Profession
JCAHO issues alert on fake surveyors
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 24, 2006
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations recently alerted accredited facilities that imposters tried to gain access to two hospitals in California.
In March, a fake surveyor flashed what looked like a JCAHO identification badge.
In a separate March incident, impostors attempted to take pictures with cell phones and gain access to the pharmacies.
In the second incident, when hospital staff asked the imposters to wait while they verified their credentials, the impostors fled. Officials contacted local police and the California Office of Homeland Security.
The commission is warning accredited facilities to ask surveyors to show their JCAHO badge and a letter addressed to the head of the organization signed by Russell Massaro, MD, executive vice president of JCAHO's accreditation operations. Anyone who encounters a possible fake should contact Joe Cappiello, vice president of accreditation field operations, at 630-792-5757.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/04/24/prbf0424.htm.
