News Briefs
News Briefs
AAAHC gets accreditation status in California
The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) of Wilmette, IL, has been awarded recognition as an approved accreditation agency for outpatient surgery centers in the state of California. It is one of four accrediting organizations recognized under a new California law, which establishes regulations for surgeries being performed in certain outpatient settings.
"Through the accreditation process, outpatient surgical facilities are answering the demand for oversight in this environment and receiving an objective, independent review of their scope of practice and quality of care," says William Beeson, MD, president of the association. "Accreditation not only demonstrates professional achievement but also provides tangible evidence of a commitment to high-quality patient care," he adds.
Organizations seeking AAAHC accreditation must undergo a rigorous review and demonstrate compliance with standards addressing training and credentialing of physicians and other staff, safety of the facility, the administration of anesthesia, and other items related to patient safety.
The AAAHC is a private, not-for-profit organization that has helped ambulatory health care organizations to improve their quality of care since 1979. The AAAHC has accredited more than 1,200 organizations nationally, ranging from ambulatory health care clinics and surgery centers to large managed care organizations.
For more information on the accreditation program in California or other association programs, contact the AAAHC at (847) 853-9028, or visit the Web site at www.aaahc.org.
JCAHO joins the electronic age
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is jumping on the electronic mail bandwagon and now offers an e-mail service for newsletters, accreditation information, and news releases.
An unlimited number of people from a health care organization can sign up for the service, which was created after a recent Joint Commission survey in which nearly 90% of respondents wanted to receive information by electronic mail.
Among the items offered to participants:
• The Inside Perspective, the Joint Commission’s official monthly newsletter;
• Home Care Bulletin, a bimonthly newsletter that keeps home care organizations up-to-date on the latest trends and accreditation information;
• Sentinel Event Alert, a periodic publication that focuses on health care errors;
• news releases.
Subscribers also may ask for information about any of the commission’s accreditation programs, including notices about standards, field reviews, publications, and upcoming education programs.
For more information, contact the Joint Com-mission through its Web site at www.jcaho.org.
Conference targets cost, quality for case managers
Experts will share their proven ideas for successful case management at The 6th Annual Hospital Case Management Conference: Blue-print for Case Management Success: Information, Accountability and Collaboration, to be held March 25-27 in Orlando, FL. The conference is sponsored by American Health Consultants, publisher of Healthcare Benchmarks.
Topics offer something for every hospital-based case manager or quality professional including:
• Values, ethics, and legal parameters in case management
• An interdisciplinary practice model for acute-care case management
• Measuring the impact of case management interventions
Each session sets aside time for you and your peers to ask the experts your most burning questions. Nineteen contact hours of continuing education will be offered.
The conference fee includes a cocktail party to network with speakers and other registrants, continental breakfasts, lunches, a course manual, and a form exchange for attendees. For more information, contact American Health Consultants, Customer Service, P.O. Box 740056, Atlanta, GA 30374. Telephone: (800) 688-2421 or (404) 262-7436. Fax: (800) 284-3291. E-mail: [email protected].
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