This issue finds those of us in healthcare systems still looking for answers about how exactly the government intends to implement the sweeping healthcare reform package passed earlier in the year, and what the practical impact will be on our work lives as nurse managers and executives.
The continuing education feature for this issue explores the legislation that revoked the Joint Commission's deemed status as a Medicare accrediting agency and that required the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to reapply for this status. The article is illustrative of some of the challenges to healthcare organizations posed by political maneuvering of elected officials. Given the scrutiny now focused on agencies such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and that agency's Office of Civil Rights, and the assertions of its lax enforcement of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's Privacy Rule, it would seem that healthcare systems can expect greater focus on enforcement over the coming years. Understanding the portions of the health reform bill known as the Hi-Tech act, along with its requirements for notification of breaches of patient confidentiality, is imperative for systems wishing to avoid potentially significant penalties as well as negative media coverage.
Our second article reflects on another hot topic, transparency in research, and how transparency can influence perceptions about medical research. Although there have not been public allegations of conflicts of interest by nurse researchers with respect to industry payments, it is important for nurse managers and executives who perform research to be aware of the ethical, professional, and legal implications of this issue.
Lastly, we are reprinting an important article from another LWW publication that provides a great review of employment status and fair labor standards issues. Nurse managers and executives need to be well versed in these issues to be prepared to deal with the myriad of personnel issues that arise in today's healthcare system. This article nicely sums up some important concepts integral to these issues.
As always, your comments and input would be appreciated. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] with your feedback.