Joint Commission to Prevent Deadly Infections

     The suburban Chicago-based Joint Commission falls to resolve  an annoying  problem in health care -- how to get doctors and nurses to wash their hands.

Photo: Joint Commission to Prevent Deadly Infections

Joint Commission to Prevent Deadly Infections

   That's among ways the hospital regulatory group's new Center for Transforming Healthcare is trying to prevent deadly health-care associated infections. These kill as many nearly 100,000 Americans annually and cost hospitals billions of dollars to combat.

   So the center is bringing together the commission's expertise and top hospitals to develop and test solutions. Joint Commission President Dr. Mark Chassin will join hospital executives working on the problem at a 10 a.m. Chicago time news conference Thursday in Washington.

   The Joint Commission, formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), is a private sector United States-based not-for-profit organization. The Joint Commission operates voluntary accreditation programs for hospitals and other health care organizations, according to Chicago Tribune report.

    The Joint Commission accredits nearly 16,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. A majority of state governments recognizes Joint Commission accreditation as a condition of licensure and receiving Medicaid reimbursement. Surveys (inspections) typically follow a triennial cycle with findings made available to the public in an accreditation quality report on the Quality Check Web site.