Corridor clutter stings, but 96-hour prep impresses

Editor’s note: This survey occurred in two segments in February and March at Midland (TX) Memorial Hospital, a 320-bed acute care facility.

A growing number of hospitals have reported that the life safety specialists are coming later than the main survey team—sometimes two or three weeks after. The Joint Commission has confirmed this scheduling problem occurs in some cases.

That can make a survey feel like double jeopardy and force staff members to gear up for two unannounced surveys for the price of one. But for Deric Hebert, CHFM, director of facility services at Midland Memorial Hospital, having the life safety surveyor come about three weeks later was a godsend.