JCAHO - Alliance Annual Report - September 22, 2009

ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and
The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources (JCR)
September 22, 2009

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    July 27, 2004

    Dates Renewed

    November 8, 2006
    January 14, 2009

    Overview

    The OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance focuses on providing health care workers and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources to help them protect employees’ health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to biological and airborne hazards in health care and addressing emergency preparedness, ergonomics, and workplace violence issues.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:

    Patricia Bray
    Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management (DTSEM)
    Tina Jones
    DTSEM
    Sandra Khan
    Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs
    Dionne Williams
    Directorate of Enforcement Programs

    JCR:

    Cathy Hinckley
    Executive Director, Publications
    Nancy Kuzmich
    Program Manager Department of Education
    Leslie J. LaBelle
    Associate Director, National Conferences
    Gina LaMantia
    Program Manager, Department of Education
    Charles MacFarlane*
    Vice-President, Learning
    Kristine Miller
    Senior Editor, Publications
    Pam Steinbach
    Executive Director of Education

    *Charles MacFarlane served on the OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance Implementation Team until June 30, 2009.

    Evaluation Period

    July 27, 2008 – July 26, 2009

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    August 18, 2008
    Implementation Team Meeting
    October 27, 2008
    Environment of Care® News Conference Call
    December 16, 2008
    Environment of Care® News Conference Call
    January 22, 2009
    2009 Emergency Preparedness Conference Meeting
    March 24, 2009
    Implementation Team Meeting
    April 15, 2009
    Implementation Team Meeting
    June 16, 2009
    Environment of Care® News Conference Call
    July 21, 2009
    Environment of Care® News Conference Call

    In addition to these formal meetings, the Alliance Implementation Team members from both groups maintained regular contact throughout the reporting period to monitor the Alliance’s progress and results.

  3. Results

    1. Events and Products

      Training and Education

      • Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop training and education programs targeted to health care workers on topics including emergency preparedness, biological and airborne hazards, ergonomics and workplace violence.

      Outreach and Communication

      • Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA’s and The Joint Commission/JCR’s Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.

      Products

      OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance Web page

      The OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site continues to be updated on a regular basis. The page includes links to the Alliance agreement and related documents, as well as information on activities, events, and milestones and successes.

      Publications and Newsletters

      Environment of Care® News

      Through the Alliance, OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR are jointly writing an "OSHA & Worker Safety" column in the JCR newsletter, Environment of Care® News, about health care worker safety and health. The March 2008 edition included the article, "OSHA’s Perspective on MRSA: Preventing Transmission to Health Care Workers" co-authored by Elise Handelman, Director, Office of Occupational Health Nursing (OOHN), DTSEM, USDOL-OSHA. The May 2009 edition included the article, "OSHA’s Role in Disaster Response and Recovery" co-authored by John Ferris, Director, Office of Emergency Management (OEM), DTSEM, USDOL-OSHA and Tina Jones, Director, Office of Science and Technology Assessment (OSTA), DTSEM, USDOL-OSHA and the July 2009 edition included the article, "Health Care Related Illnesses and Recordkeeping" co-authored by Patricia Bray, Medical Officer, Office of Occupational Medicine (OOM), DTSEM, USDOL-OSHA. In addition, Patricia Bray serves on the Environment of Care® News’ editorial board.

      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or The Joint Commission/JCR conferences, local meetings, or other jointly sponsored events.

      Events

      Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference: Preparing for the Unknown: "Are You Ready?" April 14-15, 2009, Washington, D.C.

      Through the OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance, John Ferris, Director, OEM, DTSEM, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation, "Introduction of New OSHA Office of Emergency Management for Protecting Employees Responding to Disasters," during the Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference held in Washington, D.C. The conference examined the threat of pandemic flu and natural disasters and discussed effective planning strategies and available tools and techniques to maintain preparedness and readiness in health care facilities. More than 350 emergency management and health care employers and employees attended the conference. In addition, OSHA representatives staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth and distributed OSHA Safety and Health publications to conference attendees.

      2008 Annual Infection Control Conference: Channeling Infection Control Practices into Sustainable Solutions, September 18-19, 2008, Chicago, Illinois

      Through the OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance, Patricia Bray, Medical Officer, OOM, DTSEM, OSDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation, "OSHA Guidelines for Infection Control in 2008 for the Health Care Worker."

      • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding The Joint Commission/JCR best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by The Joint Commission/JCR and through OSHA or The Joint Commission/JCR developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).

      Events

      Healthcare and Security: Preventing Criminal Events Audio Conference, May 29, 2009

      Through the OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance, Elise Handelman, Director, OOHN, DTSEM, USDOL-OSHA, Kathleen McPhaul, PhD, MPH, RN, Assistant Professor, Work and Health Research Center, University of Maryland School of Nursing, and Merlin Wessels, Associate Director, Standards Interpretation Group, The Joint Commission, participated in the audio conference about workplace violence and hospital settings that are at high risk for violence.

      • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects related to health care worker safety that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program

        During the reporting period, the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Implementation Team have not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.

