Blogs Archives | Page 10 of 12 | Courtemanche & Associates

Managing Your Medical Staff’s OPPE and FPPE

April 29, 2021 / By Denise E. Smith, RN, MS, CLNC, HACP-CMS, Senior Consultant

In 2008, The Joint Commission (TJC) implemented a new standard, MS.08.01.03, requiring detailed evaluation of practitioners’ professional performance as part of the process of granting and maintaining practice privileges in a healthcare organization. Although the standard took effect in 2008, many organizations continue to struggle to establish meaningful indicators and ensure these processes are […]

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AISLE WIDTH – Use your Tape Measure

April 13, 2021 / By Patricia Cook, BS, R.Ph, HACP-CMS, Head of Consulting

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

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Is your Hand Sanitizer Safe?

April 6, 2021 / By Patricia Cook, BS, R.Ph, HACP-CMS, Head of Consulting

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

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Is Glove Disinfection Acceptable and Safe?

April 1, 2021 / By Denise E. Smith, RN, MS, CLNC, HACP-CMS, Senior Consultant

Since COVID-19, the shortage of personal protective equipment has become an issue for many organizations throughout the country. Disposable gloves are being disinfected between tasks using alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It might sound like an acceptable practice under the circumstances, but did you ever think about what the alcohol does to the gloves that you are

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What Does Contact Time or Wet Time Really Mean?

March 18, 2021 / By Denise E. Smith, RN, MS, CLNC, HACP-CMS, Senior Consultant

During mock surveys I always ask staff what the contact or wet time is for a particular disinfecting wipe. Unless they have changed products recently or are frequently getting different brands due to availability (a result of COVID-19) staff are able to verbalize the correct contact or wet time. The question is, do they know

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Is Your Linen Safe for Patient Use?

March 9, 2021 / By Denise E. Smith, RN, MS, CLNC, HACP-CMS, Senior Consultant

How often do we go to the linen closet and say to ourselves, “is this linen safe to put on my patient’s bed?” As a nurse for over 40 years, I do not think that I have ever asked myself that question. I was happy that the linen was there and that I could use

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The Joint Commission is Returning to Pre-Pandemic Survey Procedures

March 3, 2021 / By Christopher Pratt, MS, BSN, HACP-CMS, Senior Consultant & Accredited Provider Program Director

As of March 15, 2021, The Joint Commission will be reverting back to pre-pandemic survey procedures in light of reduced cases of COVID-19 across the U.S. according to a message that was sent by Mark Pelletier, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nurse Executive of The Joint Commission today. This return to pre-pandemic survey procedures means

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New Requirements on the Horizon: Resuscitative Services

March 2, 2021 / By Patricia Cook, BS, R.Ph, HACP-CMS, Head of Consulting

On December 21, 2020, The Joint Commission published a new, updated version of their proposed Resuscitation Standards. Redesign of these standards began in early 2020 with the first opportunity to submit comments being concluded mid-year. While some of the revisions appear to be simple word-smithing opportunities, there are several changes, if adopted as written, that

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Cleaning and Preparing Ultrasound Transducers Between Patients

March 2, 2021 / By Denise E. Smith, RN, MS, CLNC, HACP-CMS, Senior Consultant

A frequently asked question on mock surveys is, “How do I know what type of cleaning and disinfection process is needed for my ultrasound transducers (probes)?” The use of diagnostic ultrasound imaging continues to expand beyond the conventional settings of radiology, cardiology, and obstetrics. Today, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is widely utilized at the bedside throughout

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How to Keep Your Code Carts from Crashing and Burning

February 23, 2021 / By Christopher Pratt, MS, BSN, HACP-CMS, Senior Consultant & Accredited Provider Program Director

Being ready for situations where your patient requires resuscitation is critical. Staff complete training in basic/advanced life support, and some staff complete more advanced skills in pediatric and neonatal resuscitation, as appropriate. There has been increased focus on drills and simulation to better prepare the team in these life-saving measures. However, has anyone looked at

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Are Your Freezer/Refrigerator Logs Giving You Frostbite?

February 18, 2021 / By Christopher Pratt, MS, BSN, HACP-CMS, Senior Consultant & Accredited Provider Program Director

Ensuring that you store medications, food items, lab specimens, blood, and other items and supplies at appropriate temperatures in cold storage is essential to ensure your patients receive safe and effective product. However, maintaining a record of these temperature measurements seem to confound a lot of organizations out there. We frequently observe incomplete refrigerator/freezer logs

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PROPOSED REVISIONS FOR RESUSCITATION STANDARDS

February 4, 2021 / By Patricia Cook, BS, R.Ph, HACP-CMS, Head of Consulting

The Joint Commission has proposed changes to the Resuscitation Standards for Hospital and Critical Access Hospitals. These changes were most recently released December 21, 2020. Since then TJC has opened the opportunity to provide feedback on these proposed standard changes. The window to submit your feedback will close on February 22, 2021. To provide feedback,

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