• Congratulations to Top Performers!
  ◦  Of 3300 TJC-accredited hospitals reporting on accountability measures, only 1,224 (36.9%) have recently been recognized as Top Performers. The list was reported in America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety (The Joint Commission’s Annual Report 2014). The following members and clients have been recognized for their 2013 performance on HBIPS:
  • Choate Mental Health Center • Chester Mental Health Center* • Elgin Mental Health Center • Lincoln Regional Center* • South Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center (SFETC)* [*= 2 in a row]

• Article of the Month
  
  • How health care organizations can prepare for an active shooter incident[®] EC News, December 2014, Vol 17, #12, Pg 8 [Recommended for: LDR, SFT] – Between 2000 and 2011 there were 154 hospital-related shootings in 148 hospitals that resulted in 235 injured or dead victims. In just the last 4 years, TJC has learned of 16 shootings in health care facilities that resulted in 27 deaths. This is a real risk! Although not high frequency, its high lethality makes it one worth preparing for so that harm can be minimized.  This article recommends that every hospital have an Active Shooter Response plan. Does your EOP include provisions for this? Please take the poll below and let us know/share your experience.  Thx – R. Fields, MD
    
  • Click here for our REVIEW(Mbr/Guest); the FULL TJC ARTICLE(Mbr); to share a COMMENT(Mbr/Guest).
  • [polldaddy poll=8525584]

**RECOMMENDED READING:

1. TS: Engaging Staff in Patient Safety Reporting Ftxt [REF: LDR, MD, PI]
2. TS: CJCP: Focus on the ‘Nursing’ Chapter  Ftxt [REF: LDR, RN]
3. TS: Clostridium difficile Infections Rising  Ftxt [REF: IC, MD]
   
4. EC: Training for a Pandemic: (Using) emergency preparedness principles to boost vaccination rates  Ftxt [REF: IC]
5. EC: Ebola Virus Disease: Checklist for health care organizations  Ftxt [REF: JCSC, LDR, PI]
6. EC: Distinguishing between disaster privileging and assigning disaster responsibilities  Ftxt [REF: HR, MD]
7. EC: How health care organizations can prepare for an active shooter incident  Ftxt [REF: LDR, SFT]

**USEFUL UPDATES, LINKS & DOWNLOADS:

• TJC:  Standard PI.02.01.03 and EP 1 requiring a composite performance rate
  of at least 85% on the ORYX® accountability measures will not be in effect during 2015 [Perspectives, December 2014, Vol 34, #12, Pg 11]
• TJC: Quick Safety Issues – #4: Preparing for active shooter situations (July 2014)
• APIC: Antimicrobial stewardship Resources
• TJC: Ebola preparedness resources (including Quick Safety Issue #7)
• Latest TJC Blogs: Physician Leader Monthly – Leadership Blog *New*
  

**SupporTips

• S-Tip#11: The Survey Resources Page (SRP): Part 3 – The last part of section one of the SRP contains links to another unique data feature. In addition to the Trend Tables discussed last month, there are also graphs of the most frequently cited standards during recent surveys of psychiatric and forensic hospitals. This data is further stratified to show the most frequently cited Elements of Performance for our reporting hospitals. Many thanks to SPHCC member hospitals that shared their survey results to make this information possible. Use the ‘Most Frequently Cited Standards/Most Frequently Cited Elements of Performance‘ graphs to ensure compliance in these high vulnerability areas for our hospitals.