Literature Review

CHAPcast: Top 10 Deficiencies for Home Health and Hospice[Podcasts] Email; 7/3/24CHAP's Clinical Nurse Educator, Keri Culhane, dissects the top 10 deficiencies for 2023 in home health and hospice care. Keri highlights trends, issues, and practical strategies to improve care planning and compliance.

Hospice groups, AOs speak out on proposed Accreditor Oversight Rule Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/22/24Some accreditation organizations (AOs) have balked at the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule designed to strengthen oversight of those institutions. ... Three such organizations currently have deeming authority for hospices, The Joint Commission, the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) and Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP). These accreditors have joined a host of other stakeholders in making public comments on the proposed rule, with some requesting clarifications and others outright denying that CMS has the authority to establish such requirements.

Telehealth Accreditation Program The Joint Commission; 4/20/24The Joint Commission has developed a new Telehealth accreditation program (TEL) that will be effective July 1, 2024. This program is intended for health care organizations that exclusively provide care, treatment, and services via telehealth and for health care organizations that provide services via telehealth to another organization’s patients.

14 Joint Commission patient safety goals for post-acute facilities Becker's Hospital Review, by Mariah Taylor; 3/21/24 The Joint Commission released a breakdown of patient safety goals for post-acute care facilities in 2024. The organization published an easy-to-read resource outlining goals for nine sectors of healthcare, including nursing facilities, surgery, hospitals and behavioral care. For post-acute facilities, the goals mostly revolved around identifying patients correctly, using medicines safely, and preventing infections and falls. Here are the patient safety goals for post-acute facilities: ...

Eight nurses from St. Vincent Hospital filed suit yesterday in Worcester Superior Court against Tenet Healthcare for wrongful termination after blowing the whistle on unsafe patient care conditions ABC WATE.com 6 / Cision PR Newswire; by Massachusetts Nurses Association; 3/22/24 Eight registered nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association at St. Vincent Hospital filed a lawsuit yesterday in Worcester Superior Court against the hospital and its owner, Dallas-based for-profit owner Tenet Healthcare alleging they were fired for exercising their legal and professional obligation to report "unsafe and illegal conduct and conditions" that jeopardized the health and dignity of the patients under their care. ... last month the nurses' claims were validated by The Joint Commission, which conducted an investigation into the nurses' complaints and found the hospital to be "non-compliant with applicable Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) Conditions."

The state where all hospitals are on track to earn new Joint Commission [Equity] CertificationBecker's Clinical Leadership, by Erica Carbajal; 2/28/24All hospitals in Massachusetts are meeting a health equity accreditation standard that The Joint Commission introduced last year, making it the first state to be recognized for the accomplishment. ... Achieving the standard is the first step to obtain The Joint Commission's recently launched health equity certification, which all of the state's hospitals plan to earn by 2025, according to a joint news release from the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association and accrediting body.

Medicare program; strengthening oversight of Accrediting Organizations (AOs) and preventing AO Conflict of Interest, and related provisionsFederal Register, Proposed Rule by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 2/15/24This proposed rule would set forth a number of provisions to strengthen the oversight of accrediting organizations (AOs) by addressing conflicts of interest, establishing consistent standards, processes and definitions, and updating the validation and performance standards systems. Additionally, this proposed rule would revise the psychiatric hospital survey process, add a limitation on terminated deemed providers and suppliers when reentering the program, and provides technical corrections for End-Stage Renal Disease facilities and Kidney Transplant Programs.

Joint Commission CEO talks about new sustainability program for hospitalsChief Healthcare Executive, by Ron Southwick; 2/5/24[The Joint Commission,] which accredits thousands of healthcare organizations on a variety of health and safety issues, has just launched a voluntary certification program on sustainability. [Dr. Jonathan] Perlin, [president and CEO], says he has heard from clinicians who pushed for a program to help hospitals do better on environmental issues. ... Undoubtedly, hospitals and health systems must improve their sustainability efforts. Each day, a hospital produces a ton of waste per every 100 beds, Perlin says.

St. Jude Home Care is first U.S. pediatric home health agency to earn new category of industry certificationPress release; 1/18/24St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Home Care LLC earns dual certfication in pediatrics and home health from Community Health Accreditation Partners (CHAP), an independent, non-profit, accrediting body for home and community-based healthcare organizations. St. Jude Home Care LLC is the nation’s first agency to achieve that distinction. CHAP is the only organization in the U.S. that grants a discrete pediatric certification to home health agencies.

30 moves from The Joint Commission in 2023Becker's Clinical Leadership, by Erica Carbajal; 12/29/23In 2023, The Joint Commission has overhauled accreditation standards, elevated health equity to a national patient safety goal, launched a new certification program and more. Below are 30 actions and updates from the accrediting body Becker's has covered since the start of the year, starting with the most recent.

The Backbone of Better Care: Compliance in Home-Based HealthcareBy Jennifer Kennedy, 12/15/23In the realm of home-based healthcare, the distinction between good and great care is often defined by the role of compliance. This invisible backbone extends beyond immediate healthcare services, forming a critical framework that upholds every action and procedure to the highest standards of legal and ethical conduct.