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Medical ethics is at the center of a case in the state of North Carolina, whereby the state Department of Corrections is at odds with the North Carolina Medical Board (NCMB) over physician participation in executions.
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ISO certification is process-, customer-, and improvement-focused, says Jerilyn Yama, RN, BS, CPHQ, president of Audi-Qual, an Ohio-based firm specializing in quality auditing and consulting.
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Organizations are taking a close look at their policies for addressing disruptive physicians, in order to comply with new Joint Commission standards for 2009 that will require accredited health care organizations to create a code of conduct and formal process for managing unacceptable behavior.
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"As physicians, we respond to data. That is a very powerful way to convey performance against expectations," says David A. Snyder, MD, vice president of patient care quality and safety at MCG Health in Augusta, GA.
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With the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) just announced, it's an ideal time to perform a self-assessment for all of the existing goals, including the requirements for improving recognition and response to changes in a patient's condition and improving safety of anticoagulation medications, which are being phased in right now, says Paula Swain, MSN, CPHQ, FNAHQ, director of clinical and regulatory review at Presbyterian Healthcare in Charlotte, NC.
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Staff at Newport (RI) Hospital were ready when surveyors from The Joint Commission walked in the door, with binders containing current data and all the required documents for the anticipated hot topics: restraints, pain assessment and reassessment, medication reconciliation, and approved locations for moderate sedation.
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Newport (RI) Hospital is currently considering ISO certification in addition to its accreditation from The Joint Commission, says Jeanne M. Ehmann, RN, MS, CPHQ, director of performance evaluation and improvement.
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Disruptive behavior is a growing focus among organizations. However, if not handled properly, disciplinary actions can result in allegations of malice and violation of rights involving the peer review process, as a Minnesota hospital recently discovered.
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Who would ever believe that one could enter a hospital and confuse it for a spa? The two seem utterly at odds, yet according to Maria Hale, vice president of patient advocacy and service excellence at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, NY a 233-bed designated Planetree patient-centered hospital they have more in common than at first glance.
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The Planetree model is almost 30 years old but its essence is timeless, says Janet Powell Morin, RN, chief culture officer and former vice president, patient care services at Mid-Columbia Medical Center (MCMC) in The Dalles, OR.
