OHA - The Ohio Hospital Association

CSR FAQs

  1. What is "Continuous Service Readiness™"?

    2. Continuous Service Readiness™ (CSR) is a subscription program between the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) and the Joint Commission Resources (JCR), a subsidiary of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The program was created to provide dedicated direction and support to assist health care organizations to meet JCAHO accreditation expectations. If your hospital is doing the right things and doing them well, in theory, you should be ready for an accreditation survey. Translating theory into effective practice doesn’t happen without planning. The CSR program assists hospitals to plan, achieve, and maintain a state of readiness for survey during their three-year cycle by customizing a package of services.

  2. What are the benefits of belonging to the OHA/JCR CSR program?

    3. The CSR program provides consistent, timely accreditation preparation assistance and support tailored to CSR participating hospitals and their specific needs through the dedicated representative. Included are:

    • Consulting visits custom-tailored to meet hospitals’ identified needs.
    • Document review and policy evaluation to provide participating hospitals with rapid response to policy development processes.
    • Education programs and workshops.
    • Informal and formal mock surveys.
    • Discount of JCR publications.
    • Discount on JCR services.
  1. Who are the CSR representatives?

    2. The representatives are employees of the Joint Commission Resources who possess the skills and experience to assist in education and consulting related to the individual program standards. They are professional nurses and/or administrators, who are also surveyors for JCAHO.

  2. What is included in the quarterly consulting visit?

    3. Quarterly consulting visits may include the review of the organization’s self assessments, mock survey activities, document and policy reviews, educational presentations, assistance with post survey follow up, consultation on performance improvement, and development of a plan for achieving and maintaining accreditation.

    These visits will be carried out between the representative, the provider liaison and other staff of the participating hospital. The frequency of visits and length of each visit will be based on the needs of the participating hospital and will be scheduled in advance between the representative in concert with the participating hospital.

  3. How much information about our organization is communicated to the survey team and JCAHO central office?

    4. Communication regarding compliance issues does not occur between the regional representatives and JCAHO. However, the regional representative will contact JCAHO on behalf of the hospital to obtain clarification on such issues as survey dates, standard clarification, etc.

  4. The contract allows for three (3) consulting hours per quarter. How can additional hours be obtained?

    5. Additional hours of consulting can be purchased through Joint Commission Resources at a discounted rate.

  5. What is a dedicated surveyor cadre?

    6. The dedicated surveyor cadre is a specifically identified group of surveyors who will serve as a pool from which CSR surveyors will be normally drawn.

  6. Are there JCAHO books and publications included in the membership service?

    7. No. Publications and books for JCAHO are available at discounts. CSR participants are provided with self-assessments and resource materials related to the various chapters and standards from time to time.

  7. What type of educational programs are offered?

    8. There are two all-day seminars held each year in addition to an annual update. The educational programs provide participants up-to-date information relevant to JCAHO standards and survey process.

  8. Will the CSR representative be with us during the survey?

    9. No. The CSR representative is not permitted to be in attendance during the survey. The representative is available via phone, e-mail, etc. to assist the hospital as needed.

  9. Is there a mock survey included in the contract?

    10. A 6- to 8-hour mock survey can be scheduled using the allotted "banked" hours of the contract or by purchasing additional hours.

  10. Does the CSR representative assist in reviewing a written progress report (WPR) and other questions related to the survey?

    11. Yes. This is often done via telephone or fax communication rather than using onsite hours from the contracted allotment.

  11. Can a hospital join at any time or is there a specific sign-up time in relationship to survey date?

    A hospital can join at any time. Depending on the months prior to survey, consulting activities begin accordingly to work with the hospital on a time line for survey preparation.

Note: The preceding terms are in effect with current contracts, which expire Dec. 31, 2003.

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© 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated January 03, 2008.
Please direct comments, corrections or additions to: oha@ohanet.org 614.221.7614.