Be aware! There’s a new Joint Commission COVID-19 staff vaccination standard effective July 1, 2022. The new standard is in the Infection Control chapter: IC.02.04.02.

This Joint Commission standard mirrors the recent CMS COVID-19 staff vaccination requirements which we covered in an earlier post. It requires staff to be fully vaccinated.

If your organization uses Joint Commission accreditation for CMS deemed status, this new standard applies to you. Indeed, that includes the majority of psychiatric hospitals since most use their TJC accreditation for CMS deemed status.

Have you addressed the new Joint Commission Performance Improvement standards that went into effect January 1st? They’re in both the Hospital manual and the Behavioral Health Care & Human Services manual. If not, now’s the time to do so.

These new PI requirements have been in place for several months. As a result, surveyors are now focusing on this topic. They’re asking more probing questions about PI tools and the how PI teams use data.

The new Joint Commission PI standards require a more structured approach to PI than in the past. In addition, they require leadership to clearly identify in the PI Plan the particular processes that need improvement.

Specifically, the new standards require you to do the following...

Idaho State Hospital West located in Nampa, Idaho and Bellin Psychiatric Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. We’re pleased to work with these organizations on regulatory readiness!

Take note: If your last TJC survey was late due to the pandemic, your next triennial survey is based on your pre-pandemic due date. So, that next survey may be sooner than you anticipate.  Contact us now to schedule your mock survey so you’re prepared and survey-ready whenever it occurs. 

TJC has new and revised Emergency Management standards that go into effect July 1, 2022. Be sure to have your EM Team carefully review them and identify any gaps in compliance.