TJC AND CMS NEWS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
February 2021
Greetings to Our Colleagues in Behavioral Health!
As we move forward in 2021, I know we’re all grateful for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and an eventual return to some semblance of normalcy. In the interim, we know you continue to face the ongoing challenge of serving clients during the pandemic.

On our end, we continue to support your accreditation and regulatory compliance efforts by providing timely information and resources.

Our first article this month covers virtual Joint Commission surveys. We’re seeing more and more of those. So, it’s important to be prepared for that new survey mode.

Our second articles provides a summary of the substantive changes in the 2021 Hospital and 2021 Behavioral Health manuals that impact the behavioral healthcare industry.

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.

Stay safe and healthy!
Anne Barrins
President/CEO
In This Issue:
Virtual Joint Commission Surveys: Get Prepared
Joint Commission 2021 Standards: What's New?
New Clients
Tip of the Month
VIRTUAL JOINT COMMISSION SURVEYS: GET PREPARED
Are you ready for the possibility of a virtual Joint Commission survey? As the pandemic has continued, the number of virtual surveys has steadily increased. The chart below illustrates the pattern of onsite vs. virtual surveys since May 2020.
TJC has established a Virtual Survey Framework for how they organize virtual surveys with accredited organizations.

So, how best to prepare for this new survey process and ensure it goes smoothly? We’re sharing some tips both from TJC and from clients who’ve experienced virtual surveys...
JOINT COMMISSION 2021 STANDARDS: WHAT'S NEW?
Are you all squared away with the Joint Commission 2021 standards that went into effect January 1st? Now is a good time for a final check to be sure you’re fully compliant with all the new 2021 requirements.

Our experience is when a new year begins, surveyors often focus on the new requirements for that year. So, here’s the highlights of the 2021 changes and some tips for ensuring compliance...
NEW CLIENTS
Barrins & Associates is pleased to welcome our new client Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital in Toledo, Ohio. NOPH offers a full range of inpatient psychiatric services for adults as well as a network of community support services. The hospital is Joint Commission accredited and CMS certified. We’re pleased to work with the NOPH team on continuous regulatory readiness.
Be Ready for 2021 Joint Commission Surveys
There are new 2021 requirements and changes to the survey process – as well as more virtual surveys. 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 survey process.  
1-877-546-7206
TIP OF THE MONTH
The 2021 TJC Survey Activity Guide has some very useful tools. There’s a Medical Staff Bylaws Review Guide, a Credentials Files Review Tool, and a Kitchen Tracer Survey Guide. These are the same tools the surveyors use. So, incorporate these into your survey readiness activities now and you’ll be well prepared come survey time.
Why Choose Barrins & Associates?
“We were extremely satisfied with our Barrins & Associates mock survey. The consultants were highly knowledgeable about the standards and survey process. They were also excellent teachers and very approachable. In addition, they gave us many tools and resources to help us implement their recommendations. We definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a thorough mock survey from experienced consultants with a national perspective.”
Lisa Lueckenotte, RN
Director of Nursing
Columbia, Missouri 
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.