Although it seems hard to believe, March 27, 2009, will be here before you know it. That’s the date when Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) programs for destination therapy must be certified by The Joint Commission in order to meet the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements.
The Joint Commission is offering a discount to encourage programs to schedule early. It’s only available through the end of the third quarter, September 30, 2008, so look for the details in the following article. In the meantime, we are offering a variety of resources to help VAD programs and others achieve certification. To get started, check out the eligibility requirements on the website. Once you have submitted an application, you can access The Joint Commission Connect extranet, which provides more information.
Also, don’t forget to tap into resources right in your own back yard. If your organization currently has other Joint Commission certified programs, there are most likely in-house experts who can offer advice on the certification e-app, performance measurement requirements, on-site review, etc.
Of course, DSC staff members are always available to answer any of your questions ― Caroline Isbey, cisbey@jointcommission.org, M.J. Hampel, mhampel@jointcommission.org, or me, jrange@jointcommission.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
Jean Range, RN, MS, CPHQ
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The first 24 Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) programs that choose to be reviewed in the second and third quarters of 2008 will receive a 5 percent discount, says Caroline Isbey, associate director, Disease-Specific Care Certification. The discount applies to those VAD for destination therapy (DT) programs that are currently approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
“CMS is no longer granting VAD for DT program approval. Instead, these programs must achieve Joint Commission certification by March 27, 2009, in order to qualify for continuing reimbursement from CMS,” explains Isbey. “We want to certify every program in time for the deadline, so eligible VAD programs receive an incentive if they schedule their reviews early.”
New VAD programs don’t have to worry about the deadline, however. “VAD programs not previously approved by CMS don’t fall under the time restriction and can apply for certification at any time as long as they meet the eligibility criteria,” says Isbey.
Programs interested in VAD certification should contact Isbey at (630) 792-5279 or cisbey@jointcommission.org. “I will help you with the application process. Once the application is submitted, you and The Joint Commission liaison at your hospital can access the DSC tab on The Joint Commission Connect extranet. This site contains a great deal of useful information, including a free Certification Review Process Guide, which takes you step-by-step through the review process.”
Isbey and your account representative (who is assigned based on your organization’s geographical location) are the “go-to” people for any questions. Your account rep’s direct number is on the extranet and the general number to reach him or her is (630) 792-3007.
For more information, see the fact sheet on the website.
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Certification is a big word for the little patients at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, Texas, but it has made a real difference in patient care as well as the bottom line.
“Our opportunity for reimbursement has improved because of Joint Commission certification,” says Karissa Luckett, director, Disease Management at Children’s. “An added plus for our certified programs are the consistently high marks they receive in patient satisfaction surveys (a requirement for certification). The survey results are shared at monthly meetings, and if one program does well, it’s an impetus for the other programs to improve their scores.”
Currently three services ― pediatric asthma, diabetes and obesity ― are certified at Children’s and Children’s is considering adding others, says Luckett. “We’re very strategic about what services we choose to have certified.”
They ask the following questions before pursuing certification:
- Is there a marketing edge? “If a competing pediatric service is opening up next door, we want ours to be the certified one.”
- Are there pediatric performance measures? “In service lines that don’t have pediatric performance measures, certification encourages improvement. We look at areas where certification is the industry standard ― such as congestive heart failure ― take the adult concepts and translate it into what we do.”
- Is the service line well reimbursed? Certification can improve reimbursement because we can say to payers, “We have a quality program. We received The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval.”
| Tips for certification |
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Luckett offers this advice to programs considering certification:
- Have a candid discussion about your operating principles. Do you use national guidelines? Are you following evidence-based standards?
- Go through the manual and score yourself. If you don’t score 80 percent on all five of the standards areas, it’s going to be hard to do well on the review.
- Go to one of The Joint Commission certification workshops. Take program staff members who are in charge of that particular disease state.
If you have questions about becoming certified, Luckett would be happy to chat with you.
Contact her by e-mail at Karissa.Luckett@childrens.com. |
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Effective January 1, 2008, The Joint Commission discontinued track record requirements for disease-specific care programs undergoing initial reviews. These programs do not need to demonstrate a four-month track record of compliance with the standards at the time of the initial review. The Joint Commission has replaced the track record requirements with the following volume requirements:
- DSC core programs and primary stroke centers: 10 patients served
- Inpatient diabetes/chronic kidney/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 30 patients served
- Lung volume reduction surgery/Ventricular assist device: One patient served
For more information, see the January 2008 issue of The Joint Commission Perspectives.
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Two new RSS (Rich Site Summary) feeds are now available on The Joint Commission website. The new feeds allow users to get Joint Commission podcasts and “What’s New on The Joint Commission Website.” Users will need to download a new reader and pod catcher for the new feeds. To download the feeds or get more information, visit the website.
Two new lists have been added to The Joint Commission’s list-serve distribution: Standards Field Reviews and Palliative Care. To sign-up to receive news and other information via e-mail, go to the website.
This free Speak Up™ brochure offers patients questions and answers that will help them better understand the care they receive. See the brochure on the website.
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A new study aims to find new ways to help consumers better understand health care quality data and use that information to make informed health care decisions. This 18-month study, funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is designed to identify principles and guidelines for the presentation of electronic hospital quality information and explore ways in which consumer understanding of the information facilitates health care decisions. Results will be shared with public and private organizations that provide hospital quality information electronically. A panel of experts in the areas of consumer use of quality information, adult learning and health media will provide guidance throughout the study.
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Disease-Specific Care Certification Workshop
Covers the DSC certification process, standards, clinical practice guidelines, and performance measurement expectations.
October 21, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
2008 Disease-Specific Care Certification Manual
Effective January 1, 2008, the new manual includes:
- Integration of the Advanced Disease-Specific Care Certification requirements with consensus-based national core requirements
- Revised language to clarify standards and EPs
- Re-ordered standards and EPs to follow a more logical flow
- A self-assessment scoring grid provided in the margins so certified programs can continuously identify program performance
Order code: DSCC-03, $100
The manual can be customized with setting-specific advance program requirements. Available for $15 each, they include:
Chronic Kidney Disease, CKD-07
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, COPD-07
Inpatient Diabetes Care, IDC-07
Lung Volume Reduction, LVR-07
Primary Stroke Center, DPSC-07
Ventricular Assist Device, VAD-07
Or purchase the Deluxe Package that includes the base manual plus all six setting-specific components.
Order code: DCDLX-07, $175
For information or to order products from Joint Commission Resources, Inc., go to http://store.jcrinc.com or call (877) 223-6866.
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DSC Certification (630) 792-5291
Standards Interpretation Group (630) 792-5900
DSC Account Representative (630) 792-3007
Customer Service (630) 792-5800
Pricing Unit (630) 792-5115
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