TJC AND CMS NEWS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
October 2020
Greetings to Our Colleagues in Behavioral Health!
We hope the fabulous colors of fall have reached your part of the country and you’re enjoying the cooler weather!

As Joint Commission surveys resume, we’re providing some important information to assist you with continuous readiness. Our first article covers the “new normal” for the survey process and the current focus for tracers.

Our second article covers the Joint Commission Heads-Up Reports available on your TJC Connect extranet site. They’re a valuable resource for keeping up with hot topics and survey trends. 

We value your feedback on the newsletter. Please send us your comments and tell us what topics you would like to see in future issues. We look forward to hearing from you! Also, feel free to forward this newsletter to your colleagues.  
Anne Barrins
President/CEO
In This Issue:
Onsite Joint Commission Surveys Resuming
Joint Commission Heads-Up Reports: A Valuable Tool
New Clients
Tip of the Month
ONSITE JOINT COMMISSION
SURVEYS RESUMING
Some of our clients are “back in the saddle again” in terms of onsite Joint Commission surveys. For example, we had several clients undergo their onsite triennial surveys last month.

So, what are surveys like these days in light of the COVID-19 reality? We got some feedback from the field on recent survey developments.
.
In the words of one Quality Director:

“Right from the get-go, the Joint Commission surveyors were very interested in our COVID-19 response. That started in the leadership session on the first day.

They wanted to know what procedures we implemented to deal with potential COVID patients and also protect our staff. That was a lengthy discussion in our leadership session.

Similarly, that theme continued into the Environment of Care/Emergency Management session. The surveyor wanted to ...
JOINT COMMISSION HEADS UP REPORTS:
A VALUABLE TOOL
There’s a valuable resource you should know about on your TJC Connect extranet site. It’s the Joint Commission Heads-Up Report. You’ll find it under the Resources & Tools section.

TJC produces these reports quarterly for all accreditation programs. The reports identify specific standards surveyors have been citing on recent surveys. In addition, they identify why the surveyors are citing these standards.

So, you get valuable information about survey trends across the country. Thus, the “heads-up” aspect: you can use this information to identify potential compliance risks within your own organization. Let’s take a look at just what the Heads-Up Reports contain ...
NEW CLIENTS
Barrins & Associates is pleased to welcome two new clients:
Memorial Outpatient Behavioral Health Center in Hollywood, FL and Mingus Mountain Academy in Prescott Valley, AZ. We are pleased to work with these organizations on regulatory readiness!
Time to be Survey-Ready Again!
The scheduling of onsite Joint Commission surveys is picking up speed. So, it’s time once again to be survey-ready. Contact us now and and we’ll help you prepare for the “new normal” in the 2020 survey process.  
1-877-546-7206
TIP OF THE MONTH
If you’re now providing behavioral health telehealth services, be sure to check out TJC’s Quick Safety Alert “The Optimal Use of Telehealth to Deliver Safe Patient Care.”
It provides guidance and best practice info for addressing some of the challenges that come along with telehealth. 
Why Choose Barrins & Associates?
“Our Barrins & Associates mock survey was an enlightening learning experience for us. Our consultant was extremely knowledgeable and highly effective in working with our team. Though we have much to do, we now have a clear roadmap to follow - thanks to this consultation.”
Claudia P. Vicencio, PhD, LCSW, LMFT
Director
Hollywood, Florida
Barrins & Associates provides Joint Commission and CMS consulting services for the Behavioral Healthcare industry. Our clients include psychiatric hospitals and freestanding Behavioral Healthcare organizations. We specialize in providing Survey Preparation and Continuous Survey Readiness services for the Behavioral Healthcare industry. Barrins & Associates was founded by Anne Barrins who was a Joint Commission surveyor for 13 years.