April 2022 Newsletter

In the News This Month

Greetings, Everyone.

Important changes are moving forward in regulatory compliance, and we want to outline some of these for you and your team.

First, were you aware that the Joint Commission released new hospital program fire drill requirements for surgical areas? These new requirements go into effect in July 2022 and could bring greater scrutiny to your surgical area fire drills for these elements. Our feature article, "New Fire Drill Requirements for Surgical Areas are Coming" speaks to these updates, outlining strategies for fire prevention in these areas as well as tips for implementing your plan for managing a surgical fire should one occur. ·

Also, the 2022 survey process continues to focus on patient safety and the prevention of patient harm. This month's second article highlights the types of observations and findings we are seeing and hearing about from the field related to Behavioral Health.

We hope you find these articles informative and helpful in assisting you with your ongoing regulatory readiness. Please reach out to us at info@courtemanche-assocs.com for additional information or any service needs you may have.

Surgical Fire Risk

Mar 31 2022

Hospital Fire Drill Requirements for Surgical Areas  
The Joint Commission released a new hospital program fire drill requirement in surgical areas which detail specific drill elements in the December 2021 Prepublication Requirements[i]. This new requirement goes into effect in July 2022 and could bring greater scrutiny of your surgical area fire drills for these elements. Now ...
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About the Authors

Christopher Pratt, MS, BSN, HACP

Chris Pratt is a Senior Consultant with Courtemanche and Associates with more than 33 years in clinical and leadership experience working in varying healthcare positions from the bedside to the Boardroom. In this role, he is responsible for assessing healthcare organizations’ readiness for licensing, accreditation, and regulatory compliance. He is trained in the survey process, auditing approach and survey outcome determination utilized by The Joint Commission, DNV, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and other regulatory agencies and accrediting organizations. He assists organizations with post-survey activities, education, patient safety strategies, and quality improvement initiatives and has experience in various health care settings including acute care, behavioral health, and ambulatory care settings.

Courtemanche & Associates Healthcare Consultant Chris Pratt
Behavioral Health patient with healthcare professional

Mar 31 2022

Behavioral Health – Observations from the Field    
This Behavioral Health article is designed to focus on the types of observations and survey findings we are seeing and hearing about from organizations related to the field of Behavioral Health. We hope you find this informative, and should you have any questions on any of the content, please ...
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About the Authors

Patricia Cook, B.S., R.Ph, HACP, GRCP

Pat Cook is a Senior Consultant and Head of Consulting Services at Courtemanche & Associates. Working in collaboration with the C&A Leaders, Pat manages Courtemanche & Associate’s business development initiatives and oversees the clinical delivery of services and support. With her extensive healthcare experience, Pat serves as a knowledgeable resource to new and existing clients, helping to guide them through their accreditation and regulatory needs.

Patricia Cook Consultant & Author

C_APPS 2022

Fresh from the Field

Our C_APPS membership provides monthly offerings January through November including regulatory & accreditation tools, resources, tracers, policy checklists, and other key aids to facilitate ongoing success with changing expectations.

C_APPS Healthcare Accreditation Tools & Resources 2022

Mar 8 2022

CMS Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate for Healthcare Workers
One new development in late 2021 was the CMS Covid-19 Vaccination mandate for Healthcare Workers. To help our members develop the required framework, this month our C_APPs offering is a policy template for the required Covid-19 Vaccination policy along with our Covid-19 Vaccination Program checklist.
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March Focus

CMS Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate for Healthcare Workers

This month's package includes:

  • Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate Sample Policy Template
  • Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate Sample Program Checklist

C_Apps Resources & Tools

C_APPS is an Exclusive Membership Service resource developed by Courtemanche & Associates that provides monthly offerings of regulatory and accreditation tools, resources, tracers, policy checklists or other key aids to facilitate ongoing success with changing expectations.

Disclaimer: The information on this website is published in good faith for general information purposes only. This website does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability and accuracy of this information.

The Joint Commission® is a registered trademark of Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Courtemanche & Associates has no affiliation with this entity.

Courtemanche & Associates | (704)-573-4535 | Email: info@courtemanche-assocs.com

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