West Shore Medical Center today announced it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.
“We are pleased to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation,” said Darrell Lavender, West Shore's Vice President of Performance Improvement. “Staff from across the organization have worked diligently to achieve this goal and continue to work together to implement approaches that improve care for the patients in our community.”
West Shore Medical Center underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite survey in October. During the review, a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated compliance with hospital standards related to several areas, including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management. Surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
"Joint Commission accreditation demonstrates to the public that we are committed to continuous improvement and delivering safe, high quality care to our patients," added Lavender. "It also enhances access to health care by allowing West Shore to become a network provider for additional insurance carriers."
The Joint Commission has accredited hospitals for more than 60 years. More than 4,000 hospitals currently maintain accreditation from The Joint Commission, awarded for a three-year period.
“Joint Commission accreditation provides hospitals with the processes needed to improve in a variety of areas, from the enhancement of staff education to the improvement of daily business operations,” said Mark G. Pelletier, MS, RN, Chief Operating Officer, Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. “In addition, our accreditation helps hospitals enhance their risk management and risk reduction strategies. We commend West Shore Medical Center for its efforts to become a quality improvement organization.”
The Joint Commission’s hospital standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help hospitals measure, assess and improve performance.