TJC and CMS News for the Behavioral Healthcare Industry
September 2018
In This Issue:

Greetings to Our Colleagues in Behavioral Healthcare!
Now that summer vacations are over, most organizations are returning to their routine flow of business, including regulatory readiness efforts. To support that, we're providing updates on three topics of interest for TJC readiness. Our first article covers how trauma assessment is being reviewed during BH surveys. The second addresses how infection control issues are gaining higher priority on TJC surveys. The third article covers how the B Tag medical record review is conducted on surveys for deemed status psychiatric hospitals.
 
We look forward to seeing many of you at the annual TJC Behavioral Health Care Conference on October 10 and 11 in Rosemont, Illinois. Please let us know if you will be attending, and we will be sure to connect and catch up!

We value your feedback on the newsletter. Please send us your comments and tell us what topics you would like to see in future issues. We look forward to hearing from you! Also, feel free to to your colleagues.

Best regards and enjoy the fall season in your part of the country!

Anne Barrins
President/CEO
In the Window for Your Next TJC Survey?
Are you in the 18- to 36-month window for your next survey? If so, it's time to schedule your mock survey. Contact us now to design a customized mock survey for your organization, so you're ready and confident when the surveyors arrive.
1-877-546-7206
Tip of the Month
Check out the recent article in Modern Healthcare, Joint Commission Cracks Down on Hand Hygiene. Be prepared for the increased level of scrutiny on hand hygiene and avoid a Requirement for Improvement on your survey.
Why Choose
Barrins & Associates?
"Our Barrins & Associates consultants were extremely knowledgeable about TJC standards and survey process. They didn't just identify problems. They gave us suggestions and resources for making improvements. I highly recommend Barrins & Associates to any BH organization seeking top-notch Joint Commission consultants." 
 
Jessica Black, CEO
Copper Springs Behavioral Hospital
Avondale, Arizona
19 Years of Service
Joint Commission Puts Infection Control Issues High on Radar
Infection control issues are high on The Joint Commission's radar these days. While psychiatric hospitals and behavioral health organizations admittedly do not have the same types of infection control challenges as med/surg hospitals, there are definitely infection control topics that are relevant, and these have seen increased scrutiny during recent surveys.
Continue Reading >
Trauma Assessment:
FEEDBACK FROM RECENT SURVEYS
As we track survey results for our clients, we are seeing a recent trend related to trauma assessment and want to make you aware of it. The Joint Commission standard on trauma assessment is in the Behavioral Health manual. It's standard CTS.02.02.05: "The organization identifies individuals served who may have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, or exploitation." Find out the key requirements.
Continue Reading >
Closed Medical Records Reviews:
TJC Survey Feedback
Joint Commission surveys of deemed status psychiatric hospitals include a session for B Tag Medical Record Reviews. In this session, surveyors review a sample of closed medical records to evaluate compliance with the  CMS Special Medical Record Requirements for Psychiatric Hospitals.  This is in addition to the medical records reviewed during tracers.  Here's some feedback from recent surveys on the "hot spots" that continue to challenge many hospitals.
Continue Reading >
NEW CLIENTs
Barrins & Associates is pleased to welcome five new clients:
Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine, Albert J. Solnit Psychiatric Center - South Campus  in Middletown, Connecticut, Bon Secours Charity Health System in Suffern, New York, Oakwood Springs in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Windmoor Healthcare in Clearwater, Florida.   We are pleased to work with these clients on continuous regulatory readiness. 
Congratulations Corner
Congratulations to our client Generations Behavioral Health  in Youngstown, Ohio , who recently achieved initial Joint Commission accreditation. Generations Behavioral Health Youngstown provides inpatient psychiatric services for adults, geriatrics and patients with substance abuse disorders. Congratulations to the Generations BH team on achieving the gold standard of TJC accreditation!
Barrins & Associates provides Joint Commission and CMS consulting services for the Behavioral Healthcare industry. Our clients include psychiatric hospitals and freestanding Behavioral Healthcare organizations. We specialize in providing Survey Preparation and Continuous Survey Readiness services for the Behavioral Healthcare industry. Barrins & Associates was founded by Anne Barrins who was a Joint Commission surveyor for 13 years.

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