Emergency Management – Use of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC) as Alternative Inpatient Care Sites for Hospitals.
During a declared disaster when the demand for inpatient care is high, can hospitals use ASCs as alternative sites for providing inpatient care ?
Any examples are for illustrative purposes only.
While there are no specific Joint Commission standards that address this practice, on April 3, 2020 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memorandum from their Quality, Safety & Oversight Group (QSO) that provides Guidance for Processing Attestation Statements from Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) Temporarily Enrolling as Hospitals during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
Organizations choosing this option should notify their Account Executive of this change to keep us informed of your status and the impact of the COVID situation. Choosing this option will NOT result in an extension survey. Please continue to work closely with your local, state and federal agencies to help manage the demand for additional resources.
Organizations that use Joint Commission accreditation for deemed status purposes should monitor the CMS website as waivers are being approved frequently and may include state-specific waivers. Click here to access the CMS website for COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers.
After the state of emergency ends (national, federal, or local level depending upon which allows the most time to address), organizations have 60 days to complete these requirements. Please notify your Account Executive that operations have returned to normal.
Additional Resources
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance and Resources
While there are no specific Joint Commission standards that address this practice, on April 3, 2020 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memorandum from their Quality, Safety & Oversight Group (QSO) that provides Guidance for Processing Attestation Statements from Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) Temporarily Enrolling as Hospitals during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
Organizations choosing this option should notify their Account Executive of this change to keep us informed of your status and the impact of the COVID situation. Choosing this option will NOT result in an extension survey. Please continue to work closely with your local, state and federal agencies to help manage the demand for additional resources.
Organizations that use Joint Commission accreditation for deemed status purposes should monitor the CMS website as waivers are being approved frequently and may include state-specific waivers. Click here to access the CMS website for COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers.
After the state of emergency ends (national, federal, or local level depending upon which allows the most time to address), organizations have 60 days to complete these requirements. Please notify your Account Executive that operations have returned to normal.
Additional Resources
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance and Resources
Manual:
Ambulatory
Chapter:
Emergency Management EM
Last reviewed by Standards Interpretation: May 05, 2022
Represents the most recent date that the FAQ was reviewed (e.g. annual review).
First published date: April 08, 2020
This Standards FAQ was first published on this date.
This page was last updated on May 05, 2022
with update notes of: Review only, FAQ is current
Types of changes and an explanation of change type:
Editorial changes only: Format changes only. No changes to content. |
Review only, FAQ is current: Periodic review completed, no changes to content. |
Reflects new or updated requirements: Changes represent new or revised requirements.
Joint Commission Virtual Assistant
