HUMC Awarded Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval™ in Two Care Programs
By Mel Fabrikant Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 03:41 PM EST
Hackensack University Medical Center’s (HUMC) Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Depression Program, have each earned The Gold Seal of Approval™ for healthcare quality. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) awarded HUMC Disease-Specific Care Certification for its Behavioral Health Service line for Depression, and the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program’s Quality Management and Operations Committee (QMOC).
The Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Program at the John Theurer Cancer Center at HUMC is the first of its kind in the United States to receive Disease Specific Care Certification from The Joint Commission.
“This designation is more than a plaque on the wall,” said Andrew L. Pecora, M.D., chairman and executive administrative director of the John Theurer Cancer Center at HUMC. “It attests to the high level of expertise offered by our Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Program’s chief, Dr. Scott Rowley, by his associate, Dr. Michele Donato, and by the entire transplantation team.”
To earn this distinction, a disease management program undergoes an extensive on-site evaluation review by a team of Joint Commission reviewers once every two years. The program is evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of a program’s processes, the program’s ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.
“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,” says Darlene Christiansen, executive director, Hospital Accreditation Program, the Joint Commission. “The community should be proud that Hackensack University Medical Center is focusing on the most challenging goal — to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels.”
“We sought accreditation for Hackensack University Medical Center because we want to demonstrate our commitment to our patients’ safety and quality care,” says John P. Ferguson, president and chief executive officer of HUMC. “We view obtaining Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ in Depression and Blood and Marrow Transplantation as a remarkable distinction, and testament to the kind of superior quality care we offer our patients.”
The Joint Commission launched its Disease-Specific Care Certification program in 2002. It is the first program of its kind in the country to certify disease management programs. A list of Joint Commission-certified programs is available at www.jcaho.org.
Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission 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. 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.
About Hackensack University Medical Center
HealthGrades® named HUMC as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2007 and 2008. This designation recognizes hospitals that have demonstrated superior clinical quality over a seven-year time period, based upon an analysis of more than 75 million Medicare patient records from 1999-2006. These hospitals have achieved better survival rates and lower complication rates across dozens of medical procedures and diagnoses, from cardiac care to orthopedic surgery, consistently ranking among the top five percent in the nation for overall clinical outcomes. HUMC is the only healthcare facility in New Jersey, New York, and New England to be named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals, for two years in a row.
The Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Program at the John Theurer Cancer Center at HUMC is the first of its kind in the United States to receive Disease Specific Care Certification from The Joint Commission.
“This designation is more than a plaque on the wall,” said Andrew L. Pecora, M.D., chairman and executive administrative director of the John Theurer Cancer Center at HUMC. “It attests to the high level of expertise offered by our Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Program’s chief, Dr. Scott Rowley, by his associate, Dr. Michele Donato, and by the entire transplantation team.”
To earn this distinction, a disease management program undergoes an extensive on-site evaluation review by a team of Joint Commission reviewers once every two years. The program is evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of a program’s processes, the program’s ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.
“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,” says Darlene Christiansen, executive director, Hospital Accreditation Program, the Joint Commission. “The community should be proud that Hackensack University Medical Center is focusing on the most challenging goal — to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels.”
“We sought accreditation for Hackensack University Medical Center because we want to demonstrate our commitment to our patients’ safety and quality care,” says John P. Ferguson, president and chief executive officer of HUMC. “We view obtaining Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ in Depression and Blood and Marrow Transplantation as a remarkable distinction, and testament to the kind of superior quality care we offer our patients.”
The Joint Commission launched its Disease-Specific Care Certification program in 2002. It is the first program of its kind in the country to certify disease management programs. A list of Joint Commission-certified programs is available at www.jcaho.org.
Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission 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. 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.
About Hackensack University Medical Center
HealthGrades® named HUMC as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2007 and 2008. This designation recognizes hospitals that have demonstrated superior clinical quality over a seven-year time period, based upon an analysis of more than 75 million Medicare patient records from 1999-2006. These hospitals have achieved better survival rates and lower complication rates across dozens of medical procedures and diagnoses, from cardiac care to orthopedic surgery, consistently ranking among the top five percent in the nation for overall clinical outcomes. HUMC is the only healthcare facility in New Jersey, New York, and New England to be named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals, for two years in a row.
