CMS issues memorandum on workplace violence
On Nov. 28, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memorandum encouraging health care organizations to provide a safe setting for workers to administer patient care. Medicare-certified hospitals have a regulatory obligation to care for patients in a safe setting under the Medicare Hospital Conditions of Participation at §482.13(c)(2).
Patients who are at risk of suicide or other forms of self-harm, as well as those who exhibit violent behavior toward others, receive health care services in both inpatient and outpatient facilities. To continue providing care in a safe setting, health care organizations should identify patients at risk for intentional harm to self or others, identify environmental safety risks for such patients, and provide education and training for staff and volunteers.
For additional information access the CMS Workplace Violence webpage.
CMS updates FSES for nursing and skilled nursing facilities
An update made to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) “Use of the Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101A, Guide on Alternative Approaches to Life Safety, 2013 Edition by Health Care Occupancies and Board and Care Occupancies” qualifies nursing facilities (NFs) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to use the FSES in their compliance operations.
Effective Oct. 1, this update adopts changes through regulation to allow existing Medicare- or Medicaid-certified NFs and SNFs before July 5, 2016, that previously used the FSES for compliance, to use the scoring values in the mandatory values chart in NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code ®, 2001 edition (see 87 CFR 47502, 8/3/22). For additional information see the FSES update.
