The Joint Commission and JCR Host 17th Annual Ambulatory Care Conference

OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwire - Aug 29, 2012) -  Ambulatory health care leaders will gather this November 8-9, 2012, for the 17^th Annual Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources (JCR) Ambulatory Care Conference to discover new ways of demonstrating quality of care to payers, regulatory agencies, and managed care organizations. Held at the DoubleTree Chicago Oak Brook in Oak Brook, Ill., the conference will focus on innovative strategies to foster safer patient care and improved patient outcomes.

The 2012 Ambulatory Care Conference, "Challenges and Changes: Real World Solutions," will feature in-depth presentations from Joint Commission leaders and surveyors on standards compliance, accreditation process updates, and effective performance improvement. Over the course of the conference, ambulatory health care leaders will be provided with the knowledge and skills to:

• Understand The Joint Commission's 2013 accreditation requirements, processes and National Patient Safety Goals that are necessary to ensure compliance in their organizations;
• Use the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare's latest performance improvement tools;
• Audit their organization's credentialing and privileging files for completeness;
• Identify and minimize infection control risks related to reprocessing medical equipment, devices, and supplies; and
• Address the unique physical environment of ambulatory settings for better compliance with The Joint Commission's Environment of Care and Life Safety standards.

The 2012 Ambulatory Care Conference is designed for individuals who provide care across all types of ambulatory health care settings. Individual registration for the conference is $649, with the option of a discounted price of $619 per person for registration and payment 30 days prior to the conference with the use of the promotional code "EB." Teams of three or more from the same organization pay a discounted price of $595 per registrant.

A preconference session will be offered on November 7, 2012, discussing The Joint Commission's new Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) certification option for ambulatory care organizations. The Ambulatory Care Preconference will offer information on PCMH certification requirements, what to expect during an on-site survey, how PCMH certification relates to other accreditation activities, available PCMH resources, and how to get started on becoming certified. The preconference is designed for ambulatory care professionals seeking the latest information about the Joint Commission's PCMH certification option and its benefits. Individual registration for the preconference is $425. Individuals pay a discounted price of $349 per person for the preconference when registration and payment are received 30 days prior to the event with the use of the promotional code "EB."

To register for the conference and preconference, please call JCR Customer Service at (877) 223-6866. For additional details, conference agendas or to register online, visit http://www.jcrinc.com/Conferences-and-Seminars/Ambulatory-Care-Conference/5027/ for the conference and http://www.jcrinc.com/Conferences-and-Seminars/Primary-Care-Medical-Home-Pre-Conference/5024/ for the preconference.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 10,300 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,500 other health care organizations that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission currently certifies more than 2,000 disease-specific care programs, focused on the care of patients with chronic illnesses such as stroke, joint replacement, stroke rehabilitation, heart failure and many others. The Joint Commission also provides health care staffing services certification for more than 750 staffing offices. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

Joint Commission Resources (JCR), a not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission, is the official publisher and educator of The Joint Commission. JCR is an expert resource for health care organizations, providing consulting services, educational services and publications to assist in improving quality and safety and to help in meeting the accreditation standards of The Joint Commission. JCR provides consulting services independently from The Joint Commission and in a fully confidential manner. Please visit our Web site at www.jcrinc.com.

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