      • Promote and encourage participation in OSHA’s cooperative programs such as compliance assistance and the Voluntary Protection Programs when The Joint Commission/JCR representatives work with healthcare institutions.

        During the reporting period, the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Implementation Team have not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.

      The OSHA and ILMA Alliance Implementation Team have not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.

      Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health

      • Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on health care worker safety related issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

      Products

      Federal Tuberculosis Taskforce

      Patty Bray, Medical Officer, OOM, DTSEM, USDOL-OSHA serves on the Federal Tuberculosis Taskforce and provides information and recommendations from the Taskforce to The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance Implementation Team members.

    2. Executive Summary

      During the 2008-2009 reporting period, the OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR signed an Alliance renewal agreement for an additional two years. The organizations will continue to work together to update and develop new resources related to reducing and preventing exposure to biological and airborne hazards in healthcare and addressing emergency preparedness issues. This positive relationship has led to the development of the many projects that the team is currently working on or has produced. For example:

      • OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Web page on the Agency Web site provides links to the Alliance agreement, related documents, activities and events, and milestones and successes.

      • A representative from The Joint Commission/JCR attended a meeting in Chicago, Illinois to discuss the content for the OSHA Training Program Course for Health Care Employees.

      • On September 18, 2008, Patricia Bray, Medical Officer, OOM, DTSEM, USDOL-OSHA gave a presentation, "OSHA Guidelines for Infection Control in 2008 for the Health Care Worker," during the Annual Infection Control Conference: Channeling Infection Control Practices into Sustainable Solutions, in Chicago, Illinois.

      • On April 15, 2009, John Ferris, Director, OEM, DTSEM, USDOL-OSHA gave a presentation, "Introduction of New OSHA Office of Emergency Management for Protecting Employees Responding to Disasters," during the Annual Emergency Management Conference in Washington, D.C. In addition, OSHA representatives staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth and distributed Agency compliance assistance publications during the conference.

      • On May 29, 2009, Elise Handelman, Director, OOHN, DTSEM, USDOL-OSHA and Kathleen McPhaul, PhD, MPH, RN, Assistant Professor, Work and Health Research Center, University of Maryland School of Nursing, and Merlin Wessels, Associate Director, Standards Interpretation Group, The Joint Commission, participated in the audio conference about workplace violence and hospital settings that are at high risk for violence.

      • OSHA representatives staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth and distributed OSHA safety and health publications during the Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference: "Practical Applications for Health Disaster Preparedness" April 8-9, 2008, Alexandria, Virginia.

      • Patricia Bray is serving on the editorial board of the JCR publication, Environment of Care® News. In addition, OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR are jointly writing an "OSHA & Worker Safety" standing column for the quarterly newsletter.

      • A representative from The Joint Commission/JCR is serving on the editorial board of the OSHA Hospital eTool.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site 3,123
      OSHA Hospital eTool 36,964
      September 18-19, 2008
      Annual Infection Control Conference: Channeling
      Infection Control Practices into Sustainable Solutions
      Chicago, Illinois      		 324
      March 2008, “OSHA’s Perspective on MRSA: Preventing Transmission to Health Care Workers”
      Environment of Care® News      		 1,324
      April 14-15, 2008
      Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference
      Washington, D.C.

      Speaker:
      John Ferris, Director, Office of Emergency Management, Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management
      Exhibit Booth      		 350
      May 2009, “OSHA’s Role in Disaster Response and Recovery”
      Environment of Care® News      		 1,324
      May 29, 2009
      Healthcare and Security: Preventing Criminal Events Audio Conference      		 1,324
      July 2009, “Health Care Related Illnesses and Recordkeeping”
      Environment of Care® News      		 1,848
      Total 46,581

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    During the upcoming year the OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance Implementation Team is planning a number of activities to provide health care workers and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources to help them protect employees’ health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to biological and airborne hazards in health care and addressing emergency preparedness issues.

    For example, the Agency is committed to maintaining and updating the OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site. The Joint Commission/JCR is also considering developing an Alliance-related Web page on the JCR Web site.

    In addition, the OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR Implementation Team is developing plans to promote the Alliance through a number of speaking and exhibiting opportunities including, the Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference, April 8-9, 2010 in Washington, D.C., the Annual Infection Control Conference, August 21-22, 2009, in Arlington, Virginia and the Annual Conference on Quality and Patient Safety: Explore, Enhance, and Energize --Leadership for the Future, in Rosemont, Illinois, The Joint Commission/JCR will also work with other Alliance Program participant’s to support and promote the 2009 Drug-Free Work Week, October 19-25, 2009.

    Further, OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR will continue to jointly write articles for the standing column, "OSHA & Worker Safety, in JCR’s quarterly publication, Environment of Care® News. The Joint Commission/JCR will also work with the Laser Institute of America, an Alliance Program participant to develop an article on laser safety. Patricia Bray will also continue to serve on the publication’s editorial board.

    Finally, OSHA and The Joint Commission/JCR will continue to work with other Alliance Program participants through serving on the editorial board of OSHA’s Hospital eTool and supporting the 2010 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week and the 2010 Drug-Free Work Week.

Report prepared by: Sandra Khan, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, September 22, 2009.