The nation is still working to get a majority of the population vaccinated against COVID-19 as coronavirus variants create patient surges in many states. Hospitals and other healthcare organizations are being asked to step up yet again to provide more shots in arms.
The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) is urging CMS to expand its hospital Conditions of Participation, or at least the interpretive guidelines for the current CoPs, to improve oversight of the cybersecurity of networked medical devices. The OIG is concerned that neither surveyors from CMS...
If you felt aggravated by OSHA’s rush to implement an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect healthcare workers against COVID-19, you are not alone. By late July more than 130 individuals and organizations, representing hospitals and...
The Joint Commission (TJC) is hiring almost twice as many new surveyors than usual this year to deal with a backlog of triennial surveys delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goal is that all triennial surveys delayed in 2020 will done in 2021, but that may mean moving some...
Include COVID-19 vaccination status as part of your emergency room triage and medical history, and educate clinicians on how to address vaccine hesitancy.
The CDC is encouraging hospitals and urgent care centers to step up outreach to vulnerable patient populations by offering COVID-19...
The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) was created to help hospitals vet physicians and keep problem physicians from traveling from hospital to hospital. Hospitals are required to check the NPDB when they add a new physician to the medical staff.
Update your inspection, testing, and maintenance documentation and check your exit signs when preparing to host life safety surveyors from The Joint Commission (TJC) at your business occupancies. (For more information on the new standards, see page 1.)
Be sure your facility electronic Statement of Conditions™ (eSOC) and Basic Building Information (eBBI) are up to date with accurate business occupancy information. Expect life safety (LS) surveyors to start inspecting many of your off-campus sites now that The Joint Commission (TJC) has a new LS...
Take another look at your workplace violence prevention (WVP) policies and procedures now that The Joint Commission (TJC) has formally published new and...