August 2026 Newsletter
In the News This Month
Greetings Everyone,
Strong regulatory readiness takes more than preparing for the next survey. “Building and Sustaining an Effective Regulatory Readiness Program“, written by Christopher Pratt, explains how healthcare organizations can build a sustainable compliance program by strengthening leadership engagement, creating clear governance structures, identifying risk areas, and embedding readiness into daily operations. Learn how continuous readiness can support patient safety, improve performance, and turn compliance into a strategic advantage
Therapeutic duplication can create serious medication safety risks when overlapping therapies are prescribed without clear documentation or sequencing. “Therapeutic Duplication as a Medication Safety Risk“, written by Teri Reinhartsen, explains how duplicate therapy can happen, why it is often tied to communication gaps and incomplete medication reconciliation, and what safeguards organizations can use to reduce risk. Learn how clearer prescribing intent, pharmacist review, and stronger medication-use processes can help prevent avoidable patient harm.
Thank you for taking the time to read our articles. We hope this information is helpful in assisting you with accreditation and regulatory compliance needs. For future topics or should you require our services, please reach out to us at info@courtemanche-assocs.com. Our team is always available and eager to assist you in any way we can.
- By Christopher Pratt, MS, BSN, HACP-CMS, Senior Consultant & Accredited Provider Program Director
The Author
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
- By Teri Reinhartsen, RN, MS, CPHRM
The Author
Teri Reinhartsen is an Associate Consultant with Courtemanche and Associates with 30 years of clinical and leadership experience working in varying healthcare positions from the bedside to the Boardroom. In this role, she is responsible for assessing healthcare organizations’ readiness for licensing, accreditation, and regulatory compliance, and 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. She 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. Throughout her career, Teri has held a variety of Patient Safety, Risk Management and Regulatory Compliance leadership positions for several large healthcare systems. These experiences provided her with a wealth of knowledge in these areas as well as Root Cause Analysis and High Reliability Concepts. Teri has been the lead on mock surveys where she has worked and conducted educational programs related to her areas of expertise. She has also participated in and assisted in DOH/CMS investigations. Clinically, Teri has expertise in the Peri Operative area.
July Spotlight Observations
C&A is a division of SAYAS Alliance. Through our sister company Medical Resources Network, we also offer a range of legal nurse consulting services, including medical record review and analysis, medical chronologies, peer review, retention of medical experts, and adverse event and call center management. Learn more.
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