Infection Control is Front and Center at Annual Joint Commission Session
Infection control dominated the day’s presentations, which also looked at expectations for sterile compounding, Legionella control, using personal protective equipment, medication management, lowering maternal death rates, and, of course, ligature risk and suicide prevention.
EPA Says There’s No Need for New Hazardous Spill Regs
In its final action, the EPA explains that new regulations are not necessary to regulate spills of hazardous substances (HS) because the “existing cumulative framework of regulatory requirements adequately serves to prevent and contain CWA HS discharges.”
Joint Commission Boosts Antimicrobial Stewardship, Falls Prevention Programs
This standard (MM.09.01.03) is not brand new—in fact, it is an extension of the original standard (MM.09.01.01), which has been in place since January 1, 2017. Most hospitals and nursing care centers have been under the original standard’s authority in an effort to curb antibiotic resistance in the U.S.
New EPA Rule Bans All Sewering of Hazardous Waste Drugs
The August 21 ban on the sewering of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals is the first deadline set out in new regulations published by the EPA in a final rule in February that overall sets up a new category, Subpart P, under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Incomplete Processes, Insufficient Documentation Were Top Concerns in HFAP Surveys
According to the 2019 HFAP Quality Review, incomplete processes and insufficient documentation were the most-cited standards during 2018 on-site surveys at acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals, laboratories, and ambulatory surgery centers.
TJC Clarifies Suicide Risk NPSG Requirements
Element of performance (EP) 3 requires that the suicide risk assessment include risk factors, which TJC describes as “a combination of individual, biological, psychological, familial, community, cultural, and/or societal characteristics or factors that may contribute to the risk of suicide.”
CMS Proposed Rule Would Strengthen Oversight of AOs
The proposed rule establishes a process AOs with Medicare-approved accreditation programs must follow if there is a sale, transfer, and/or purchase of assets related to the ownership of an AO.
Get Ready for New Joint Commission Suicide Prevention Standards
The added emphasis on suicide comes at a time of national concern about suicides in hospitals and is meant to complement the “Zero Suicide” campaign, an effort by several outreach groups to eliminate suicide in healthcare facilities nationwide, according to Joint Commission literature.
Once Again, Safety Issues Top List of Most-Cited TJC Standards
Released in the April issue of Perspectives, the list covers the top Joint Commission requirements that surveyors found to be noncompliant most often during 2018.
Postmortem: Was the Failed Massachusetts Law Requiring Patient Limits for Nurses a Good Idea?
The proposed law, which became known as “Question 1” because of its position on the referendum ballot, was soundly defeated in the November 2018 election, with about 70% of Massachusetts poll-goers voting “no.” An industry-backed campaign from hospital executives spent around $27 million exhorting voters to turn down the measure.