CMS to use Joint Commission recommendations on ligature risk as guide

In a new memo to its state survey agencies, CMS said it would use Joint Commission ligature recommendations—drawn from a task force that was convened by the commission and included several CMS suicide prevention experts—as the federal agency goes forward with clarifying and updating Interpretive Guidelines for its surveyors.

Regardless of what organization you might use for accreditation, assess your hospital’s suicide prevention compliance against those Joint Commission recommendations with a detailed risk assessment and mitigation plan. If that plan includes renovations or extra staff and training, ensure your C-suite has budgeted money for those items to show surveyors leadership is serious about making changes.

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