Credentialing, medication storage and infection control were the 3 biggest challenges for ASCs in the first half of 2013, according to a new Joint Commission report listing the top 5 areas of non-compliance associated with various types of providers.

Half of all surgery centers are out of compliance with credentialing requirements, says the report. (Here are a few tips to help take the tedium out of credentialing.)

Medication storage and infection control followed. When it came to safely storing medications, 38% of centers fell short, while 23% failed to adequately safely manage high-alert and hazardous meds.

Hand hygiene continues to be a problem, with 37% failing to take proper precautions to reduce the risks of infections associated with equipment, devices and supplies. (Hospitals were even worse, with 47% out of compliance.) Meanwhile, 27% of surgery centers failed to adequately identify risks for acquiring and transmitting infections.

These are the Joint Commission's top 5 issues for surgery centers, along with the percentages it says were out of compliance:

• The organization grants initial, renewed, or revised clinical privileges to individuals who are permitted by law and the organization to practice independently — 50%.
• The organization safely stores medication — 38%
• The organization reduces the risk of infections associated with medical equipment, devices and supplies — 37%
• The organization identifies risks for acquiring and transmitting infections — 28%
• The organization safely manages high-alert and hazardous medications — 23%

Jim Burger