Transplant center certification program in development

AORN Journal, Sept, 2005

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is developing a certification program for organ transplantation centers, according to an Aug 9, 2005, news release from JCAHO. The need to strengthen quality for organ transplantation centers has grown as the number of people receiving transplants has increased; 27, 035 people underwent organ transplantations in 2004, compared to 12,619 in 1988. An estimated 88,000 people currently are awaiting transplants.

The new certification program is a result of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS') intent to establish quality standards for transplantation centers that seek to participate in the Medicare program. The new requirements address heart, lung, intestine, kidney, Liver, and pancreas transplantation programs. The CNS requirements will apply to the approximately 700 Medicare-approved organ transplantation centers currently functioning in 257 transplantation hospitals.

The certification program for organ transplantation centers will offer an independent, comprehensive evaluation of an organization's organ transplantation programs. Certification will involve presurvey information gathering, an onsite evaluation of compliance with standards and clinical guidelines, and regular monitoring of performance measurement results. The program specifically will address

* Medicare provider agreements and participation in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network;

* organ procurement, recovery, and receipt;

* organization Leadership;

* selection of patients and living donors, as well as managing care and respecting patient and donor rights;

* coordination of care, including preoperative and postoperative surgical processes;

* qualifications of caregivers;

* staff competency and training;

* information management;

* standardized performance measurement and data submission; and

* performance assessment and improvement.

The new certification program will be launched in 2006.

Joint Commission to Develop Organ Transplant Center Certification Program, (news release, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, Aug 9, 2005) http://www.jcaho.org /news room/news release archives/jc_080905.htm (accessed 10 Aug 2005).