In the News This Month
Greetings Everyone, it's full steam ahead into the month of May, and first and foremost we want to acknowledge Nurses week which is celebrated May 6th-12th this year. Thank you so much for your incredible passion and dedication in the field and to the patients you service. We greatly appreciate all you do.
Our newsletter this month focuses on two very important topics. Our first article is “De-Risking”. Assessing and managing risk has become a mainstay of healthcare operations, yet few organizations have an established process and/or understanding of how to approach managing and mitigating risk. This month, we turn to experts outside of healthcare to help us understand key “de-risking” considerations utilized by other industries. Our second article and part of our “Observations from the Field” series, focuses on Infection Prevention, specifically the problematic areas we are seeing and accreditation agencies are citing related to High Level Disinfection(HLD) and Sterilization. HLD and Sterilization were problematic prior to the pandemic and remain areas in most organizations that need close scrutiny as we inch closer to closing the door on the Public Health Emergency.
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.
De-risking Your Quality Management Program
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.
High Level Disinfection – Observations from the Field
About the Authors
Denise Smith, RN, MSN, CLNC, HACP
Denise Smith is a Senior Consultant with Courtemanche & Associates. In this role she is responsible for assessing healthcare organizational readiness for licensing, certification, accreditation, and regulatory compliance. She has extensive knowledge in the requirements of The Joint Commission, DNV, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services including knowledge in their survey process, auditing approach and survey outcome determination. She also has knowledge and experience in AAAHC and other regulatory and accreditation organizations. She assists organizations with survey preparation, educational needs, post survey activities, patient safety strategies and quality improvement initiatives. Denise has more than 40 years of experience and expertise in Infection Prevention, Sterile Processing, Legal Nurse Consulting, Quality and Resource Management, Clinical Education, in acute inpatient and outpatient care settings.
Clinically, Denise is a licensed Registered Nurse with an extensive background in Infection Prevention and Control for perioperative settings, sterile processing, and quality management. Additionally, she has served as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant and has aided organizations for EMTALA, Medical-Surgical and Health Care Administration areas of concern.
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.
Workplace Violence in Healthcare Settings
April Focus
Workplace Violence in Healthcare Settings
This month's package includes:
- Risk Analysis Key Area & Elements Guide
- Education & Training Plan Design
- Workplace Violence Training Template
- OSHA's Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence
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.