And where it’s going, no one knows
Continuing on our recap of survey adventures, we finish out the Top 10: EC.02.06.01 – Establishment and maintenance of a safe, functional environment (#9, with 32% of hospitals having been cited) A...
View ArticleMake a connection with me – A U T O-matic
This is a question for those of you who have fire pumps; more specifically, those of you who have fire pumps with automatic transfer switches: How are you documenting that the transfer switch for your...
View ArticleRide the lightning…tales from the survey wars!
Just a quick little list of recent survey findings – not necessarily having anything to do with the Top 20 most frequently cited standards. That said, I do think that this provides ample indication...
View ArticleLiving on a thin line…
One of the realities of modern healthcare has been the shift (not everywhere, but in a lot of places) from inpatient volume to outpatient volume, with the result being a number of facilities that close...
View ArticleOne of our subs is missing (with apologies to T. Dolby)
In recent months, I’ve encountered a couple of instances in which some contractors doing various and sundry projects for hospitals did something (what follows is merely my opinion) incredibly...
View ArticleA little more conversation
Another contractor-related “impression” that’s surfaced lately (and this is not just in hospitals – this can be in your own backyard) is that fascinating phenomenon of the contractors that show up not...
View ArticleIt’s up to you to heed the call out
If you’re reading this, then in all likelihood you’re a regular subscriber to this august publication (august in February—what kind of crazy talk is that, but I digress). In which case, I’m sure you...
View ArticleI’m fixing a hole
For our next topic of conversation regarding George Mills’ address to the folks in ASHE last year, we take up the ever-vexing task of managing penetrations. Now, there’s certainly been a lot of ire...
View ArticleFinders and fixers: Can we get them to say something if they see something?
One of things that continuously comes up on my pondering list is how to enlist the eyes, ears, noses, and fingers of frontline staff in the pursuit of the early identification of risks in the physical...
View ArticleNews to me
Recently, a client sent me a question regarding assessing his surgical procedure rooms as wet locations. This was primarily as a function of the changes to NFPA 99, which brings the concept of wet...
View ArticleWhat time is it? It’s JCST (Joint Commission Standard Time)!
In the June 2013 edition of The Joint Commission’s Perspectives, George Mills covers the thorny topic of the Environment of Care management plans. Within his dissertation, he makes note that he doesn’t...
View ArticleHey, how about that new app(liance focus during TJC surveys)?
I don’t know that it represents a significant focus change or if it’s just one of those blips that one might encounter when you hear about survey results, but there is a little groundswell relative to...
View ArticleAbduction drills as emergency response exercises
One of the survey stories I hear from time to time deals with the efficacy (or the perceived efficacy as a function of Joint Commission surveyors) of using an infant abduction exercise as an emergency...
View ArticleI get (EVS) week at the knees…
Those of you who’ve followed this space for a while know that my first “life” in healthcare was working in various positions in what we now call Environmental Services (used to be Housekeeping and/or...
View ArticleHow many feet in a mile? How many square feet in a smoke compartment?
I recently came across a survey finding that I thought would be worth sharing with the class. In this particular survey, an organization was cited because it had not identified the square footage of...
View ArticleSpread out! A Stooges primer on cylinder storage
One group of findings that I have seen with increasing frequency in survey reports are those relating to the segregation of stored compressed gas cylinders. Now I think we can agree that the general...
View ArticleIn-house fire alarm testing documentation must include the required elements
When it comes to the Life Safety document review, there is still a fair amount of survey risk exposure and (no surprise) a fair amount of survey findings. EC.02.03.05 is the 6th most frequently cited...
View ArticleAnd yet another Top 10 list…
Recently, ECRI unveiled its list of the Top 10 Healthcare Technology Hazards (here’s an article discussing this topic). And strangely enough, there is at least a couple that I think you will find...
View ArticleWhen two tribes go to war: EVS to the rescue!
A while back we discussed the two tribes that inhabit the healthcare world—the finders and the fixers. During that discussion, I advised the development of a more robust participation on the part of...
View ArticleIt’s the most wonderful time of the year (for many safety folks)
As one year draws to a close (sometimes it takes until the end of January to be able to “close out” December), for many safety professionals, it’s time to start working on the annual evaluation of...
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