Tag: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Due to high COVID-19 rates in nursing homes, CMS says it will increase enforcement for facilities with persistent infection control violations and impose enforcement actions for lower level infection control deficiencies.

CMS has issued new guidance for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) used to increase hospital capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an effort to address the high number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions issued annually, CMS now mandates that all hospitals implement antibiotic stewardship programs.

CMS’s new “Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency and Burden Reduction” rule no longer requires ASCs to have a written agreement to transfer patients.

Infection transmission in healthcare facilities is strongly associated with poor hand hygiene. Starting this year, CMS surveyors will issue citations when they observe any ambulatory surgery center employee failing to follow proper hand hygiene protocol.

Healthcare facilities and providers are encouraged to review the updated list of penalties for compliance purposes.

Hospitals should be aware that provider-based urgent care centers that are held out to the public as such will likely meet the definition of a “dedicated emergency department” and will be subject to full EMTALA compliance.

The Joint Commission (JC) issued a clarification reversing its position on the texting of medical orders: “The use of secure text orders is not permitted at this time.”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a proposed rule that would reimburse physicians for discussions they have about end-of-life care.

New data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services show that surgical checklists are unused in 10 percent of hospitals.