Effective July 1, 2025, new and revised workplace violence prevention requirements will apply to all Joint Commission-accredited assisted living communities, nursing care centers, and office-based surgery practices. These requirements are intended to address the safety concerns that affect patients, staff, and visitors. They also align with similar updates for behavioral health care and human services organizations, critical access hospitals, home care organizations, and hospitals.
Workplace violence poses a significant occupational hazard for healthcare workers. However, the prevalence may be underestimated due to underreporting, as incidents are often perceived as minor. The new and revised requirements provide a framework to guide organizations in developing effective workplace violence prevention strategies. The requirements address the following:
- Defining workplace violence, including a formal definition added to the Glossary
- Developing worksite analysis processes
- Outlining leadership oversight
- Developing policies and procedures to prevent workplace violence
- Reporting systems, data collection, and analysis
- Implementing post-incident strategies
- Providing training and education to decrease workplace violence
See the new and revised workplace violence prevention Prepublication Standards
An on-demand webinar is now available on the fully revised Infection Prevention and Control (IC) chapter for home care organizations that is effective Jan. 1, 2025. This Pioneers in Quality webinar will introduce the new and revised requirements for the home care setting, offer examples of practical applications of the requirements, and highlight available resources, including a reference guide and a new infection prevention and control program assessment tool, to assist organizations in meeting the requirements.
Participant learning objectives are:
- Discuss the rationale for the IC standards rewrite
- Explain the structure and content of the new IC standards and Elements of Performance
- Demonstrate application of the infection prevention and control program assessment tool
This webinar is approved for 1 Continuing Education (CE) credit or Qualifying Education Hour until Feb. 14, 2025.
For reference in advance of the webinar, view the Prepublication Standards
Go to the webinar on revised IC chapter for home care organizations
In a recent episode of Modern Healthcare’s Checking in With Dan Peres, Dr. Jonathan Perlin, president and CEO of The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International, and Stephanie Mercado, CEO of the National Association of Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), share further details about the new strategic alliance between The Joint Commission and NAHQ, announced in November. They also talk about how adoption of a universal set of healthcare quality competencies, and consistent training and credentialing of safety and quality professionals, can enhance workforce competency and drive better patient outcomes.
See the Checking in With Dan Peres episode with Dr. Perlin and Stephanie Mercado
The Joint Commission announced six new members to its Board of Commissioners, beginning Jan. 1, 2025. As The Joint Commission’s governing body, the Board of Commissioners advises and strategizes to drive organizational success. Incoming Board Members include:
- Brooke Buckley, MD, MBA, FACS, system medical director, Medical Affairs, Henry Ford Health, Wyandotte, Michigan
- Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS, FRCS(Eng), FRCS(Edin), FWACS, FAAP, pediatric surgeon, dean and chief academic officer, University of Miami, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, Miami
- James D. Grant, MD, MBA, FASA, executive vice president, Clinical Affairs and chief medical officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Detroit
- Vivian S. Lee, PhD, MD, MBA, BA, executive fellow, Harvard Business School, Boston
- Ankita Sagar, MD, MPH, FACP, system vice president of Clinical Standards & Variation Reduction, CommonSpirit Health, Chicago
- Harsh K. Trivedi, MD, MBA, president and chief executive officer, Sheppard Pratt, Baltimore
Additionally, The Joint Commission named leadership of the Board of Commissioners: Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FACS, chief physician officer, Geisinger System Services, Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania, as chair, and Eric Langshur, founder and managing partner, Abundant Venture Partners, Chicago, as vice chair.
For more information, visit The Joint Commission website.