HC311 Health Care Policy And Politics

Question Summarize the role of the joint commission in hospital accreditation. Evaluate the licensing of healthcare facilities in your state. Purpose: In the field of healthcare, the words “joint commission” will be mentioned a great deal. In this assignment, you will gain a better understanding of the joint commission and the role it plays in accreditation. You will also better understand the licensing healthcare facilities must go through in your state. Assignment Description: Write the definition of the joint commission, the part the joint commission plays in the accreditation process, and give a brief description of the state licensure requirements for healthcare facilities in the state Alabama USA. Answer The Joint Commission and its role in Hospital Accreditation The Definition Of The Joint Commission The Joint Commission is a not-for-profit organization that is responsible for the accreditation and certification of healthcare facilities across Alabama and other states in the USA. It is the largest accreditation body in the United States as it is responsible for the accreditation of 78% of all US hospitals (Weden, 2016). It works towards the continuous improvement of healthcare for the public alongside other stakeholders. It is the oldest and largest accreditation body in the United States. It addresses the nation’s most critical safety and quality healthcare issues in the US (The Joint Commission, 2017). The Joint Commission has a mission to continuously improve American healthcare for the public through inspiring the healthcare facilities to match high quality standards (The Joint Commission, 2017). One might wonder, why bother to get accreditation while all the doctors and medical professionals in a health institution are certified? Accreditation is an indication that the health institution has met the federal requirements and thus becomes viable for federal funded payments in the form of Medicare and Medicaid. There are various accreditation agencies and the Joint Commission is one of them and a renowned one for that matter. It is the oldest and the most used by healthcare organiations. The Joint Commission accreditation is not limited to hospitals. Other types of healthcare institutions can be viable for the Joint Commission accreditation. They include nursing homes, physician offices, and home care services providers. Others are such as physician offices, facilities that treat behavioural health problems, and surgery centres that are based in offices. They are all considered to be health facilities and get accreditation upon meeting the required criteria (The Joint Commission, 2017). The Part The Joint Commission Plays In The Accreditation Process The Joint Commission ensures that all the healthcare facilities meet the requirements criteria, thus, setting a bar for performance and operations. It ensures that all Americans receive verified healthcare because all the accredited healthcare institutions make sure they meet the provided performance standards before accreditation. In addition to the eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare funds, accreditation by the Joint Commission also solidifies the position of the healthcare organizations, helps them focus on the safety of the patients, decreases costs because of the adherence of risk management procedures, and enhances the professional recognition of the accredited institutions (Weden, 2016). The Joint Commission conducts inspections and audits for assurance of adherence of the healthcare institutions to the required healthcare standards for the good of the healthcare providers, the patients, and the nation in general. The patients are protected from neglect and abuse whereas the healthcare facilities prove their adherence to state and federal healthcare regulations. The licences require an annual renewal for continual upgrading and inspection (Alabama Public Health, 2017). State Licensure Requirements For Healthcare Facilities In The State Alabama USA The Joint Commission requires adherence to pre-set standards in healthcare facilities in Alabama before licensure. All the healthcare facilities must have a unique name which they must not change without approval. The licensure requirements vary across the various types of programs. Program: Behavioural Healthcare Agency: Department Of Mental Health And Mental Retardation Any hospital in Alabama designed to be a mental healthcare facility must have the appropriate psychiatric beds that can receive various types of mental patients for functions such as evaluation, detention, admission, and examination. They must adhere to the provisions of the law of commitment as observed in Alabama. It must also meet various criteria such as the accreditation for its services by the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission accredits in the basis of the accreditation of the healthcare facility ass a healthcare organization. The classification as a qualified healthcare facility must come with the acknowledgement that the facility, being a DMHF, lets in the office of advocacy to investigate complaints and review them in adherence to the standards of Consumer Protection and the standards of Adult Seclusion and Restraint. The healthcare facility must then apply for designation and receive approval and finally agree to forward its Medicare accreditation or JCAHO renewals reports upon receipt (The Joint Commission, 2017). Program: Homecare Agency: Department Of Public Health Hospice care programs must ensure that the healthcare services are provided by accredited, certified, or licenced hospitals. The healthcare providers could also include inpatient hospice healthcare providers, home nursing care, or home health agencies. The healthcare providers must be pursuant of written contracts with various adherence provisions. The hospice care provider must provide the contractor a copy of the interdisciplinary healthcare plan specifying the care and should be furnished by the contractor. The interdisciplinary and continues in its implementation as the patients receive the described care from the contractor in relation to their needs. That happens with the approval of the interdisciplinary team coordinator. The hospice must also ensure that all the services-care, treatment-are furnished by the contractor and entered into the medical record of the patient. The coordinators must also ensure conformance to the pans of care and the contractor must prove their compliance with the rules. The hospices that do not provide inpatient care encourage hospitals that contract for inpatient care to offer privileges to the attending physician of the patients as they receive such healthcare in the hospital. The privileges are usually limited and temporary but necessary (The Joint Commission, 2017). Program: Hospitals Agency: Department Of Public Health All hospitals in Alabama that have the accreditation of the Joint Commission are deemed fit for licencing by the without further inspection from the State Department of Health. That is because the accreditation requirements meet the licensure requirements as laid out by the Department of Public Health. The term hospital refers to all healthcare facilities besides private physician or dentist offices. The accredited hospital is one that pays up all the relevant adherence fees such as the $200 standard fee, the $5 for each bed over ten beds that must be licenced in accordance with the regulations as laid out in section 22-21-28, Code of Ala. The fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. The licence renewal is an annual procedure. Further hospital accreditation by the Joint Commission does not relieve a hospital of its responsibility to apply for licensure and remit the required licensure fees (The Joint Commission, 2017). Program: Laboratory Agency: Department Of Health A laboratory only gets approved upon the acquisition of certification from the federal government, the College of American Pathologists, and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals. Approval may also be granted on the basis of the alternative of the acquisition of a CLIA certification (The Joint Commission, 2017). Conclusion The Joint Commission is the oldest and most renowned certification organization in the United States. Although voluntary, most healthcare facilities consider it mandatory to get accreditation from the Joint Commission because of it collaboration with the government and healthcare monitoring bodies such as the Department of Public Health. The joint commission helps in ensuring adherence to the required state healthcare standards for the good of the patients, the healthcare institutions, and the healthcare providers. References Alabama Public Health. (2017, 1). Healthcare Facilities. Retrieved from Alabama Public Health: https://www.adph.org/healthcarefacilities/ The Joint Commission. (2017, 3 3). About The Joint Commission. Retrieved from The Joint Commission: https://www.jointcommission.org/about_us/about_the_joint_commission_main.aspx The Joint Commission. (2017). State Recognition Details. Retrieved from The Joint Commission: https://www.jointcommission.org/state_recognition/state_recognition_details.aspx The Joint Commission. (2017). The Joint Commission FAQ Page. Retrieved from The Joint Commission: https://www.jointcommission.org/about/jointcommissionfaqs.aspx?CategoryId=10#2274 Weden, M. L. (2016, 9 15). Why Do Hospitals Get Accredited by The Joint Commission? Retrieved from Intermedix: https://www.intermedix.com/blog/why-do-hospitals-get-accredited-by-the-joint-commission

HC311 Health Care Policy And Politics

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