Audits & Review of the Joint Commission’s requirements for the “physical environment”

SMS, Inc. conducts Audits and Reviews of client programs relative to accreditation and deemed status for hundreds of clients. Focusing on all aspects of the Physical Environment (PE), our highly experienced staff perform a comprehensive analysis of organizations programs of the Environment of Care (EC) standards: Safety, Security, Hazardous Materials and Wastes, Fire Safety, Medical Equipment Management, Utilities Systems, Emergency Management (EM), and Life Safety (LS). Our unique ability to assess and educate simultaneously allows us to provide clients with the highest level of service and the greatest level of customer satisfaction in the industry.

Organizations that undergo the scrutiny of our Audits & Reviews are far more comfortable and prepared during their regulatory surveys and receive dramatically improved survey outcomes. Our consultants do not merely identify deficiencies, but also work with clients to find practical and achievable solutions to their identified issues.

SMS, Inc. specializes in reviewing the program documentation required for compliance with The Joint Commission’s standards for the Physical Environment (PE). Reorganized in 2009, these standards include the chapters for the Environment of Care (EC), Emergency Management (EM) and Life Safety (LS). SMS, Inc.’s highly experienced technical staff systematically evaluates all components of these program areas, including Management Plans, policies, and procedures and tools. Our technical experts will interview your key personnel or content experts and mentor them to develop successful program management. Our technical staff can teach and train your staff utilizing survey-proven methods for the best arrangement and presentation of the organization’s programs to the surveyor.

Upon completion of an audit and review, the consultant will provide a comprehensive report of the status of your programs, including a scorecard of compliance that can be utilized for corrective action(s). In addition to this snapshot of compliance, the consultant will make specific recommendations of how the organization might improve programs and accreditation scores. We recommend that the audit take place at least 12 months prior to the survey to allow sufficient time to fine tune programs and prepare for the survey.