DQ 1
Accreditation is an important tool used within the risk management and compliance subject within the
health care field. The Joint Commission sets fourth detailed standards and a quality of care that needs to
be provided to all patients. The standards that must be met to gain accreditation allow for healthcare
settings to identify and address any potential risks associated with noncompliance. The standards being
established and enforced allow for a safer working environment, quality care, and a positive safe
environment for patients. These standards also ensure quality care is given across many different
healthcare facilities and settings. In April of 2019 St Lukes Health Baylor College of Medicine was placed
on probation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This probation was enforced
due to many deficiencies seen by inspectors. One source suggests the problems pertained to “patients
given medications not ordered by their doctors, objects had been mistakenly left in patients after
surgery, and sewage backed up into a kitchen stocked with moldy vegetables” (Hixenbaugh, 2019). This
once busy hospital became the subject of great scrutiny and distrust for the community in Houston. The
hospital underwent a more than two-week investigation, Medicare revoked all funding for heart surgery
and the community grew a deep sense of distrust within the hospital. The hospital since has submitted a
129- page document outlining how they plan to correct all deficiencies. Yet these deficiencies could have
been easily avoided by more education for staff, less patient to staff ratios, and more safety regulations
set into place for the staff. Hixenbaugh, M. (2019). Blistering Report Details Serious Safety Lapses at St.
Luke’s in Houston. Retrieved from https://www.propublica.org/article/st-lukes-in-houston-blistering-
report-details-serious-safety- lapses
DQ 2
In a typical healthcare organization, the risk management plan addressed social media patient
information by implementing a policy that governs the use of social media outlining what appropriate
and what is not appropriate clearly stating the consequences of not following the policy. Many
healthcare facilities and settings also hold regular training and education seminars for all employees to
outline the importance of safety, maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality within the healthcare
system. Some organizations may also provide regular audits and implement disciplinary actions for the
employees who do not follow the policy set forth. There are many ways in which healthcare
professionals in the facility or any other healthcare setting can further protect patients and their
vulnerable information. These methods include implementing strong access controls to only allow those
employees who truly need to gain the information the right to access it including muti-factor
authentication. These organizations may also encrypt all patient information while in transit, in this even
if patient information is accessed by those who do not have the right to access the information will not
be able to see this information. Organizations can also regularly update their systems to ensure that all
holes are repaired quickly. These methods will help reduce the chance of patient’s sensitive information
being accessed by those who do not have access to.
Accreditation is an important tool used within the risk management and compliance subject within the
health care field. The Joint Commission sets fourth detailed standards and a quality of care that needs to
be provided to all patients. The standards that must be met to gain accreditation allow for healthcare
settings to identify and address any potential risks associated with noncompliance. The standards being
established and enforced allow for a safer working environment, quality care, and a positive safe
environment for patients. These standards also ensure quality care is given across many different
healthcare facilities and settings. In April of 2019 St Lukes Health Baylor College of Medicine was placed
on probation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This probation was enforced
due to many deficiencies seen by inspectors. One source suggests the problems pertained to “patients
given medications not ordered by their doctors, objects had been mistakenly left in patients after
surgery, and sewage backed up into a kitchen stocked with moldy vegetables” (Hixenbaugh, 2019). This
once busy hospital became the subject of great scrutiny and distrust for the community in Houston. The
hospital underwent a more than two-week investigation, Medicare revoked all funding for heart surgery
and the community grew a deep sense of distrust within the hospital. The hospital since has submitted a
129- page document outlining how they plan to correct all deficiencies. Yet these deficiencies could have
been easily avoided by more education for staff, less patient to staff ratios, and more safety regulations
set into place for the staff. Hixenbaugh, M. (2019). Blistering Report Details Serious Safety Lapses at St.
Luke’s in Houston. Retrieved from https://www.propublica.org/article/st-lukes-in-houston-blistering-
report-details-serious-safety- lapses
DQ 2
In a typical healthcare organization, the risk management plan addressed social media patient
information by implementing a policy that governs the use of social media outlining what appropriate
and what is not appropriate clearly stating the consequences of not following the policy. Many
healthcare facilities and settings also hold regular training and education seminars for all employees to
outline the importance of safety, maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality within the healthcare
system. Some organizations may also provide regular audits and implement disciplinary actions for the
employees who do not follow the policy set forth. There are many ways in which healthcare
professionals in the facility or any other healthcare setting can further protect patients and their
vulnerable information. These methods include implementing strong access controls to only allow those
employees who truly need to gain the information the right to access it including muti-factor
authentication. These organizations may also encrypt all patient information while in transit, in this even
if patient information is accessed by those who do not have the right to access the information will not
be able to see this information. Organizations can also regularly update their systems to ensure that all
holes are repaired quickly. These methods will help reduce the chance of patient’s sensitive information
being accessed by those who do not have access to.
