PEARLAND, Texas, Dec. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Neighbors Health System has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® for accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.
During the review, a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated compliance with medical facility standards related to several areas, including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management. Surveyors also conducted on-site observations and interviews.
The Joint Commission has accredited medical facilities for more than 60 years. More than 4,000 general, children's, long-term acute, psychiatric, rehabilitation and specialty medical facilities currently maintain accreditation from The Joint Commission, awarded for a three-year period. In addition, approximately 360 critical access medical facilities maintain accreditation through a separate program.
"Joint Commission accreditation provides medical facilities with the processes needed to improve in a variety of areas from the enhancement of staff education to the improvement of daily business operations," said Mark G. Pelletier, RN, M.S., chief operating officer, Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. "In addition, our accreditation helps medical facilities enhance their risk management and risk reduction strategies. We commend Neighbors Health System for its efforts to become a quality improvement organization."
"Neighbors Health System is pleased to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation," said Chief Nursing Officer Lauren Cotton, MS, RN, CEN. "Staff from across the organization continue to work together to develop and implement approaches that have the potential to improve care for the patients in our community."
The Joint Commission's medical facility standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help medical facilities measure, assess and improve performance.
About Neighbors Emergency Center:
Neighbors Health System operates Neighbors Emergency Center, a series of 24-hour freestanding emergency centers that have seen exponential growth in Texas since 2009. Neighbors Emergency Center believes in providing extraordinary care that is dedicated to making lives better every day, with an unfaltering vision to be The Best Neighbors Ever. This means providing unparalleled medical care driven by compassion, respect, and dedication and a focus on our patients, our culture, and the community.
Neighbors' 15+ locations service many communities, including Houston, Austin, El Paso, Beaumont, and the Permian Basin, with plans for centers in areas that include South Texas and Colorado in 2016.
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 accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit 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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SOURCE Neighbors Emergency Center
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