JCAHO Issues Formal Notification to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center About Loss of Accreditation
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has formally notified Alta Bates Summit Medical Center that it could lose its accreditation, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/16). JCAHO issued a preliminary denial of accreditation in November 2004 and again last month to Alta Bates, which has campuses in Berkeley, for deficiencies in hospital operations. The JCAHO survey, which has been released to the public, found the hospital failed to:
- Gain informed consent from patients;
- Respond effectively to actual or potential adverse reactions and medication errors;
- Provide sufficient individual patient treatment;
- Provide equal care and treatment to patients;
- Assess patients' pain appropriately;
- Follow approved policies on the use of restraints;
- Obtain complete and accurate medical records;
- Regulate actions to prevent or reduce the risk of infections contracted during hospital stays; and
- Properly store, review and manage prescription medications (California Healthline, 3/11).
Results of the Alta Bates' review are on the JCAHO Web site (San Francisco Chronicle, 3/16). Alta Bates officials will appeal for accreditation again in May to JCAHO's Review Hearing Panel. The findings of the hearing then will be passed to JCAHO's Accreditation Committee for a second review of the decision (California Healthline, 3/11). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.