Our bronze level membership is for healthcare organizations that need outside assistance to maintain their accreditation / certification readiness, but do not desire or need on-site consulting services. This level of membership provides a well-designed package of internet-based and other multi-media support services at an extremely economical price. Services include:

Standards & Regulatory Interpretation Members are allowed unlimited access to our in-house panel of consultant experts by phone or email (preferred) to receive answers to questions / interpretation of Joint Commission standards (all manuals) and CMS Conditions of Participation for acute care hospitals. All inquiries are responded to within 48 – 72 hours with a clear and concise answer.

Notification of Changes to Standards and Regulations CIHQ monitors the Joint Commission and CMS websites daily as well as official publications by these agencies. Within 3-5 business days, CIHQ notifies member organizations via issuance of a MAC Alert of any new or modified standard / regulation. Each alert summarizes the standard / regulation, its likely impact to members, and recommends compliance strategies. Whenever possible, MAC Alerts are limited to one-page in length so that they can be quickly read and disseminated throughout member organizations. All MAC Alerts are archived in the member’s only section of our website for future access and reference.

Monthly Audio Conferences Member organizations are allowed one complimentary phone line to our monthly audio conferences. There is no limit to the number of participants that can listen in (e.g. speaker phone).The conferences are 1 – 1.5 hours in length and address key Joint Commission / CMS compliance issues. Speakers are usually CIHQ faculty but outside speakers are used occasionally depending on topic expertise. All conferences include a copy of the presentation and any associated material. The audio conference is saved as an MP-3 file, and presentations are archived in the member’s only section of our website and can be accessed by members as often as they wish.

Electronic Resource Library Member organizations are allowed unlimited access to our electronic resource library. The library holds over 250 template policies, documents, and other tools addressing Joint Commission and CMS requirements. The documents are formatted in Microsoft Word so that they can easily be downloaded and customized. The library is updated regularly with new or revised templates as requirements to Joint Commission standards and CMS regulations are developed or changed. Where appropriate, these new templates are also attached to the MAC Alerts.

Continuing Education Programs Beginning in the fall of 2007, CIHQ will offer members the opportunity to download a variety of self-study continuing education courses on Joint Commission and CMS related topics. These courses can be made available free to member employees through the member’s CEU programs.