TJC & CMS News Blog
Information for BH Organizations
To read articles written prior to January 2015, please view our Newsletter Archive.
New TJC Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements
Get Ready! Effective January 1, 2022, new TJC Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements go into effect. They apply to all TJC accredited hospitals. Currently, the requirements don’t apply to organizations accredited under the Behavioral Health Care standards. However, we recommend these organizations also review the new requirements to see what best practices they may want to adopt …
New Joint Commission Life Safety Requirements for Behavioral Health Care
Heads up! New Life Safety requirements went into effect 7/1/21 for organizations accredited under TJC’s Behavioral Health Care and Human Services program The new requirements apply to residential programs. Specifically, there are two types of buildings covered by the...
New Joint Commission Fire Drill Requirements for Behavioral Health Care
Heads up! There are new fire drill requirements effective 7/1/21. They apply to organizations accredited under the Behavioral Health Care and Human Services standards. The changes better align TJC standards with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code requirements for residential board and care occupancies.
Onsite Joint Commission Surveys: July 2021 Update
The number of onsite Joint Commission surveys increases each month as we move out of the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, TJC scheduled 784 onsite surveys. That’s the highest number since they resumed limited onsite survey activity in June 2020. In March 2021, they...
Falls Now Included as Sentinel Events
As we work with clients on survey readiness, we’re noticing some organizations haven’t updated their Sentinel Event policy to include the Joint Commission definition of falls as sentinel events. The new definition went into effect January 1, 2021. Here’s what you need...
NPSG 15 Suicide Prevention: The Monitoring Requirement
As we know, compliance with the requirements of National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) 15 on Suicide Prevention continues to be a challenge for many organizations. Survey findings related to inadequate suicide risk assessment abound. But what about the requirement to...
SAFER Dashboard Launched by TJC
Ever wonder how your survey results stack up against other similar organizations? TJC has made that easier to do with its new SAFER Dashboard. The SAFER Dashboard is a self-serve data analytic tool. It allows organizations to view their survey data and national...
New Joint Commission Life Safety Requirements for Business Occupancies
Heads up! There’s are new Joint Commission Life Safety standards for business occupancies effective July 1, 2021. They apply to organizations accredited under both the Hospital Manual and the Behavioral Health & Human Services manual. So, what’s involved and how...
Virtual Joint Commission Surveys: What’s the Status?
As we know, once the pandemic hit, TJC launched its virtual survey process. The number of virtual Joint Commission surveys increased dramatically over the past year as the Public Health Emergency continued. Fast forward: TJC reinstituted routine onsite surveys effective March 15th. However, they’ll continue with a certain volume of virtual surveys in the near term. We’re providing an update on how these surveys are unfolding in the field. And how to prepare if you’re anticipating a virtual Joint Commission survey.
Joint Commission Document Review 2021: Be Prepared
Whether you have an onsite or a virtual survey, the Joint Commission Document Review is critical. Your documents give surveyors their first impression of your organization. And we all know “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.†Thorough preparation for this session is key to your survey success. So, let’s review some survey strategies. So, thorough preparation for this session is key to your survey success. So, let’s review some survey strategies.