Good Samaritan Medical Center Awarded Accreditation from The Joint Commission

8/14/2009

By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety, Good Samaritan Medical Center has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™.

An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Full accreditation demonstrates that Good Samaritan Medical Center achieved compliance with organizational, patient care and safety standards.

The Joint Commission conducted its unannounced survey during the first week of June. Over the course of five days, surveyors interacted with Good Samaritan leadership, physicians, staff and patients and had full access to every area of the organization, including its offsite locations.

“We sought accreditation for our organization because we want to demonstrate our commitment to our patients’ safety and quality care,” said Good Samaritan Chief Operating Officer Donna Rubinate. “We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward achieving excellence. This was not a one-time ‘inspection’ of compliance, but evidence of continuous survey readiness.”
Rosanne Baptista, Director of Quality & Patient Safety and leader of the Joint Commission accreditation process at Good Samaritan, called the accreditation "proof of an organization-wide commitment to provide quality care on an ongoing basis.”

“We provide quality care to our patients, not because of The Joint Commission standards, but because it’s the right thing to do for our patients,” said Baptista.

“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 Mark Pelletier, R.N., M.S, executive director, Hospital Programs, Accreditation and Certification Services, The Joint Commission. “The community should be proud that Good Samaritan Medical Center is focusing on the most challenging goal—to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels.”