The month of January was busy for the staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. Not only did the hospital earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for its hip and knee replacement program, it was also awarded Advanced Certification as a Primary Stroke Center.
These distinctions recognize Baylor Plano's dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the- art standards. To achieve these distinctions, Baylor Plano underwent two separate rigorous on-site reviews in January 2013. Joint Commission experts evaluated Baylor Plano 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, Baylor Plano has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients with hip and knee pain," says Jean Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q. executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and I commend Baylor Plano for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”
Hospital’s Joint Replacement Certification a ‘First’ for Baylor
Baylor Plano is the first hospital in the Baylor Health Care System to earn Disease Specific Certification for its hip and knee replacement program. The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, launched in 2002, 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.
"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 Jerri Garison, president, Baylor Plano “Achieving Joint Commission certification in hip and knee replacement for our organization, is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide.”
Achieving Advance Certification as a Primary Stroke Center
The Joint Commission, in conjunction with The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, also recently recognized Baylor Plano with Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers.
Achievement of Primary Stroke Center Certification signifies an organization’s dedication to fostering better outcomes for patients. Primary Stroke Center Certification has demonstrated that a program meets critical elements of performance to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients.
Developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association and launched in 2003, The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification program is based on the Brain Attack Coalition's "Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers." Certification is available only to stroke programs in Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.
About the Joint Commission
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.
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About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com