TJC & CMS News Blog
Information for BH Organizations
To read articles written prior to January 2015, please view our Newsletter Archive.
Joint Commission Surveys: Infection Control Focus
As we know, regular Joint Commission surveys are resuming in June. Thus, as you ramp up your survey readiness, it’s important to focus on areas that will be a high priority for TJC. Clearly, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, infection control will be one of those high priority areas. TJC Behavioral Health leadership confirmed this during the recent COVID-19 Webinar Q & A for Behavioral Health Care. So, what can you do to be survey-ready in this area?
Joint Commission Surveys Resume in June
It’s official! The Joint Commission announced this week they will resume regular surveys in June. As we know, TJC suspended regular survey activity on March 16th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that time, they have not been conducting routine triennial surveys....
Joint Commission Surveys: When Will They Resume?
As we all know, The Joint Commission suspended regular survey activity effective March 16, 2020. We covered questions from our readers on that topic in our post The Joint Commission Suspends Surveys. Since that announcement, TJC has not been conducting routine...
COVID-19: Telepsychiatry and CMS Regulations
With the onset of COVID-19, telepsychiatry use has dramatically increased. Clearly, providers are finding it a viable solution for treating patients previously seen in office settings. In response, CMS recently eased several reimbursement requirements for the use of...
COVID-19: Suicide Risk Monitoring
COVID-19 and suicide risk: definitely two challenging patient care issues. Recently, The Joint Commission (TJC) answered a question about monitoring COVID-19 patients who are a high suicide risk. Specifically, the question was whether staff doing a 1:1 observation for...
COVID-19: Behavioral Healthcare Resources
Searching for COVID-19 behavioral healthcare resources? We know as a Behavioral Healthcare organization you’re facing some unique challenges with COVID-19 in terms of your patient population and your varied settings. Clearly, you want to continue to provide your...
The Joint Commission Suspends Surveys
The Joint Commission has announced that effective March 16, 2020 they are suspending all “regular surveying.” TJC implemented this survey suspension in light of the declaration of a National Emergency regarding the COVID-19 virus. TJC wants to allow healthcare...
TJC Survey: Changes to the Survey Agenda
Are you ready for the changes TJC has made to the survey agenda? TJC recently announced “minor modifications” to the survey agenda effective March 1st. Although they’re small changes, they do have implications for your onsite survey – and how you manage it. So, best...
TJC Restraint vs. Physical Holding: What’s the Difference?
Are you a behavioral health organization that uses restraint or physical holding as interventions? Does TJC survey your organization under the Behavioral Health Care manual? If so, make sure you understand the TJC restraint definition and the distinction between restraint and physical holding …
TJC Tracer: Patient Transferred to Emergency Room
Heads up on a potential TJC tracer to keep on your radar. It's patients transferred from an inpatient behavioral health setting to the ER. We frequently see TJC (and also CMS) surveyors select this type of case for a tracer. So, what are the key things they’re looking...