Executive Briefing 2023: TJC to increase focus on health equity, environmental sustainability, and staff support

The idea of tackling climate change can seem immense, particularly for an already overworked healthcare staff, but breaking down sources of healthcare greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and setting reasonable goals for each makes it possible.

Recruiting, staffing, and retaining nurses who are knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced is an evergreen concern for healthcare organizations. As the demographic makeup of the U.S. nursing population changes, this need becomes even more pronounced.

One of the best ways for community schools to implement healthcare solutions is to work with an education-focused healthcare provider in their area.

Thoughts on the introduction of technology as a function of mobile units (CT, PET MRI, etc.) and how those arrangements might come into play as a function of fire response plans, egress and any other life-safety related topics.

In the coming year, hospitals accredited by The Joint Commission will see more on-site complaint surveys, plus more focus on their progress regarding health equity and environmental sustainability. But they might also see fewer and more efficient standard requirements.

The American healthcare sector produces an estimated 8.5% of the country’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and accounts for 25% of global health sector emissions—the highest proportion attributable to any individual country’s health sector, according to a 2021 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Important aspects of Life Safety Code® compliance that are important to be aware of come survey time.

“Often the work drives us together, but again, then it gets to that difference between ‘we connect when we have to because the work demands it’ versus ‘we’re intentional in the team construct and we maintain that because we know the value it brings to being more reliable and delivering on higher-quality outcomes,’ ” says Jeff Salvon-Harman, MD, CPE, CPPS, vice president at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.