Articles
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Assessing Competencies Helps Ensure Quality and Safety of Patient Care
Competencies are not just requirements in health care. They are crucial aspects. Competencies play pivotal roles in ensuring patient safety, quality and continuity of care, and operational efficiency. As a healthcare professional, your role in identifying and addressing competence-related issues is paramount.

Meet Record Requirements? New Form Simplifies Survey Prep
Client/patient records are a vital part of the accreditation survey process. When a Surveyor arrives for your on-site survey, your organization must provide several client/patient record reports during the opening conference.

Verifying Personnel Credentials Is a Crucial Task for Hospitals
Your latest hire might not be the healthcare professional you think you hired for your acute care hospital. Did you check? A multi-state scheme to sell fake nursing diplomas should serve as a crucial reminder about the importance of verifying credentials for all licensed personnel.

Survey Ready? New Checklist Simplifies Record Preparation
Patient records are a vital part of the accreditation survey process. When a Surveyor arrives for your on-site survey, your organization must provide several patient record reports during the opening conference.
A new ACHC checklist is available to help you assess your organization’s compliance with patient record requirements.

Have a Plan for When You Must Write a Plan of Correction
Nobody is perfectly perfect. Nearly all organizations surveyed for accreditation are cited for deficiencies. To get back on the right track, the organization must develop an effective Plan of Correction (POC) for each deficiency and promptly submit it for approval before a final accreditation status can be determined. It’s a process.

Got Safety Plans? Waterborne Pathogens Can Spread Infection
As essential as water is to any hospital, this crucial element also can be a threat to patient safety. Waterborne pathogens – including multidrug-resistant organisms – can spread in seemingly innocuous ways. Having safety plans is essential.

Personnel Background Checks Enhance Safety
Clients and patients depend on you to deliver excellent services in a secure environment. Performing background checks on personnel validates your commitment to providing safe, quality care.

Preparation Key to Effectively Handling Emergencies
ACHC Standards and Medicare Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) require organizations to develop an emergency preparedness plan.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Informed Consent
Patients or their representatives have the right to participate in the development of the patients’ plans of care. This includes providing informed consent for medical and surgical interventions and other aspects of their care

Reviewing the Most Common Home Care Deficiency
Home care agencies are often cited during an accreditation survey for care and services not being delivered in accordance with the client’s/patient’s plan of care, according to the latest The Surveyor newsletter published by Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC).