Hospital Peer Review – May 1, 2009
May 1, 2009
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The Joint Commission issues revised 2009 accreditation requirements
Less than three months after releasing an addendum to its 2009 accreditation standards, The Joint Commission is telling hospitals to throw it out and refer instead to a newly revised edition. -
Memorial Hermann wins national quality award
Houston-based Memorial Hermann Healthcare System will be honored this month at a gala event in Washington, DC, as the winner of the National Quality Forum's (NQF) 2009 National Quality Healthcare Award. Michael Shabot, MD, system chief medical officer, explains why the health system was chosen and how it met the five criteria NQF established for the award: -
National push for surgical safety checklist under way
If flight crews have to do it before takeoff, why shouldn't surgical teams do it before cutting into a patient? -
Skagit Valley gets checklist on board with physician champion
Joyce Cardinal, RN, MBA, director of quality at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon, WA, says she was lucky. One of Skagit's surgeons is on the SCOAP data committee, and after she attended a meeting about the surgical checklist, she already had a physician champion on board to get it started. -
AHA, TJC get with the guidelines for heart failure
In conjunction with the American Heart Association's updated Get With The Guidelines program on heart failure, The Joint Commission is now offering hospitals a certificate of distinction in heart failure, as part of its disease-specific care advanced certification program. -
Arming patients to partner in their care
Traditionally, patients have been cast in a passive role in their own health care. Now, "patient involvement" has become an oft-heard term in hospital regulations and discussion, with acknowledgement that patients themselves can play an integral role in their care. How does The Joint Commission promote encouraging patients to speak up?