The Joint Commission has released a report thattargets guiding principles and actions that will allow the “hospital of the future” to cope with a range of challenges, including patient safety, quality of care and more. The report, Health Care at the Crossroads: Guiding Principles for the Development of the Hospital of the Future attempts to find ways for hospitals to reconcile rising costs with the ever more complex needs of patients. It also discusses...  Read More »

A growing number of consumer advocates have taken arms against hospital secrecy regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) rates, the Seattle Times reports. According to the Times, five years ago no states required hospitals to release the number of patients who were infected with MRSA while at their facility. Now 25 states have some sort of reporting requirement. Other states require reporting some infections, but not MRSA. To view the full...  Read More »

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an update to guidelines for cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing medical devices. The update includes several new areas of discussion, including : inactivating antibiotic-resistant bacteria disinfecting complex medical instruments The guidelines also include changes such as addressing equipment design, bioterrorist agents, and emerging pathogens. The guidelines have not been updated since 1985. To...  Read More »

CMS announced September 26 that it had granted deeming authority to Oslo, Norway–based Det Norske Veritas, Inc., (DNV) to accredit hospitals. Several hours later, two facilities applied for accreditation through the newcomer. DNV, which acquired TUV Healthcare Specialists in Houston in April, went through the application process with CMS twice after developing its National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (NIAHO) survey. Hays (KS)...  Read More »

This will be the last issue of the AAAHC Connection distributed by HCPro. To continue to receive the Connection, please e-mail AAAHC at info@aaahc.org. In the body of your e-mail write, “I would like to opt in to receive future issues of the AAAHC Connection” and provide your e-mail address.   Read More »

Organizations struggling with Standard 2.II (specifically approved primary and secondary source verification agencies) are urged to review Appendix L of the AAAHC Handbook for Ambulatory Health Care. Listed here are more than 20 organizations recognized by AAAHC as approved sources, including: The Federation of State Medical Boards list, the American Medical Association Physician Master Profile, the American Osteopathic Association, and the National Commission...  Read More »

The program, held on December 5-6, 2008, at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, is a great resource for those applying for accreditation for the first time, as well as those preparing for re-accreditation. The day and a half long seminar provides tips and tools from experienced surveyors to help guide your organization from application through decision. The seminar begins with an in-depth look at AAAHC’s core standards, and then breaks into smaller...  Read More »

The AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement is now accepting applications for the Innovations in Quality Improvement Awards. To be considered for the award, AAAHC- accredited organizations may submit their award applications between March 1, 2008 and May 31, 2008. The applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts and winners will be announced in July. The awards will be presented in December 2008 at the annual AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement National...  Read More »

AAAHC standards in Chapter 17, Diagnostic and Other Imaging Services, D- 4,5 & 6, and Chapter 18, Radiation Oncology Treatment Services, D-2 address proper safety precautions for personnel, which should include medical staff. Your organization must determine whether personnel exposure badges are appropriate and monitor the badges as well.Although equipment suppliers may be a good resource for determining the appropriate badges and maintenance of them, their...  Read More »

In conjunction with the AAAHC’s Achieving Accreditation program (for spring 2008, this is in Tampa, March 14-15), the AAAHC Institute is offering a new educational opportunity designed to assist participants in meeting AAAHC standards related to quality improvement. The AAAHC Institute’s “My QI” workshop focuses on selecting suitable topics for QI studies and then developing/implementing studies appropriate for those topics. “My...  Read More »