HFAP Blog http://www.hfap.org/blog Health News and Information Wed, 16 May 2012 16:07:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 May Is Mental Health Month http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4391 http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4391#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 16:07:51 +0000 HFAP http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4391 Continue reading →]]> U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius knows how essential mental health prevention and treatment are for our overall health. Mental Health Month was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives, and to celebrate recovery from mental illness. We know that mental health is essential for a person’s overall health. Prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can recover from mental disorders and live full and productive lives.

Over the past 20 years, SAMHSA and others in HHS and across the Federal Government, the public health community, and the general public have increased understanding of the prevention and treatment of mental health problems. These efforts have significantly improved the outlook for those affected by mental illnesses.

Successful efforts that have raised awareness about the importance of mental health and promoted acceptance, support, prevention, and recovery from these mental health conditions include:

  • Affordable Care Act
  • Community Mental Health Services Block Grant
  • Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008
  • Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Suicide Prevention Program.

Mental Health Month gives all of us a valuable opportunity to celebrate the tremendous strides this Nation has made in promoting mental health and increasing the public’s knowledge that effective services and support are available.

Read the Full Statement

Support Mental Health Month With These Resources:

 

]]> http://www.hfap.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=4391 0 CMS Releases Quality Reporting Manual http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4301 http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4301#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 15:19:57 +0000 HFAP http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4301 Continue reading →]]> The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its manual for the ASC quality reporting program (download the manual on ASCA Connect). The manual provides detailed information on how ASCs should report information to CMS.

Of note, the manual indicates that ASCs that used a safe surgery checklist based on accepted standards of practice at any time during 2012 can answer “yes” when they report whether they used a safe surgery checklist during the year. Previously, CMS had indicated that ASCs would be able to answer “yes” only if they had a safe surgery checklist in place on January 1, 2012. This change will allow more ASCs to be able to report that they used a checklist in 2012.

ASCA will continue to work with CMS as implementation of the new ASC quality reporting program continues. Visit their Quality Reporting page for more information about the program.

In addition, ASCA will be offering two free webinars about quality reporting. The first webinar, Quality Measure Reporting in 2012, will be Tuesday, June 5, 2012, and the second, Quality Measure Reporting, will be Thursday, September 6, 2012.

]]> http://www.hfap.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=4301 0 National Stroke Awareness Month http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4101 http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4101#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 21:30:13 +0000 HFAP http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4101 Continue reading →]]> May is National Stroke Awareness month and this year’s theme is “Be Aware and Share.” We at HFAP would like to thank all of our stroke-certified facilities for your continued excellence in stroke care. For information on our Primary Stroke Certification program and how to apply, visit us at www.hfap.org. Also, be sure to check out the National Stroke Association’s website for a wealth of information about strokes.

]]> http://www.hfap.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=4101 0 HFAP hospitals in Thomson Reuters Top 100 list http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4001 http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4001#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:22:43 +0000 HFAP http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=4001 Continue reading →]]> We are proud to announce that 6 HFAP-accredited hospitals made the list of the 2012 Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals. Those hospitals are:

This national award is given in recognition for the outstanding performance that we at HFAP have come to expect. William A. Foster said that “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution.” Congratulations to you and your staff for the effort and professionalism you display every day in bringing high quality care to your community and the people whom you serve.

 

]]> http://www.hfap.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=4001 0 Hospitals encouraged to complete AHA survey on impact of RACs http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3941 http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3941#comments Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:25:24 +0000 HFAP http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3941 Continue reading →]]> Hospitals are encouraged to submit Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) activity information to the American Hospital Association’s RACTrac before the April 15 deadline. RACTrac is a free, web-based survey the AHA developed in response to a lack of data and information provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on the impact the RAC program is having on America’s hospitals. For RACTracsupport call 1.888.722.8712 or email ractracsupport@providercs.com.

