The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 healthcare organizations across the country including 5,300 acute care hospitals. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission has been the nation’s predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare since 1951. Their standards focus on improving the quality and safety of care provided by healthcare organizations. The Joint Commission’s comprehensive accreditation process evaluates an organization’s compliance with these standards and other accreditation requirements. They address the organization’s level of performance in key areas, such as patient treatment, patient rights and safety, medication management and infection control.

"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 Darlene Christiansen, executive director, Hospital Accreditation Program, Joint Commission. "Your community should be proud that Nevada Regional Medical Center is focusing on the most challenging goal -- to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels."

Nevada Regional Medical Center was applauded by Joint Commission surveyors on the high level of competence, professionalism and dedication displayed by its staff, and for its high quality customer service.

“We are proud to have achieved another three-year accreditation, thanks to the dedication and hard work of our staff and physicians,” said NRMC President and CEO Judy Feuquay. “The surveyors were very complimentary of the wonderful care our patients receive and also of the strong organizational culture that supports this care. They described our associates as friendly, caring, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and competent.”

To earn and maintain The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™, an organization must undergo an unannounced, on-site survey by a Joint Commission survey team at least every three years. During the survey, surveyors utilize tracer methodology and observation of direct patient care. They select patients randomly and use their medical records as a roadmap to evaluate standards compliance. As surveyors trace a patient’s experience in a health care organization, they talk to the doctors, nurses and other staff who interacted with the patient. Surveyors also observe doctors and nurses providing care, and often speak to the patients themselves.

The Joint Commission began conducting unannounced surveys in 2006. Prior to that time, surveys were scheduled several months in advance to give organizations an opportunity to prepare. The unannounced surveys encourage organizations to remain in a continuous state of readiness.
 “The accreditation process is an outstanding example of Nevada Regional Medical Center’s focus on continuous standards compliance and improvement,” said Feuquay. “It also emphasizes our staff and physicians’ commitment to maintaining care processes for patients that are safe and meet high quality standards.”

For more information about The Joint Commission, visit www.jointcommission.org.