In The News

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has received a 50 million dollar grant to enforce infection control standards which include:

CDC Guidelines on Safe Injection Practices
H1N1
Communicable Disease Prevention Program
- Aerosol Transmissable Disease Prevention Program (ATD's)
- MRSA
New Healthcare Associated Disease (HAI) Reporting Requirements for Ambulatory Surgery Center

Your ASC monitoring activities should address the following:

An explicit infection control program to include policies and procedures according to current CDC standards and/or accrediting body guidelines.
A designated health professional who meets the credential requirements as specified by CMS.
Implementation of nationally recognized infection control guidelines specifically to include processes to:
- Identify risks for acquiring and transmitting infections
- Reduce the risk of infections associated with medical equipment, devices, and supplies through sound cleaning, disinfecting and sterilization practices
- Label all medications, medication containers, syringes and other solutions on and off the sterile field in peri-operative and other procedural settings
Required annual Infection Prevention and Control training for all staff.
Provisions for and implementation of reporting of State notifiable diseases and conditions.