A new patient safety campaign from The Joint Commission — Speak Up™ For Your Mental Health — is designed to educate patients on how to advocate for themselves and their mental health.
Mental health is just as important as someone’s physical health. Depression and other mental health issues are common, and like physical illnesses they need to be treated. Mental health issues also can affect a person’s thinking, feelings, mood, how they relate to others, and even how they function throughout the day. However, depression is a serious condition — and it is helpful to know the signs and symptoms.
The educational resources for this new Speak Up campaign include:
- An infographic poster/flyer in three sizes (8.5x11, 11x17 and 24x36).
- An animated video to incorporate in healthcare facilities.
- A distribution guide with recommendations on how healthcare organizations can use and provide the materials for patients and their families, caregivers, and advocates.
The infographic and video are available in both English and Spanish.
Launched in 2002, the award-winning Speak Up™ program has been used in more than 70 countries. It encourages patients to be their own advocates and to:
- Speak up
- Pay attention
- Educate yourself
- Advocates (family members and friends) can help
- Know about your new medicine
- Use a quality health care organization
- Participate in all decisions about your care
For updates on new Speak Up™ campaigns as they become available, sign up for email alerts or subscribe to Joint Commission Online. (Contact: Caron Wong, BrandComms@jointcommission.org)
It is the last week to apply for the Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity — applications are due May 24 at 11:59 p.m. CT, and there is no cost to apply.
Bernard J. Tyson, the late CEO and chair of Kaiser Permanente, worked tirelessly to address the healthcare disparities that plague the U.S. healthcare system. Now in its third year, the award recognizes a healthcare organization for an intervention that led to a measurable and sustained reduction in at least one healthcare disparity.
The Tyson Award presents the opportunity for national recognition, as well as to share best practices with thousands of healthcare organizations across the country. Visit the Tyson Award webpage for more information and to apply.
Interested in learning more about The Joint Commission’s new Health Care Equity (HCE) Certification program? Make plans to attend a complimentary educational session on May 23, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT.
The program — which is available July 1 — provides a structure to help guide an organization’s journey to achieving health care equity in all aspects of care, treatment, and service delivery.
The deep dive educational session will touch on:
- Health care equity programs from a physician’s perspective.
- Standards and eligibility requirements.
- The application process and the onsite review.
In July, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, The Joint Commission is launching a memory care certification program for assisted living communities.
To help organizations learn how this new program can help communities minimize risk and improve care for residents with all levels of cognitive impairment, a free webinar will be held on June 6, from 1 to 3 p.m. CT.
During the webinar, experts from The Joint Commission and the Alzheimer’s Association will review key program elements, such as certification requirements and the survey process, and provide helpful resources. Presenters will be:
- Douglas D. Pace, NHA, Senior Director, Long-Term & Community-Based Care, Alzheimer's Association
- Gina Zimmermann, Executive Director, Business Development, The Joint Commission
- Beverly M. Belton, MSN, RN, Field Director, Surveyor Management and Support, The Joint Commission
- Debbie Holzer, RN, MSN, NE-BC, CRRN, Clinical Project Director, Standards and Survey Methods, The Joint Commission
NAHQ Next, a multi-day virtual event that addresses the most urgent and important issues facing healthcare today, is scheduled for Sept. 11-13. The event offers a full schedule of educational sessions organized around NAHQ’s twice-validated Healthcare Quality Competency Framework. Learn more at next.nahq.org.