Did you know that U.S. hospitals use restraints in nearly 2 million patient episodes every year? While physical restraint is always intended…
Restraint-Related Citations Could Jeopardize Compliance
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Critical Access Hospital – Clinical Admin Topics
Hospital Findings Reveal Persistent Compliance Challenges
Each year, the Quality Review edition of Surveyor identifies and analyzes the most challenging standards for ACHC-accredited hospitals. Overall, this year’s…
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…
Mastering Informed Consent
Questions 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 March 2025, the topic was medical record documentation.
Advance Directives Require Important Considerations
Advance 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 participate in care planning. Among the various types of advance directives, the most common in the healthcare setting are the living will and the durable power of attorney for health care.
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.
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.
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.