Starting with the next edition of The Joint Commission's Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals to be published this spring, The Joint Commission will change the term "disruptive behavior" to "behaviors that undermine a culture of safety." The accrediting agency...
It makes perfect sense-if hospitals standardize their clinical operations through accreditation standards, they will automatically improve their bottom line by eliminating waste and unnecessary costs. The right hand works with the left. It sounds easy in theory, but it is often...
The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) is taking a stand to protect the identities of healthcare organizations, physicians, and other healthcare practitioners. In September 2011, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) shut down its public-use data file after...
Physicians and healthcare organizations that were on the fence about participating in an accountable care organization (ACO) may want to take a second look. In October 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule on ACOs, which has fewer...
There was a time when medical staff standards seemed simpler and they were all located in one place: the Medical Staff chapter of The Joint Commission's Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals (CAMH). But things are different today. Standards that apply to the...
In an effort to cut $33 million from its budget, Washington state has recently passed a law that limits Medicaid patients to three non-emergent ED visits per year. It will not cover visits beyond the initial three, even if the visit constitutes a true emergency. To determine...
