Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals

Annual Conference

Keynote address: Carl Hammerschlag
Healthcare at the Crossroads: Sustaining our Healing Spirit

General session: The 2009 Leadership Standards
The Joint Commission has updated the 2009 Leadership standards. Hospital leaders are now required to place a greater emphasis on patient safety in their facilities and be responsible for creating a culture of safety. Learn how to accomplish this at your facility and what surveyors will be looking for.

Break/exhibits

Breakout sessions (choose one of two)

Tracers: Tracers have been a part of the survey process for years. Learn how to keep up-to-date with your system-wide tracers and how to ensure that the tracers you perform are enhancing your patient care systems.

Critical Test Results 2.0: For the second year in a row, NPSG.02.03.01,concerning critical test results, has had the highest noncompliance rates of all National Patient Safety Goals. This session will discuss barriers to implementing a functioning system for reporting critical test results in a timely manner and how to overcome those barriers.

Reporting Peer Review Data: What do MEC and the Board need to know

Making the 2009 NPSGs Come to Life:  There have been many new additions to the 2009 NPSGs, including new goals about patient identification for blood transfusions, infection control and prevention, and medication reconciliation. Learn how proven strategies for compliance with these, as well as the existing goals.

Exclusive panel discussion on the options for healthcare accreditation
This special session features executives from The Joint Commission, DNV Healthcare Inc. and the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program. Join us for what will undoubtedly be an interesting discussion on how all three organizations are changing accreditation in healthcare.

Friday, May 15, 2009

General session: Joint Commission Scoring Changes
Requirements for improvement (RFIs) for hospitals are expected to double after January 1st under the Joint Commission’s new and revised standards. This session will  provide realistic strategies and action plans to help you make sense of the changes.

Breakout sessions (choose one of two)

Increasing Data Transparency: Helping the medical staff understand and use external data

Survey Readiness: Staying on top of everything a hospital needs to be prepared for survey requires lots of time and effort. This session will discuss the best techniques for making sure your hospital stays in compliance.

Roundtables
Attendees will get a chance to hear from fellow accreditation professionals in this session on the topics of their choice. Participants will choose from a variety of accreditation-related hot topics, chat with their peers for a set period of time on that topic, and then move on to another topic of choice.

Lunch (on your own)

Professional Code of Conduct: Managing disruptive behavior

Suicide Risk Assessment: This session will help you determine when and how to identify and screen patients for suicide risk, as well as provide ways to educate staff. Learn from an industry expert on how to refine your policies, but also be aware of the best patient care standards.