What can happen if a facility violates National Patient Safety Goals or loses accreditation?

• A. Facility can receive a violation and/or lose accreditation through the Joint Commission.
• B. Nothing happens
• C. Only fines from state
• D. Facility will be closed permanently

Answer: (A)

National Patient Safety Goals are safety standards used by the Joint Commission to assess how well a facility protects patients. When a facility violates these goals or loses accreditation, the Joint Commission can issue deficiencies and require a corrective action plan. If problems aren’t corrected or are severe, accreditation can be withdrawn, meaning the facility is no longer accredited. This loss of accreditation often affects eligibility for Medicare/Medicaid funding and can lead to further sanctions. So the best outcome to describe is that a facility can receive a violation and/or lose accreditation through the Joint Commission. The other choices aren’t accurate: violations do trigger action, fines from the state aren’t the sole or guaranteed response, and permanent closure isn’t automatic.