April 2021 Newsletter                  
Happy Spring!
 
Happy Spring to all of our readers.  This is one of our favorite times of the year, particularly this year as we begin to see a return and renewal of our ways of life pre-pandemic.  The C&A consultants have been very busy conducting mock surveys, supporting clients both on the ground and virtually, especially since TJC announced their return to On-Site Surveys. However,  we also know that many of you have postponed survey preparation over the last year, so please reach out to us if you would like to schedule a mock survey or obtain a proposal for any of our services.
 
We have selected two topics of focus this month: Maternal Hypertension & Preeclampsia Requirements, as well as Glove Disinfection. The Maternal Hypertension-Preeclampsia Standards took effect January 1, 2021 and
this article may assist you with double checking your program.  Also, during the most intense times of the Pandemic, when Personal Protective Equipment was in high demand, many organizations implemented Glove Disinfection procedures. We thought this might be a good time to review effective Glove Disinfection.
 
Of course, if you have a topic you would like us to feature in our newsletter, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Improving Maternal Health- New TJC Standards: Severe Hypertension/Preeclampsia
    
The United States ranks 65th among industrialized nations in terms of maternal death.¹ In December 2020, Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services along with Jerome Adams, Surgeon General issued the Call to Action to Improve Maternal Health. This coupled with the release of The Joint Commission's six new elements of performance (EP's) under PC.06.01.03 will hopefully establish new expectations and opportunities to improve care and reduce mortality in this special population.Read More  
 
About the Author -
 
Kimothy Sparks is an Associate Consultant with over 25 years of experience in healthcare quality, risk, and patient safety. He is responsible for assessing healthcare organizations' readiness for licensing, accreditation, and regulatory compliance, and has assisted multiple organizations in achieving Joint Commission Accreditation.He received an Associate Degree in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Eastern Kentucky University, and a Juris Doctorate from The Appalachian School of Law. Read more about Kimothy and our team 
Is Glove Disinfection Acceptable and Safe?
 

Since COVID-19, the shortage of personal protective equipment has become an issue for many organizations throughout the country. Disposable gloves are being disinfected between tasks using alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It might sound like an acceptable practice under the circumstances, but did you ever think about what the alcohol does to the gloves that you are using to protect yourself and your patients from infection? Read more. 
 
 About the Author - 
 
Denise Smith, RN,MS,CLNC is an Associate Consultant with Courtemanche & Associates.  Denise has more than 40 years of experience and expertise in Infection Prevention, Sterile Processing, Legal Nurse Consulting, Quality and Resource Management, Clinical Education, and a variety of acute inpatient and outpatient care settings.Clinically, Denise is a licensed Registered Nurse with an extensive background in Infection Prevention and Control for perioperative settings, Sterile Processing and Quality Management. Read more about Denise and our team. 
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Disclaimer: The information on this website is published in good faith for general information purposes only. This website does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability and accuracy of this information.

The Joint Commission® is a registered trademark of Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Courtemanche & Associates has no affiliation with this entity.
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