KIRKLAND, Wash., May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- EvergreenHealth has maintained two prestigious advanced certifications from The Joint Commission, for both its inpatient diabetes care and its primary stroke center, following reviews in April 2013. Achieving these certifications signifies EvergreenHealth's dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission's state-of-the-art standards, and to fostering better outcomes for patients.
The Primary Stroke Center has maintained its advanced certification since November 2007, demonstrating that its specialized stroke care meets critical elements of performance to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients. The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification program, developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association, 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.
The Inpatient Diabetes Program has been certified since December 2011, in recognition of exemplary standards for health care quality and safety within EvergreenHealth's diabetes education and nutrition services. The Joint Commission's Advanced Certification for Inpatient Diabetes Care provides standards related to staff education, written blood glucose monitoring protocols, plans for the treatment of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, data collection of incidences of hypoglycemia and patient education.
"These certifications from The Joint Commission underscore our commitment to developing practices and programs that yield positive outcomes in a setting that holds absolute safety and the patient experience in the highest regard," said EvergreenHealth CEO Bob Malte. "We congratulate these two programs for their well-deserved recognition in this area."
Joint Commission experts evaluated EvergreenHealth for compliance with the requirements for The Joint Commission's Disease-Specific Care Certification program, as well as inpatient diabetes care-specific standards, clinical practice guidelines and performance measures.
"Certification is a voluntary process," said Jean Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. "I commend EvergreenHealth for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves."
EvergreenHealth will continue to display The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval, helping patients easily identify EvergreenHealth as a facility of quality that has surpassed numerous goals in the treatment of stroke and diabetes.
Along with these recent Joint Commission certifications, EvergreenHealth's Stroke Center is ranked number 1 in Washington and in the top 5 percent in the nation for the treatment of stroke by Healthgrades, the nation's leading independent health care ratings company.
To learn more about EvergreenHealth, visit http://www.evergreenhealth.com or call the 24-hour Nurse Navigator & Healthline at 425.899.3000.
About EvergreenHealth