A leader’s vision is only as good as the action plan he or she creates to achieve it. That may sound deep, but it’s also very practical. As the new executive director of the Home Care Program, I intend to focus on three key areas during the next 365 days.
Customer service. I know we can do a better job in all facets of customer service—including building better relationships between you and your staff and our account representatives.
Keeping standards relevant to the home care field—and specifically, to the various service segments. You can read more about how we’re accomplishing this in the Standards Improvement Initiative article in this issue.
Surveyor education. We will continue to focus efforts, energy and resources on providing our surveyors with the training they need to conduct consistent, valuable surveys. We know how important it is for them to understand your business.
I am committed to improving the product we deliver to you. Contact me anytime with your thoughts, ideas or questions. You can reach me at (630) 792-5742, or dzak@jointcommission.org.
Debra Zak, Ph.D., R.N.
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Debra Zak, Ph.D., R.N., has been appointed executive director, and Bob Floro, R.R.T., has been promoted to director of The Joint Commission’s Home Care Accreditation Program. Zak will communicate with prospective and existing customers and national and state organizations regarding The Joint Commission’s approach to safety and quality improvement. As director, Bob Floro will concentrate on the durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies segment of home care accreditation.
For the past 15 years, Zak has worked at The Joint Commission, most recently as field director of Surveyor Management and Development in the Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations. Prior to that, she was a home care surveyor and an associate director in Standards Interpretation. Previously, Zak spent 15 years in various leadership roles in the home care industry.
Zak has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Ill., and a master’s degree in Oriental medicine from Midwest College of Oriental Medicine, Chicago, Ill. She earned her doctorate from Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
Floro most recently was senior associate director of The Joint Commission’s Home Care Accreditation Program. Previously, he was general manager for American Home Patient in Central and Eastern Kentucky; and held several leadership positions with Respro Home Care in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee.
Floro has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky., and an associate’s degree in respiratory care from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky. He is a registered respiratory therapist.
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Mark R. Chassin, M.D., M.P.P., M.P.H., has been appointed to lead The Joint Commission as its next president, effective January 1, 2008.
Dr. Chassin is the Edmond A. Guggenheim Professor of Health Policy and Chairman of the Department of Health Policy at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, and Executive Vice President for Excellence in Patient Care at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, he served as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health. He is a board-certified internist and practiced emergency medicine for 12 years.
Dennis S. O’Leary, M.D., who has led The Joint Commission for the past 21 years, will become President Emeritus on January 1, 2008. For more information on Dr. Chassin, visit www.jointcommission.org.
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The Joint Commission’s Standards Improvement Initiative is part of an effort to eliminate non-essential standards and to ensure that the remaining standards are understandable and relevant to the care setting to which they apply. Here’s the latest on this initiative:
- The Surveillance, Prevention and Control of Infection Control, Improving Organization Performance and Management of Information chapters were approved by the Professional and Technical Advisory Committee on July 30, and will go to the Standards and Survey Procedures Committee in late August.
- Program teams are completing initial recommendations for the Human Resources, Environment of Care and Medication Management chapters. In the next few months these chapters will be posted to the website for review and comment.
- Program teams are reviewing the Provision of Care and Rights chapters.
- Separate chapters or subsections of chapters are being planned for Emergency Management, Life Safety Code and Medical Records.
- The Home Care Accredited Customer Group represents a wide-range of home care organizations and offers input on home care-specific issues.
For more information, e-mail questions to standardsimprovement@jointcommission.org.
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The Joint Commission recently announced the 2008 National Patient Safety Goals and related Requirements that will apply to accredited home care organizations. Major changes include:
- A new Requirement to take specific actions to reduce the risks of patient harm associated with the use of anticoagulant therapy. This Requirement becomes a key element of the Goal to improve the safety of using medications. There will be a one-year phase-in period that includes defined milestones; full implementation is targeted for January 2009.
- The Requirement that addresses hand hygiene has been expanded to permit use of the World Health Organization Hand Hygiene Guidelines as an alternative to the Centers for Disease Announcing the 2008 NPSGs Control and Prevention hand hygiene guidelines.
- The Requirement to limit and standardize drug concentrations that is part of the Goal to improve the safety of using medications will be retired as a NPSG, but organization compliance will continue to be evaluated as part of the Medication Management standards.
Read the full text of the Goals, Requirements and implementation expectations. A telephone conference call on the 2008 NPSGs will be held on September 13 for accredited organizations. Details will follow on the extranet.
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Keep current with the latest Joint Commission news by adding your contact information to The Joint Commission extranet. Here’s how:
- Go to www.jointcommission.org and click on The Joint Commission Connect.
- Enter your log-in and password.
- Select the accreditation extranet link.
- Under “Update Organization Contacts,” add staff contact information, including e-mail addresses.
- Click on “Save” and then “Submit.”
- A new log-in and password will be e-mailed to each new contact.
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The Joint Commission is hiring home care surveyors. Click here for more information.
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Joint Commission Requirements is a free listing of standards, policy revisions and requirements published in The Joint Commission Perspectives that have gone into effect since the accreditation manual was issued.
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Home Care: Accreditation Essentials
Sept. 17-18, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
Home Care Leaders Retreat
Oct. 22-24, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
Nov. 28-30, Phoenix, Ariz.
HME Leaders Retreat
Oct. 24-26, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
Nov. 28-30, Phoenix, Ariz.
Register at JCR, www.jcrinc.com, or call toll-free (877) 223-6866.
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- Medical Equipment Suppliers Association, Dallas, Texas, September 5-7
- Medtrade, Orlando, Fla., Booth 3613, October 2-4
- National Association for Home Care and Hospice, Booth 1812, Denver, Colo., October 7-10
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Be on the lookout for a readership survey coming soon via e-mail. We want your feedback about Home Care Bulletin.
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Debra Zak, Ph.D., Executive Director, (630) 792-5742 or dzak@jointcommission.org
Bob Floro, Director, (630) 792-5741 or rfloro@jointcommission.org
Richard Cornwell, Account Executive, (630) 792-5294 or rcornwell@jointcommission.org
Account representative
(630) 792-3007
Standards Interpretation Group
(630) 792-5900
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To receive the latest news and information about the Home Care Accreditation Program, or to sign up to receive Home Care Bulletin, a free quarterly newsletter, by e-mail. Subscribe today.
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