By demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization’s (JCAHO) national standards for healthcare quality and safety, Penobscot Bay Medical Center (PBMC) has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval. The award of accreditation is for a three-year period.
“We sought accreditation for our organization because we want to demonstrate our commitment to patients’ safety and quality care,” said Dana Goldsmith, MD, Vice President, Medical Affairs, PBMC. “We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward achieving excellence.”
“Above all, the national standards are intended to stimulate continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvement in an organization’s performance and the outcomes of care,” said Kurt Patton, Executive Director, Hospital Accreditation Program, Joint Commission. “The community should be proud that Penobscot Bay Medical Center is focusing on the most challenging goal—to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels.”
“The rigorous, demanding, three day JCAHO accreditation process was conducted by a physician and a team of nurses. They reviewed clinical data, quality assurance processes and evaluated overall patient care,” said Roy Hitchings, President and CEO, Pen Bay Healthcare. “The team also spoke with PBMC clinical staff. At the end of the process, JCAHO concluded that PBMC is a very fine community hospital and the organization awarded PBMC a complete, three year full accreditation.”
Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of healthcare accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in healthcare organizations.
The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 healthcare organizations, and programs in the United States, including more than 7,800 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 7,300 other healthcare organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral healthcare, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks and other managed care entities. In addition, the Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs and primary stroke centers. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare.