The last few months of managing a pandemic have exhausted you. But you still need to prepare for that upcoming survey, whenever it happens, whether it’s a virtual review or an on-site visit.
Start by taking a look back at your last survey report as well as last year’s environment of care...
CMS announced in 2019 that, in an attempt to address complaints that hospital surveys to validate findings by accreditation organizations (AO) were done too long after the fact and that facilities were faced with double survey duty, it would test a program to conduct its work at the same time...
Expect accrediting organizations (AO) to get even tougher on problems found within the physical environment after yet another critical CMS report to Congress about the agency’s oversight of AOs. CMS also expressed concerns...
Set up clear communication with your hospital staff and remain open to feedback as you receive and administer the COVID-19 vaccines.
Work with supervisors and other leadership to schedule staff vaccinations and, if possible, work around shifts so that workers who do experience symptoms...
It might take weeks or months before the U.S. gets the COVID-19 vaccine out to all of those who want it. The CDC and most states are first offering the shots to healthcare workers and other essential personnel.
Whether you are a hospital or off-campus location, you must take several key...
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has updated its guidance on how employers can navigate federal anti-discrimination laws while requiring employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
On December 16, the EEOC added a section on how COVID-19 vaccines interact with the legal...
Expect to deal with many of the same exemptions—such as health concerns or religious reasons—to mandatory COVID-19 shots as you do with a mandatory flu vaccination...
Having your documentation organized for survey is always a challenge, but especially so when dealing with HR requirements and personnel files. Remember that as of January 1, 2021, The Joint Commission updated its Human Resources standard HR.01.01.01, EP 1 to include the documentation icon.
That new waiver will allow hospitals to bill Medicare for nursing for patients sent home to free up bed space. But it is not a blanket waiver, and unless your hospital already has an acute-care-at-home program in place,...
DNV GL Healthcare will conduct full, deemed reaccreditation surveys remotely, under certain conditions approved by CMS. Other accreditation organizations (AO) are declining to do so. But CMS says virtual survey processes will be allowed only during the current public health emergency (PHE). And...
