Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for the second time for its knee replacement and hip replacement surgery by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. The certification award recognizes Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital’s dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the- art standards.
After undergoing a rigorous on-site review in the fall, a Joint Commission expert evaluated Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.
"In achieving Joint Commission certification, Memorial Hermann Northwest has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients with the need for hip and knee replacement," says Jean Range, MS, RN, CPHQ executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and I commend Memorial Hermann Northwest hospital for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”
The Joint Commission, known for its rigorous evaluations before it issues certifications and accreditation, only issues its approval for orthopedic joint replacement programs that have established a well-run disease-management program. Memorial Hermann Northwest is the only center in Houston to achieve disease specific certification in hip and knee joint replacement.
"With Joint Commission certification, we are making a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down. Joint Commission accreditation provides us a framework to take our organization to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence,” says Gary Kerr, CEO Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital. “Achieving Joint Commission certification in hip replacement and knee replacement, for our organization, is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the quality of care we provide.”
The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, launched in 2002, and is designed to evaluate clinical programs across the continuum of care. Certification requirements address three core areas: compliance with consensus-based national standards; effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.
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 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 10,600 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,600 other health care organizations that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also certifies more than 2,400 disease-specific care programs such as stroke, heart failure, joint replacement and stroke rehabilitation, and 400 health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.