O'Connor Hospital Awarded Accreditation from The Joint Commission

O'Connor Hospital (OCH), part of Bassett Healthcare Network, recently announced it has earned The Joint Commission's approval for continued Medicare Accreditation by demonstrating consistent compliance with its performance standards. Approval is a testament to an organization's commitment to quality and providing safe and effective patient care.

OCH underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite survey and a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated compliance with hospital standards related to several areas, including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management. Surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

The Joint Commission has accredited hospitals for over 60 years. More than 4,000 general, children's, long-term acute, psychiatric, rehabilitation and specialty hospitals currently maintain accreditation from The Joint Commission, awarded for a three-year period. In addition, approximately 360 critical access hospitals, like OCH, maintain accreditation through a separate program.

"Joint Commission accreditation provides hospitals 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, MS, chief operating officer and chief nurse executive, Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. "In addition, our accreditation helps hospitals enhance their risk management and risk reduction strategies. We commend OCH for its efforts to become a quality improvement organization."

"OCH is pleased to receive continued accreditation from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body of the nation," added Eric Stein, southern region executive for Bassett Healthcare Network. "Staff from across the organization work together every day to develop and implement approaches that aim to improve care for the patients in our community. There has never been a more critical time for this essential effort."

The Joint Commission's hospital 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 hospitals measure, assess, and improve performance. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.