Nursing care centers: Joint Commission releases new and revised emergency management standards

The Joint Commission has significantly revised the Emergency Management (EM) chapter for accredited nursing care centers. Effective January 1, 2025, these revisions aim to help healthcare organizations develop more comprehensive EM programs and better prepare for the health, safety and security needs of their facilities, staff, patients, residents and communities during emergencies or disasters. Notably, the revised EM chapter has reduced the number of performance elements for nursing care centers by more than 28 percent.

The updated EM requirements focus on assessment, leadership involvement and staff education and training. The project’s program-specific R³ Report explains the reasons behind the requirements and includes references to the research articles and reports used to develop them. The new and revised requirements were created based on customer feedback, public field review, expert guidance from a standards review panel and an internal Joint Commission EM workgroup, all influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Joint Commission, the updated requirements will be included in the fall 2024 E-dition® update to the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Nursing Care Centers.

Norton Rose Fulbright lawyers and professionals will continue to follow updates from The Joint Commission.