Community Hospital again has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery (ACSS) by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.
The certification is offered in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. It helps organizations provide collaboration among all healthcare providers involved in the care of the patient – from the pre-surgical consultation to the intraoperative, hospitalization or ambulatory surgery center admission, rehabilitation activities and the follow-up visit with a surgeon.
Community Hospital underwent a rigorous onsite review. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards, including clinical information management, program management and clinical care. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewer also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
Community Hospital initially was certified as a Joint Commission Spine Surgery Program in 2015.
“Our top priority is to give our patients the best care possible,” said Randy Neiswonger, CEO of Community Hospital. “This recertification is a reflection of the commitment our multidisciplinary team has to spine care and the communities we serve in Northwest Indiana.”
To be eligible for ACSS, organizations must implement evidence-based care and clinical practice guidelines and participate in the American Spine Registry, a national quality improvement registry for spine care. Organizations also need to collect performance measurement data on surgical site infection rates, new neurological deficits, unplanned return visits to the operating room and pre-operative and post-operative patient reported outcomes.
“Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery recognizes healthcare organizations committed to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” said Ken Grubbs, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer for The Joint Commission. “We commend Community Hospital for using The Joint Commission certification process to reduce variation in clinical processes and to strengthen its clinical program to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for individuals served.”
To learn more about the nationally recognized hospitals of Powers Health – Community Hospital in Munster, St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart and Powers Health Rehabilitation Center in Crown Point – visit PowersHealth.org.