The Joint Commission adds two standards for 2024
The Joint Commission made changes to its Environment of Care (EC) and Life Safety (LS) chapters. First, EC.01.01.01, Element of Performance (EP) 12, is a new EP that was added to clarify that hospitals are required to comply with the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, 2012 edition, including tentative interim amendments (TIAs) 12-2, 12-3, 12-4, 12-5 and 12-6. However, they are not required to comply with chapters 7, 8, 12 and 13. Similarly, LS.01.01.01, EP 8, was added to clarify that hospitals are required to comply with NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, 2012 edition, including TIAs 12-1, 12-2, 12-3 and 12-4.
CMS provides guidance on two surveyor updates
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provided guidance on two surveyor items last fall. The first is QSO-23-24-Hospital, which provides additional guidance regarding patient safety work products (PSWP) and the impact these could have on survey findings. PSWP include data, reports, records, memoranda, analysis, or written and oral statements assembled and developed for reporting to a patient safety organization (PSO) and which have been submitted to a PSO that is approved and listed by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The second update states that all surveys that have been established under the rural emergency hospitals designation for new Medicare provider types will be conducted by state survey agencies.
FEMA releases funding opportunities for resiliency
Two 2023 funding opportunities for Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs will stay open through February 2024. For this grant cycle, $800 million is available for the Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program, and $1 billion is available for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program. The application period is open until Feb. 29, 2024. Subapplicants are encouraged to contact their state, territory or tribal applicant as they may have earlier deadlines than the February deadline.
FDA recognizes new medical device safety standard
The Food and Drug Administration has recognized a consensus standard to help medical device makers address cybersecurity concerns. The agency says the SW96:2023, Standard for medical device security – Security risk management for device manufacturers, published by the American National Standards Institute and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, aligns with existing international safety risk management standards and quality systems defined by ISO 1497:2019, Medical devices, and provides direction to sponsors on how to address cybersecurity risks.
