Joint Commission to clarify oversight of emergency management

New Joint Commission requirements and revisions address leadership accountability for hospitalwide emergency management in hospitals and critical access hospitals. The prepublication requirements and revisions, announced earlier this week, provide a clearer description of leadership-level oversight of emergency management, according to The Joint Commission.

The new and revised EPs, effective January 1, 2014, will require hospitals and critical access hospitals to identify a leader to oversee emergency management and to consider input from staff at different levels when evaluating exercises and responses to events. In addition, the EPs require senior hospital leadership to review the organization’s emergency management planning activities, performance in exercises, and responses to actual events to facilitate improved communication of problem areas and implementation of hospitalwide solutions.

Source: The Joint Commission