New hospital maintenance rules kick in July 1

Guidelines clarify when a hospital may adjust its maintenance, inspection and testing activities from what is recommended by the manufacturer


Effective July 1, 2014, hospitals must comply with two new environment of care elements of performance that align with new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines from December 2013, according to an article on the Joint Commission website. 

The guidelines clarify when a hospital may adjust its maintenance, inspection and testing activities for facility and medical equipment from what is recommended by the manufacturer. 

To determine the best equipment maintenance strategies and frequencies, an organization should conduct a thorough risk assessment, which includes creating an equipment inventory. The organization must be able to describe the process used and have documentation to support its decision to deviate from the manufacturer’s recommendations to comply with CMS and Joint Commission requirements, the article said.

In 2013, CMS said a hospital may adjust its equipment maintenance, inspection, and testing frequency and activities from what is recommended by the manufacturer to a process that is based on a risk assessment by qualified personnel. 

According to CMS, hospitals electing to use this alternative equipment management approach must develop policies and procedures and maintain documentation to support these activities. 

Read the article.

 

 



June 27, 2014


Topic Area: Maintenance and Operations


Recent Posts

Probiotic Cleaners: The Start of a Cleaning Revolution?

Advantages of probiotic cleaning include fewer resistant genes and cost savings through decreased antibiotic use.


Gun Incident Highlights Need for Security Infrastructure

A man was arrested at Aultman Memorial Hospital after allegedly firing a gun in the ER.


Creative Solutions in Healthcare Acquires 5 Skilled Nursing Facilities

Each location is planned to begin substantial upgrades to infrastructure and resident services.


Over 700 Hospitals at Risk of Closure

Hospitals are citing financial problems at the main cause of potential closure.


Astrana Health Fully Acquires Prospect Health

They completed the acquisition of Prospect Health for a total purchase price of $708 million.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.