Each year, the Quality Review edition of Surveyor identifies and analyzes the most challenging standards for ACHC-accredited hospitals. Overall, this year’s…
Critical Access Hospital – Facilities Topics
Accreditation Theater: The Illusion of Rigor in Healthcare Accreditation
In 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 accreditation faces its own version…
Hospitals Must Identify Patients at Risk to Reduce Workplace Violence
Workplace violence in healthcare settings is a growing concern, with increasing reports of patients and visitors causing harm to staff…
Meet the Team: Amy Antonacci, MSN, RN
Amy Antonacci, MSN, RN, is a Senior Standards Interpretation Specialist for ACHC Hospital Accreditation (Acute Care and Critical Access). She also…
Performance Goals and Indicators for the Hospital’s Physical Environment
ACHC Standards are structured to align with a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement framework. Within each chapter, standards identify…
Bridging the Gap: Connecting Hospital Physical Environment and Life Safety Standards
From a facilities perspective, protecting patient and staff safety are the hospital’s biggest priority. To ensure this safety, all aspects of the facility must be constructed, arranged, and maintained to meet a range of regulations.
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.
New Guidance on Your Facility Demographic Report
To help your organization meet requirements for completing Facility Demographic Reports (FDRs), Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) is providing guidance.
Critical Access Hospitals: Coordinating Food Preparation and Storage
Checking a box or making a call sends a meal to a patient in a Critical Access Hospital. But long before delivery, intricate collaboration takes place between departments to ensure food, infant formula, breast milk,and supplements are stored and prepared safely to support all ages and nutritional needs.
Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 PHE
On January 30, 2023, the Biden administration announced that the COVID-19 national emergency and Public Health Emergency will end on May 11, 2023. What does this mean for health care provider and supplier organizations that have come under CMS blanket waivers and enforcement discretion?