]]> http://www.hfap.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3941 0 HFAP’s COO discusses patient safety http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3831 http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3831#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:01:29 +0000 HFAP http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3831 Joe Cappiello, HFAP’s chief operating officer, was recently interviewed for an article on Becker’s Hospital Review. The article, Back to the Basics: 6 Core Concepts for Patient Safety & Quality Control, can be viewed here.

]]> http://www.hfap.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3831 0 Free stroke webinar: Neuroprotective Targets in the Context of Reperfusion and Reperfusion Injury http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3631 http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3631#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:00:49 +0000 HFAP http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3631 Continue reading →]]>  

REGISTER NOW

Neuroprotective Targets in the Context of Reperfusion
and Reperfusion Injury

Jaroslaw Aronowski, PhD, Presenter
March 22, 2012, at 11:00 AM EDT | 8:00 AM PDT | 3:00 PM GMT
Back Up U.S Attendee Phone: (866) 832 – 6378
Conference ID: 48487352

Click here for more info >>

 

]]> http://www.hfap.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3631 0 Cardiology agreement announced between three Indiana hospitals http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3591 http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3591#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:34:37 +0000 HFAP http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3591 Continue reading →]]> A cardiology services agreement was recently announced between Hancock Regional Hospital, Hendricks Regional Health and St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana. This partnership aims to benefit the patients and families within Hancock and Hendricks counties with enhanced cardiology service capabilities. View the full story here > >

]]> http://www.hfap.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3591 0 Now available for replay – patient discharge webcast http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3471 http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3471#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:03:53 +0000 HFAP http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3471 Continue reading →]]>  

LISTEN NOW

On Thursday, January 12, 2012, the AOA Bureau of Hospitals (BOH) and the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) held a collaborative webcast related to how one hospital implemented the more rigorous HFAP standards designed to improve patient safety at discharge. These standards raise the bar on patient safety, streamlining discharge procedures so that errors and omissions will decrease significantly.

Learn how one Indianapolis area hospital leveraged existing systems to re-engineer its patient discharge process. Presented by Hendricks Regional Health, participants will hear how a multi-disciplinary group worked to provide patients with individualized discharge notebooks, met the new HFAP hospital standards for discharge planning (15.06.16 Discharge Systems, 15.06.17 Discharge Instructions and Checklist, and 15.06.18 Discharge Summary), and have begun to reduce readmissions.

The program begins with how Hendricks staff benchmarked their status at the beginning of the project, identified process improvements needed, and designed interventions to achieve their redesign goals. If you’ve been wondering how other hospitals are working at implementation of the HFAP standards for discharge planning this webcast is for you!

Be sure to check out HFAP’s Archived Events at HFAP.org where you will find this and other webcasts at your disposal.

LISTEN NOW

]]> http://www.hfap.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3471 0 Updated patient rights standards for ASCs http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3401 http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3401#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:09:21 +0000 HFAP http://www.hfap.org/blog/?p=3401 Continue reading →]]> HFAP has updated standards related to Patient Rights in Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs). These updates were prompted by the changes that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently made. The most significant change in the application of patient rights is the allowance for ASCs to provide patients undergoing surgery to receive a copy of their rights on the same day of surgery, but prior to the procedure occurring. It is no longer mandated that the patient receive this copy of their rights 24 hours prior to the procedure.

In addition, CMS reorganized the entire Condition for Coverage (CfC) and its related standards. Due to this change, HFAP has reorganized its standards to reflect the reorganization by CMS. HFAP is providing your facility with a copy of the fully updated chapter 11 on Patient Rights. Please note that all CMS-related changes made to this chapter will be reflected in italicized – bolded text. The updated changes are effective as of December 23, 2011. You may access the updated chapter by visiting www.hfap.org/manualupdates.aspx and selecting “Ambulatory Surgical Center Manual”.

If you should have any questions related to any of the changes made to the requirements for Patient Rights, please submit them to info@hfap.org.

HFAP is excited to be your accreditor of choice and we wish you a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!!

 

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