CMS THREATENS HOSPITALS WITH CITATIONS IF THEY DON’T HAVE APPROPRIATE WORKPLACE SAFETY & SECURITY PRACTICES.

RISKAlert?#1638????????? ?December 5,?2022???????? ????????????Washington, DC

CMS THREATENS HOSPITALS WITH CITATIONS IF THEY DON’T HAVE APPROPRIATE WORKPLACE SAFETY & SECURITY PRACTICES, AND ALSO REMINDS HOSPITALS & ORGANIZATIONS ?OF THEIR ?RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT HEALTHCARE STAFF AND PATIENTS FROM PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE.

On November 28, CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) ?urged?healthcare leaders to take steps to protect healthcare workers from workplace violence. ?CMS said they would issue citations for lack of recommended steps to prevent workplace violence including making sure workers receive adequate training, have sufficient staffing levels, providing assessment of patients, and staff having ongoing Individual risk assessments of aggressive behavior and violence indicators and appropriately adapting care interventions and appropriately adapting patients’ or residents’ care interventions and environment

Medicare CMS-certified hospitals have a regulatory obligation to care for patients in a safe setting under the Medicare Hospital Conditions of Participation (CoPs) at §482.13(c)(2).

The intention of this requirement is to specify that each patient receives care in an environment that a reasonable person would consider to be safe. For example, hospital staff should follow current standards of practice for patient environmental safety, infection control, and security. The hospital must protect vulnerable patients, including newborns and children.

Additionally, this standard is intended to provide protection for the patient’s emotional health and safety as well as his/her physical safety. Respect, dignity and comfort would also be components of an emotionally safe environment.

In order to provide care in a safe setting, hospitals and healthcare 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. Patients at risk of suicide (or other forms of self-harm) or who exhibit violent behaviors toward others receive healthcare services in both inpatient and outpatient locations of hospitals. Although all risks cannot be eliminated, hospitals are expected to demonstrate how they identify patients at risk of self-harm or harm to others and steps they are taking to minimize those risks in accordance with nationally recognized standards and guidelines.

The potential risks include, but are not limited to, those from ligatures, sharps, harmful substances, access to medications, breakable windows, accessible light fixtures, plastic bags (for suffocation), oxygen tubing, bell cords, etc.

THANKS FOR READING????For more information, & the full CMS document, ??write: [email protected]. ??

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