ASHE updates survey readiness course to align with new EM standards
Prompted by last year’s changes to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Emergency Preparedness Rule and The Joint Commission’s restructuring of its Emergency Management (EM) Chapter that went into effect July 1, the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) has followed suit and updated one of its key programs to continue providing relevant and accurate information to the field.
The updated emergency management module, part of ASHE’s Physical Environment Survey Readiness Program, addresses extensive changes The Joint Commission made to its EM Chapter, including a new numbering system, additional requirements and elimination of redundant requirements that cut the chapter’s Elements of Performance from 124 to 60.
The Joint Commission explains the changes are designed to “provide a meaningful framework for a successful emergency management program,” which is why ASHE revamped its own course to explain fundamental points of these changes during its Sept. 12-14 live online training, ensuring attendees are well-prepared for their next survey.
Other topics covered during the emergency management module include setting the foundation for an emergency operations plan, the elements of a response and recovery plan and how to conduct evaluations. Two more modules rounding out the three-day program tackle critical matters of the care environment and life safety. Attendees can tailor the course to fit their unique needs by attending just one or two of the modules, or bundle all three for a more holistic view of the survey accreditation process.
Dave Dagenais, FASHE, CHFM, CHSP, an ASHE faculty member and past-president, as well as past-president of the New England Healthcare Engineers’ Society (NEHES), will walk attendees through how to prepare for their next accreditation survey. Whether it’s through The Joint Commission, DNV Healthcare USA Inc., the Accreditation Commission for Health Care or another organization, Dagenais is well-versed in how to think like a surveyor.
He also brings a wealth of experience from his position as senior director of plant operations, clinical engineering, emergency management and safety officer at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. This experience combined with a commitment to being an outspoken advocate for improving health care codes, give him a unique perspective on educating the facilities management field.
“Everything is scalable,” Dagenais said during an NEHES interview. “What is right and appropriate for a large metropolitan hospital is also right and appropriate for a small community hospital, it is just scalable. … What is the standard? What do we need everyone to have and do? And [how do we] make it scalable?”
Register for the program today to ensure your facility’s emergency management plan complies with recent accreditation changes and is ready for the next physical environment survey.