In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about medical gas system deficiencies.
Q: Are the medical gas system, the vacuum system and the medical air system all considered to be life safety issues that should be added to the Statements of Condition, or can I simply write an assessment and run that through my normal process of solving the problem and then report it to my safety committee?
A: As far as I can tell, it is not addressed officially by The Joint Commission. To be sure, items on the Plan for Improvement (PFI) list are reserved for LSC deficiencies. So the question is, “Are deficiencies in the medical gas system considered LSC deficiencies?” Nowhere that I can see does The Joint Commission officially address this question. And when there is no official position provided, you will likely receive conflicting answers from various representatives of The Joint Commission.
What Does Light Daily Cleaning Miss in Patient Rooms?
Smart Lighting Overhaul Boosts Efficiency, Diagnostics and Wellness at Bryan Health
AdventHealth Opens New Freestanding ER in Florida
Dirty Floors: How Pathogens Can Accumulate and Spread Underfoot
WellSpan Health Opens Its Newberry Hospital in Pennsylvania