Patricia Cook, BS, R.Ph, HACP-CMS, Head of Consulting

The Joint Commission has shared that  proposed Resuscitation Standards will be finalized in July 2021 with an effective date of January 1, 2022. Stay Tuned for more information from C&A in July on the new expectations set by these standards.

On June 21, 2021, CMS issued QSO 20-41 outlining and clarifying the Emergency Operations Plan Exercise Requirements in light of the ongoing Public Health Emergency. To learn more about the testing requirements and exemptions that are in place, go to QSO-20-41-All-CMS-Exercise-Exemption-Emergency-Operations-Plan. Need help interpreting this for your organization? Contact us at info@courtemanche-assocs.com.

On June 10, 2021, OSHA released their newest Covid-19 safety rules for healthcare workers. To learn more click here. For assistance in interpreting or designing processes that will comply, contact C&A

The Joint Commission has revised their Medical History and Physical requirements for Office-Based Surgery and Ambulatory Health Care Accredited Organizations effective July 1, 2021. The new standards now indicate a Medical History and Physical Exam is performed as needed. The organization develops written policy on the criteria for which patients a medical H&P must be

On May 7th, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) released their Interpretive Guidelines for the Interoperability and Patient Access Rule. This rule is designed to provide easier access and establish clearer expectations on the sharing of health information to ensure quality and safe transitions in care. These guidelines were issued and implemented on

The Joint Commission published in their April issue of EC News; a short article of significance that may go unnoticed. The article announces that effective immediately, their EC-LS surveyors will be surveying the aisle widths within your suites that exist within your health care occupancy spaces. The minimum width for these aisles is 36 inches

During the early days of the pandemic, finding a source of hand sanitizer was a challenge, particularly for the community. Many new products came onto the market as a result of the increased demand. Earlier this year, the independent lab, Valisure, took on the work of determining if these hand sanitizers were safe. Of the