In May, the University of North Texas (UNT) Health and Science Center announced a new collaborative aimed at improving patient care throughout the state and reducing medical errors across the continuum of care.
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 27, Issue 8
Currently, 60% of U.S. hospitals don't have an antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) that meets all seven components of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stewardship guidelines. But that is about to change with The Joint Commission announcement that as of...
Think fast: Does your hospital have a "never events" policy? Does it include apologizing to the patients that were harmed and waiving their costs? Does it include a risk assessment?
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 27, Issue 8
In June, the Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives, bringing several changes to CMS. One of the most noteworthy provisions of the act allows CMS to determine acceptable readmission rates and penalties by comparing facilities with...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 27, Issue 8
After initially reversing a ban on texting medical orders, The Joint Commission and CMS have announced that they are working on additional guidance regarding texting policies. The two organizations hope to have a set of FAQs on creating an appropriate medical texting policy...
At Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in Tennessee, a multidisciplinary team has been working on evidence-based guidelines for limiting blood use and waste.
Last week, CMS released data on its new hospital star ratings system, previewing the scores of 4,599 hospitals. The agency says it will be posting those ratings on its Hospital Compare site “shortly.”
