Chapter 4 Safety and Infection Control 109 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. • The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid is also part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to strengthen and modernize America’s healthcare system. • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts and supports health promotion, disease prevention, and preparedness activities in the United States with the goal of improving overall public health. The CDC tracks disease throughout the United States and sponsors a great deal of research on disease control and prevention (Figure 4.10). • The Joint Commission (TJC) is a healthcare accrediting agency. A nonprofi t agency, the TJC accredits more than 20,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. The TJC publishes national patient safety goals for hospitals, home care, laboratory services, long-term care, offi ce- based surgery, and others. TJC focuses on workers correctly using medicines carefully identifying patients and preventing infections, falls, and bedsores. The TJC also presents safety goals for improving staff communication, identifying patient safety risks, and preventing surgical errors. TJC does not share all of its fi ndings with the public. However, it does share the accreditation decision, the date that accreditation was awarded, and any standards that were cited for improvement. An organization must be in compliance with all, or most, of the standards to become accredited. • The Institute of Medicine (IOM), an independent organization, focuses on the following guidelines for healthcare delivery: safety, timeliness, effectiveness, effi ciency, equitable care, and patient- centered care. The IOM believes that people should not be harmed by healthcare intended to help them. Care should be scientifi cally sound, and it should be designed around individual preferences, needs, and values. The number of necessary waits and delays should be reduced, and care should not be wasteful or vary in quality because of patient diversity. The IOM stresses transparency in reporting safety issues. • The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the lead federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of America’s healthcare system. AHRQ develops the knowledge, tools, and data needed to improve the healthcare system and help American citizens, healthcare professionals, and policymakers make informed health decisions. AHRQ works with Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies and other partners to achieve the goals of better care, smarter spending of healthcare dollars, and healthier people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Figure 4.10 The CDC conducts research to help prevent and control the spread of diseases. This CDC scientist is placing biological specimens in liquid nitrogen for storage.