Four St. Luke’s programs earn Joint Commission Certification

By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission‘s national standards for healthcare quality and safety, St. Luke's Hospital has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ in four areas.

The four St. Luke's programs awarded a certificate of distinction include; Primary Stroke Center, Palliative Care and Joint Replacement Hip and Knee.

The review of the programs took place earlier this year in an unannounced, on-site evaluation. The reviewers conducted interviews with patients and staff and assessed each programs' processes and ability to improve care.

The accreditation award demonstrates St. Luke's dedication to complying with The Joint Commission's state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.

Primary Stroke Center

The Primary Stroke Center certification means:

• This program was 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.

Palliative Care

The Palliative care certification is available only to Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and provides the framework for a formal, organized palliative care program led by:

• An interdisciplinary team whose members possess the requisite expertise in palliative care;

• Leadership endorsement and support of the program's goals for providing care, treatment and services;

• A special focus on patient and family engagement; and

• Processes that support the coordination of care and communication among all care settings and providers.

Joint replacement hip & knee

The award for St. Luke's joint replacement hip and knee program by The Joint Commission reinforces the value St. Luke's places on continuous compliance with the most advanced joint replacement standards. Obtaining certification from The Joint Commission guarantees that a joint replacement program is performing at the top standards of patient safety, quality and service.

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 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other healthcare organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral healthcare, laboratory and ambulatory care services.