Joint Commission Certification Earned by Five Wake Forest Baptist Programs
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission‘s national standards for health care quality and safety, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ in five areas.
The five disease-specific care programs include joint hip, joint knee, advanced primary stroke center, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart failure. Joint Commission reviewers did not identify any requirements for improvement for any of the programs. The AMI, heart failure and stroke programs first earned certification in 2008.
“The Joint Commission certifications provide our patients with an important quality care assurance that we follow national standards and guidelines that have been shown to improve outcomes,” said Tom Sibert, M.D., chief medical officer at Wake Forest Baptist. “These achievements truly reflect a commitment to excellence and outstanding teamwork.”
The review of the five programs took place last week in what The Joint Commission calls an unannounced, on-site evaluation using a “tracer” methodology to follow a patient through the cycle of care. The reviewers conducted interviews with patients and staff and assessed each programs’ processes and ability to improve care. The accreditation award demonstrates Wake Forest Baptist’s dedication to complying with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.
The Heart Center of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is internationally known for pioneering work in diagnostic technologies, treatment innovation and improved outcomes in many key cardiac procedures. The Heart Center has also received Chest Pain Center accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers Accreditation Review Committee and holds a three star rating, the highest, from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
The Comprehensive Stroke Center is internationally known for pioneering work in cerebrovascular treatment innovation, diagnostic technologies and improved outcomes in stroke care. It is one of the first three stroke centers in the country designated by the National Institute of Neurologic Diseases and Blindness. It is also designated as a comprehensive center by The Joint Commission for its multidisciplinary approach that combines the expertise of specialists in neurosurgery, interventional radiology, emergency medicine and neurology.
The Joint Replacement Program provides the highest quality of care for patients with degenerative joint disease with a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatments including MAKO Tactile Guidance System™, and hip resurfacing. The Hip Center offers the most advanced and least invasive techniques to promote orthopaedic health and encourage hip joint preservation.
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. This award excludes skilled nursing and nursing home services.
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