Key CMS Survey Topics for 2022
New and revised survey topics from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) took effect in January 2022. You should expect survey teams to include these topics during the review of your facility.
Mock Survey
Mock Surveys: Determining Your Regulatory Alignment
Have you considered the benefits a mock survey can provide to help your team identify risk areas and opportunities for improvement? A mock survey is an excellent way to check your alignment with regulatory requirements and ensure your survey readiness.
Survey Readiness – Top 12 Survey Readiness Tips for 2022
Our team’s Top 12 Survey Readiness Tips for 2022. This list is based upon common, problematic findings from our accreditation and regulatory consulting travels across the country in 2021.
Updates To TJC Emergency Management Standards
On September 1, 2021, The Joint Commission posted the long-awaited Proposed Changes to the Emergency Management Chapter.
New & Revised Requirements Addressing Antibiotic Stewardship
On August 4, 2021, The Joint Commission posted new elements of performance related to MM 09.01.01 Antibiotic Stewardship.
Treatment Planning
Titrating medications is the process of adjusting medication dosage for maximum benefit without adverse side effects. It can be a fine line to walk
Heads Up! Medication or Not?
Many organizations may be leaving these opportunities for improvement on the table. Did you know that any toothpaste that contains sodium fluoride contains a National Drug Code and is classified as a medication? We recently verified this with The Joint Commission Standards Interpretation Group. Their team advised this would be determined by how they are …
Prepare Your Healthcare Laundry Department For Inspection
How often do we go to the linen closet and say to ourselves, “is this linen safe to put on my patient’s bed?” As a nurse for over 40 years, I do not think that I have ever asked myself that question. I was happy that the linen was there and that I could use …
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Covid-19 Resources for Environmental Services
Recently the American Hospital Association, Health Research and Educational Trust and the Center for Disease Control updated their COVID-19 training and education resource for those persons responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of our organizations. While the tool addresses COVID-19, the training is founded in the basic principles of disinfection and contains great infographics that could …
2021 Top 5 deficient areas identified by Courtemanche & Associates
1. Competency: With advances in technology and more complex responsibilities amongst staff, the area of competency assessment and reassessment holds a lot of opportunity for improvement. Many organizations struggle with differentiating orientation and competency at the point of hire along with determining which competency assessment should occur on an annual basis. 2. Suicide Risk Identification …
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