DERBY, CT (January 7, 2011) – Griffin Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s “Gold Seal of Approval” for accreditation by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in hospitals. The accreditation award recognizes Griffin Hospital’s dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards.
Griffin Hospital underwent a rigorous unannounced on-site survey in September 2010. A team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated Griffin Hospital for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.
“In achieving Joint Commission accreditation, Griffin Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients,” says Mark Pelletier, R.N., M.S., executive director, Hospital Programs, Accreditation and Certification Services, The Joint Commission. “Accreditation is a voluntary process and I commend Griffin Hospital for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”
The Joint Commission’s hospital standards address important functions relating to the care of patients and the management of hospitals. The standards are developed in consultation with health care experts, providers, measurement experts and patients.
Griffin Hospital also received a Special Quality Award from The Joint Commission as part of its Patient-Centered Designation Program, which recognizes hospitals that have successfully implemented a comprehensive approach to patient-centered care. The program presently consists of 42 designation criteria categorized in the following 11 areas:
- Structures and Functions Necessary for Implementation, Development, and Maintenance of Patient-Centered Concepts and Practices
- Human Interactions
- Patient Education and Access to Information
- Family Involvement
- Nutrition Program
- Healing Environment: Architecture and Interior Design
- Arts Program
- Spirituality and Diversity
- Integrative Therapies
- Healthy Communities
- Measurement
Compliance with the designation criteria is verified through a site visit that includes focus groups with patients, leadership, and staff. The Patient-Centered Designation Program was created by Planetree, a not-for-profit organization founded by a patient, which has been working with hospitals for more than 25 years to personalize, humanize, and demystify healthcare for patients.
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 18,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.