smart Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Kids Through Checkups, Illnesses, and Accidents.”  Both books are written for the general public in [...]