CMS to Enforce Hand Hygiene Guidelines in Ambulatory Surgery Centers

The risk of infection transmission in healthcare facilities is strongly associated with failure to follow hand hygiene guidelines. Over the past several years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services surveyors have cited hand hygiene as an expectation during Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) reviews. Beginning in 2018, these surveyors are issuing citations when they observe any ASC employee failing to follow correct hand hygiene guidelines while providing direct patient care.

For additional details, you can access standards for hand hygiene from the Joint Commission (Hand Hygiene) and the CDC (Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings).

MLMIC supports the efforts of all healthcare providers and regulatory agencies to reduce the risk of infection to patients and providers in healthcare settings.