TJC & CMS News Blog
Information for BH Organizations
To read articles written prior to January 2015, please view our Newsletter Archive.
Could Equipment Placement Create an Accreditation Problem Before Your Facility Even Opens?
A piece of equipment can fit perfectly on the plans and still be completely wrong for a behavioral health environment. Healthcare construction already requires careful coordination of equipment, utilities, accessibility, infection prevention, life safety, clinical...
Your Telehealth Program Is Working—But Is It Survey-Ready?
For many behavioral health organizations, telehealth has become part of everyday operations. What began as a response to the COVID-19 public health emergency is now an established method of delivering psychiatric evaluations, therapy, medication management, and other...
Is Your New Space Ready for Clients? The Importance of a Behavioral Healthcare Workflow Assessment
Walking into a newly constructed or renovated behavioral health unit or space is exciting. The paint is fresh, the equipment is in place, and months—or years—of planning have finally come together. But before the first client arrives, leadership should ask one...
Behavioral Health Documentation: If It Isn’t Documented, It Didn’t Happen
Behavioral health professionals don't enter the field because they enjoy documentation. They enter because they want to help people. Yet one of the most common issues Barrins consultants continue to observe during mock surveys and accreditation assessments has very...
Does Your Budget Reflect Accreditation Survey Readiness?
Budget season is almost upon us, and it is one of the few times each year when behavioral health leaders can step back from day-to-day operations and decide where to invest limited resources. Sometimes, accreditation survey readiness doesn't always make the final cut....
Behavioral Health Survey Findings: Are You Monitoring Your Highest-Risk Standards?
Every accreditation survey provides valuable insight into where behavioral health organizations continue to struggle. In the June issue of JC News, the Joint Commission highlights several behavioral health standards that continue to receive the highest-risk survey...
Grievances as Early Warning Signs: What Surveyors—and Healthcare Leaders—Want Organizations to Recognize
Every patient complaint tells a story. Sometimes it's about poor communication. Sometimes it's a delay in care, confusion about treatment, or concerns over safety. While an individual grievance may seem isolated, a pattern of grievances often reveals something much...
Hospital Construction Compliance – Building Walkthroughs You Don’t Want to Miss
Many healthcare construction projects focus heavily on substantial completion and occupancy dates. However, construction teams often discover significant accreditation and regulatory findings during the final stages of construction, often after installing expensive...
The Most Expensive Compliance Mistakes are Made Before Construction Begins
The most expensive compliance problem in healthcare construction is the one discovered after the building is complete. Every healthcare construction project progresses through three critical design phases: Schematic Design (SD), Design Development (DD), and...
CMS Strengthens Oversight of Accrediting Organizations: What It Means for Your Accreditation Strategy
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently finalized new requirements that significantly change how Accrediting Organizations (AOs) and their affiliated consulting entities interact with healthcare providers and suppliers seeking accreditation....