Articles
For information related to a specific standard, enter the standard number in the search bar below. If no result is returned, contact your account advisor for guidance.
Minimize Variability to Maximize IDG Meetings
The plan of care is a dynamic document that directs the services provided by the hospice to meet the goals of the patient and the patient’s family/caregiver. The plan of care requires an understanding of the patient’s and family/caregiver’s goals for hospice care.
Ensuring Personnel Competency at All Levels
Evaluation of competency is expected for all laboratory testing personnel. This occurs at least twice in the first year that the individual is testing patient specimens and at least annually thereafter.
Excellence in Hospice Care: The Plan of Care
Individualized, holistic support is the foundation of quality hospice care and this depends on a well-structured and continuously updated plan of care. Hospice Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs) and the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) Hospice Standards together guide hospice providers in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
Renal Dialysis Standards Unchanged in 2025
No changes are being made to Renal Dialysis Accreditation Standards in 2025. ACHC annually reviews all program standards and makes periodic revisions to keep you up to date on industry best practices.
Why Your Accreditation End Date Matters
Achieving accreditation is regarded as one of the key benchmarks for measuring the quality of an organization. Once initial accreditation is achieved, it is not permanent and must be maintained and renewed to ensure continued compliance. ACHC Accreditation is valid for a 36-month time period but preparation for renewal should begin at least nine months before the expiration date. Resources are available to help you prepare.
Implementation Deadline Approaching for Adapting to Proficiency Testing Regulations
Clinical laboratories produce test results that are crucial to providers’ decision-making in ensuring patients receive consistently high-quality care. How do laboratories ensure providers receive consistently accurate test results? Laboratories conduct proficiency testing to meet CMS quality assurance rules, including rules now being updated.
Why It Matters to Maintain Personnel Records
Maintaining personnel records for staff members is required to achieve ACHC Accreditation and meet applicable state and federal regulations.
Maryland Halts New Licenses for Some Behavioral Health Programs
A moratorium on new licenses for select behavioral health programs and services in Maryland took effect July 1, 2024.
Heads Up, Laboratories! Dengue Virus, Novel Influenza, and More
On June 25, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) message about an increased risk of dengue virus (DENV) infections in the United States in 2024.
U.S. Agencies Monitoring Avian Influenza While Measles and Mpox Demand Attention, Too
First, birds, of course. Then cows contracted A/H5 avian influenza. And now with a human case confirmed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking steps to help manufacturers prepare to mass produce devices for testing. And in the U.S. and elsewhere, measles and Mpox require watching, too.