Look Forward To Change

  • 12/12/2008
  • Author: Janet Pimentel
  • Category: The Source Blog
  • 29583 Views
  • 7 Comments
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My godfather often joins me for coffee and shares pearls of wisdom in a calm, raspy voice kind of like Don Corleone. (The Godfather is my favorite movie, by the way!) The best advice I've received from him lately is that change isn't a bad thing. It's an opportunity for growth, to try something different, to see routine things through a new perspective.

Right after that late-summer conversation, I took over as the new editor for The Joint Commission: The Source Newsletter beginning with the January 2009 issue. Part of my new assignment was to find ways to improve an already good product. (Change again!)

I kept an open mind and embraced change. My thoughts always came back to one thing ― the health care professionals working at accredited organizations and what they really want.

You want more direction about Joint Commission accreditation and certification compliance. You have tight schedules, so you need straightforward information that you can read quickly. And, most of all, I want to give you something different to look forward to each month.

You should be receiving the January issue soon, and I hope you’ll like what you’ll see. Right away you'll notice bolder headlines and more pictures as part of the new design.

You'll find more articles with more "how-to" suggestions from Joint Commission experts and Joint Commission Resources consultants. The articles have a conversational tone and bulleted lists for an easier-to-read format. You'll also find stand-alone charticles illustrating interesting health care facts at a glance.

Since tracers are an integral part of the on-site survey process, it made sense to make sure The Source has a monthly article to help readers understand more about them. The various types of individual tracers, system tracers, and program-specific tracers will all eventually be discussed, along with sample questions. This article also will periodically offer tips on how to train staff about tracers.

You can also look forward to monthly tips on how to use The Joint Commission's new electronic accreditation manual called E-dition. You can expect more free tools to help you and your organization. And don't be surprised to see a cartoon each month offering a lighter perspective on health care issues.

But I can't give too many details away here. Otherwise you won't take a peek yourself.

What topics or issues would you like to see addressed in The Source? Send me your suggestions. I'm looking forward to working on the newsletter and thinking of new things to keep your attention.

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User Comments


On 3/3/2009 Janet Pimentel, Executive Editor said:

Suggestions are always welcome, Richard! Thanks!



On 3/3/2009 Richard Fields said:

Thanks for the tip on the "enhanced search function'. I think it would still be useful to have a more specific index for the valuable articles in The Source. Both EC News and Perspectives have a dedicated index. If you have a suggestion box, please add this request for such an index for the Source. Thanks again.



On 2/2/2009 Janet Pimentel, Executive Editor said:

Thanks for the compliments. As for the indexes, good question. We no longer maintain an index of article content for "The Joint Commission: The Source" on our Web site. Instead, check out the enhanced search function available through our online distribution partner.



On 1/31/2009 Richard Fields said:

I also like the recent refinements of The Source. The articles are becoming even more useful. However, this raises a question about a valuable old feature. Is there still an index of articles for this publication that will allow us to search for past articles by topic? Thanks for what you are doing and any consideration you can give this inquiry. RF



On 12/29/2008 Maryann Cochrane said:

LOOKING GOOD



On 12/29/2008 Pat Winstead said:

I am very excited about the new changes. It sounds like you are the perfect pick for this position.I am especially interested in the tracer process and evidence-based tools. Looking forward to January edition.



On 12/12/2008 Kelly Moore said:

Great to see a blog for this!



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