Preparations will continue as planned, but the Consolidated Accreditation and Licensure Survey (CALS), originally scheduled for this summer, has been postponed until January or February 1998, announced Malinda Mitchell, interim CEO of SHS.

Mitchell said SHS requested the extension of the regular three-year
survey because it would have occurred simultaneously with final preparations for the SHS merger with UCSF.

"Survey preparations will continue [see related articles this issue], and it's important for the medical staff and employees to understand that the three organizations that conduct the licensure survey look for consistency and expect us to build and track relevant systems a year or more in advance of their five-day visit," Mitchell said.

Mitchell told members of the medical staff and SHS managers on April 24 that CALS had informed the hospital of the postponement a day earlier.

In a related development, Mitchell said that the CALS' survey of clinical laboratory activities in April was completed succcessfully with no significant recommendations for improvements.

The CALS team consists of the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the California Department of Health Services (DHS) and the California Medical Association (CMA).

The teams evaluate SHS compliance with state laws and regulations, as well as against comprehensive standards for organizational performance and patient care.

CMA physicians look for compliance with JCAHO medical staff and performance improvement standards, as well as for compliance with state licensing regulations.