Joint Commission

Cyber incidents are no longer limited to data loss or financial disruption — they now pose a direct and growing threat to patient safety. Hospitals across the country have experienced cyber‑related outages that disrupt critical emergency department operations, medication administration and pharmacy systems, blood bank and laboratory services, patient monitoring and life‑support technologies, and security and access control systems. Patient safety can’t be compromised while an organization recovers from a cyber incident. In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Joint Commission is sharing strategies to help organizations enhance their own cyber resilience. These strategies are aligned to the principles of our Cyber Resilience Readiness Program, developed collaboratively by Joint Commission and the American Hospital Association and designed to help healthcare organizations assess and strengthen their ability to sustain safe clinical operations during cyber‑related technology outages. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e2sB-xSi

During this Healthcare Quality Week, we’re celebrating the professionals advancing healthcare quality and safety, including the 2026 CPHQ scholarship recipients recognized through our partnership with National Association for Healthcare Quality® (NAHQ®): Ashe Memorial Hospital Sinai Hospital Mental Health Cooperative Fortis Hospitals Congratulations to this year’s recipients and thank you for advancing excellence in care and working to improve outcomes in the communities you serve!

Joint Commission has launched the SAFEST® Resource Library, a new repository of innovative and highly effective practices identified during accreditation surveys. Now available to accredited Joint Commission and Joint Commission International organizations, the library has 150+ performance strength summaries already available, with hundreds more expected. Our goal with sharing these actionable resources is to help healthcare organizations learn from one another and accelerate improvements in quality and patient safety. Learn more about the SAFEST Resource Library: https://lnkd.in/eQucRf4s

We are excited to join National Association for Healthcare Quality® (NAHQ®) in celebrating Healthcare Quality Week, Oct. 18-24, honoring ‘People. Progress. Possibility.’ There will be complimentary webinars all week to help professionals future-proof their careers and position organizations for future success. Joint Commission's own Jonathan Perlin, MD, PhD and James Merlino, MD join Stephanie Mercado CAE CPHQ for an insightful discussion on the future of accreditation and Quality and how we are helping build workforce capabilities to take on the challenges healthcare faces today and what advances are on the horizon for the future. Register for all the valuable daily sessions and explore free resources to help your team celebrate at NAHQ.org/HQW Joint Commission and NAHQ formed a strategic alliance in 2024. Thank you to NAHQ for convening leaders in the industry on these important topics. #HQW26 #healthcarequalityweek

Pharmacy is an indispensable part of healthcare. Safe, high-quality care depends on getting the details right, and few details are more important than those related to the medications patients rely on every day. Joint Commission's Robert Campbell, PharmD, BCSCP, pharmacist and Vice President, Accreditation/Certification Program Development and Accreditation Management, knows this from firsthand experience. In his role with Joint Commission, Robert brings the attention to detail, clinical judgement, and commitment to patient safety of a pharmacist as he leads and provides executive oversight for the development, interpretation, and education of Joint Commission standards across all of our accreditation and certification programs. In honor of National Pharmacy Week, Robert shares a message for pharmacy professionals. To everyone in the pharmacy profession — thank you for all you do to ensure patients receive safe, high-quality, and effective care. #PharmacyWeek

Sterile processing – sterilizing, disinfecting, and preparing medical devices, instruments, and equipment before healthcare procedures – is essential to safe, high-quality patient care. This week is Sterile Processing Week, and we’re shining a light on this important work. Steven Belton, Medical Supply Technician at George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, shares what inspires and motivates him in his work. Thank you to Steven and the thousands of the other sterile processing professionals who are working diligently behind the scenes to prevent harm, reduce risk, and protect patients.

Joint Commission Enterprise is proud to announce the appointment of Ken Grubbs DNP, MBA, RN, as chief operating officer, effective January 1, 2027. Ken will be the first nurse to serve as COO in the enterprise’s 75-year history, which underscores the essential role nurses play in shaping the future of healthcare. Nursing expertise is central to how healthcare organizations improve outcomes, lead change, and deliver high-quality care. Nurses are at the center of healthcare delivery, and our leadership should reflect that reality. A nurse by training and a healthcare operator by experience, Ken brings a unique perspective shaped by years of caring for patients, leading care teams, and overseeing complex healthcare operations. Ken began his career as an emergency department nurse in Tennessee, later going on to lead large-scale efforts in quality improvement, patient safety, regulatory compliance, accreditation readiness, and operational performance across one of the nation's largest healthcare systems. Today, he serves as Joint Commission’s chief nursing executive and oversees accreditation and certification activities for 23,000+ healthcare organizations and programs. Please join us in congratulating Ken on his new role. See the press release for more: https://lnkd.in/em9k7S4H

During Sterile Processing Week, we extend our gratitude to the professionals across the healthcare landscape who work largely behind the scenes to ensure a commitment to excellence is upheld with every instrument, every device, and every procedure. Their precision and attention to detail creates the conditions for safe, high-quality care. Ken Grubbs DNP, MBA, RN, Joint Commission’s Chief Nursing Executive & Executive Vice President of Accreditation and Certification Operations, shares more on the critical work these professionals are dedicated to every day to support patients and healthcare teams:

Joint Commission’s new Commitment to Healthy and Enticing Food™ (CHEF™) Recognition Program recognizes healthcare organizations that make healthy, enticing, and clinically appropriate food part of how they deliver care. A new on-demand webinar is now available, covering eligibility, the three recognition tiers, and the evidence organizations submit at each tier. Register today to learn what recognition involves — and earn 1.0 free CE credit. CHEF Recognition webinar 🔗 https://lnkd.in/efhxxdVT

Supporting safe, high-quality care means looking beyond the walls of a healthcare facility. For patients continuing their care at home, access to dependable equipment and services is an important part of that journey. New federal regulation has changed DMEPOS accreditation by requiring annual onsite surveys for suppliers maintaining or pursuing Medicare enrollment. As a result, Joint Commission’s DMEPOS Accreditation Program is transitioning to a standalone program. Our new on-demand webinar walks through key program changes, survey requirements, data migration and steps organizations can take to prepare. Watch on demand: https://lnkd.in/eeDnKxKp