By:Deanna Scatena, RN, BSN, Program Director Deanna Scatena RN, BSN has extensive patient care experience that encompasses post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), critical care, and cardiac and thoracic nursing. Since joining ACHC, she has led the hospital programs by...
By: ACHC Posted: September 11, 2025In the post-9/11 era, the term "Security Theater" emerged to describe over-the-top yet ineffective airport security procedures designed more to make travelers feel safe than to actually increase safety. Today, healthcare...
By: Richard Parker, MBA, CHFM, Associate Director and Amy Antonacci, MSN, RN, Senior Standards Interpretation Specialist Posted: August 22, 2025Workplace violence in healthcare settings is a growing concern, with increasing reports of patients and visitors causing...
Posted: July 22, 2025Amy Antonacci, MSN, RN, is a Senior Standards Interpretation Specialist for ACHC Hospital Accreditation (Acute Care and Critical Access). She also serves as an ACHC Surveyor. Amy has been a nurse for 35 years, and her passion is patient safety. We...
Mastering Informed ConsentBy: Standards Interpretation Team Posted: April 8, 2025Questions posed during ACHCU’s monthly Coffee Chat live webinar often serve to reveal opportunities to extend education and develop additional resources for ACHC-accredited hospitals. In...
Advance Directives Require Important ConsiderationsAdvance directives rank among the most important legal documents in the healthcare setting. They come into use when a patient is incapacitated and cannot provide informed consent for care or cannot actively...
Assessing Competencies Helps Ensure Quality and Safety of Patient CareCompetencies 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...
Verifying Personnel Credentials Is a Crucial Task for Hospitals Posted: May 16, 2024In 2023, a multi-state scheme to sell fake nursing diplomas resulted in more than two-dozen federal arrests. Acute care and critical access hospitals of every size should view...
Have a Plan for When You Must Write a Plan of CorrectionPosted: March 14, 2024You are not alone. Nearly all organizations surveyed for accreditation are cited for deficiencies. To address deficiencies, an organization must develop an effective Plan of Correction...
Unraveling the Mysteries of Informed ConsentPosted: August 1, 2023 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...