What a short, strange trip it’s been…

I think we can safely say that 2020 has manifested itself in a lot of (vaguely unpleasant) ways, but this one has the potential for really shifting the compliance landscape for the next little while.

You probably have already heard this through various sources, but our friends in Chicago are suspending all regular Joint Commission survey activity, effective this past Monday, March 16 until further notice, with no anticipated restart date. I suppose those of you for whom a survey visit was imminent, this gives you a little bit of breathing room (and given the tenor of the times, even a little bit feels pretty darn good), but it also requires you to sustain your compliance and oversight efforts just that much longer (I have always maintained that accreditation surveys look best in the rear view mirror), which could prove challenging.

That said, I have absolute confidence in you folks to keep your organizations sharp and on point (sorry for the mixed metaphor there). We can only prepare one day at a time, and so, can only sustain progress one day at a time. I think we can predict that infection control and prevention will experience focus like never before (but hey, we knew this was coming), so make sure all your infection control-related risk assessments are up-to-date and minty fresh (actually, reviewing all your risk assessments is probably a good way to spend this “grace” period).

There’s a lot going on, but if the past two months+ are any indicator, 2020 has more surprises in store (hopefully not…), you don’t want a bad survey to be one of them.

About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Greeley Company in Danvers, Mass. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is also a contributing editor for Healthcare Safety Leader. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.