The Joint Commission (TJC) surveyors have been true to their promise to begin surveying to the new COVID-19 vaccine requirement as soon as it became effective, and hospitals are already being scored f...

by Dom Nicastro Is it time to move toward a centralized verification organization (CVO)? Many organizations are doing so to streamline the credentialing process, reduce administrative redundancies,...

The Joint Commission (TJC) surveyors have been true to their promise to begin surveying to the new COVID-19 vaccine requirement as soon as it became effective, and hospitals are already being scored f...

By Steve MacArthur, Hospital Safety Consultant I think we’ve established for the foreseeable future that the regulatory survey of the physical environment—and, by extension, how one prepares for th...

CMS has officially put out guidance to its own state survey agencies that all its on-site surveyors should be fully vaccinated, and it expects the same of accrediting organizations (AO). However, acco...

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, retaining healthcare staff has grown increasingly difficult. Between the high workload and burnout, many healthcare employees have either left or are th...

In 2020, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) encouraged organization leaders to examine VR as a training option because it’s a “practical, safe alternative to dangerous live fire scenarios.” Accord...

Another item that I see referenced in surveys with increasing frequency are those relating to organization’s not being able to clearly demonstrate that they are managing their whatevers in accordance ...

One way or another, CMS is promising states that it will enforce its mandate for staff at hospitals and other providers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. ...

CMS is lifting an almost two-year-old requirement for surveyors to use a COVID-19 focused infection control tool (FIC) as it reviews acute and continuing care facilities during surveys. Visitor restri...