Hospice awarded accreditation from
Joint Commission
Hospice Health Services received accreditation
from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations
(JCAHO) on July 28. This agency is the first hospice in this area to receive
the accreditation.
Formed in 1951, the Joint Commission is dedicated to improving the quality of the nationâs health care through voluntary accreditation. Hospice Health Services, which provides:
received the accreditation award after the Joint Commission found that it had demonstrated compliance with the JCAHO national standards for home care organizations. The on-site survey occurred in April.
ãIn becoming accredited, Hospice Health Services was evaluated against a set of national standards by a Joint Commission, team of surveyors experienced in the delivery of home care services,ä said Maryanne Popovich, R.N., executive director, Home Care Accreditation Services, Joint Commission. ãAchieving accreditation demonstrates Hospice Health Serviceâs commitment to provide high quality care to its patients.ä
According to Sylvia Barnes Green, R.N., executive director, Hospice Health Services, ãAccreditation shows that we make a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down. We seek accreditation for our organization because we want to be the best and we view obtaining the Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward excellence.ä
She adds that accreditation is attainable only through the cooperation and communication among staff members. ãEveryone here at Hospice Health Services plays a valuable role in working to meet the standards. I think it gives them a feeling of prestige to work in an accredited organization,ä said Barnes Green. ãThey also appreciate the educational aspect of the survey and the opportunity to interact with the Joint Commission, survey team.ä
Hospice Health Services has been in operation serving the Tri-County, Colleton and Beaufort counties for four years and expanding to provide services to 16 counties.