Effective July 1: New, revised Emergency Management standards for Home Care program
Beginning July 1, new and revised Emergency Management (EM) chapter requirements will go into effect for accredited home care organizations.
The Joint Commission began conducting a critical analysis of its EM chapter in late 2019. Based on the work already being performed on the EM chapter and the questions and issues that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire EM chapter has been restructured to provide a meaningful framework for a successful emergency management program. The changes in the EM chapter include a new numbering system, elimination of redundant requirements, and the addition of new requirements. It also resulted in a reduction of more than 30% of the elements of performance (EPs).
As a result of the revisions, the following standards have been deleted for deemed home health agencies and hospices:
- Information Management (IM) standard IM.01.01.03, EP 5
- Provision of Care, Treatment, and Services (PC) standard PC.01.03.01, EP 55
The new and revised EM requirements provide more clarity and greater emphasis on:
- Assessment, applicability, and incorporation of the hazard vulnerability analysis throughout the entire EM chapter.
- Specific requirements for leadership involvement and oversight in all aspects of the EM program.
- An emergency operations plan that addresses communication plans, surge plans, evacuation procedures, resource acquisition and management, and continuity of operations.
- Staff education and training with specific guidance for initial and ongoing EM training.
An R3 Report detailing the rationale and research behind the changes is available.
View the prepublication standards.