JCAHO survey preliminary score reflects teamwork

ãI am proud to inform you that the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations survey findings resulted in an excellent score of 97, which assures our continued accreditation,ä wrote interim vice president for clinical operations and interim Medical Center CEO Stuart Smith in a recent issue of Currents, the Medical Centerâs newsletter.

The top marks, which grade the level of MUSCâs patient care, hospital preparedness and professional skill, place MUSC among the top 19 percent of hospitals in the nation. During the Aug. 18 to 22 survey, the JCAHO team found no deficiencies and no areas in which to recommend improvement. The survey team praised MUSCâs administration for its program of improving the quality of care.

ãThey had no specific recommendations in any part of the survey,ä said MUSC Medical Center chief operation officer Pam Cipriano. ãWe had significant or complete compliance in every area.ä She called the score ãan affirmation that a lot of the work we have been doing has paid off.ä

The survey team judged everything from patient care and nursing care to leadership and cleanliness by interviewing patients, patientsâ family members, doctors, nurses and others. They conducted unscheduled inspections and reviewed records.

The JCAHO survey is the latest in a series of recent accolades for MUSC. U.S. News and World Reportâs ãAmericaâs Best Hospitalsä issue in July listed MUSC as a leader among 1,800 hospitals in seven of 17 specialties. Health information supplier HCIA Inc. rated MUSC one of the nationâs top 100 hospitals. Health care consultancy William M. Mercer Inc., which rates medical services by cost, length of stay and other criteria, named MUSC ãa benchmark performerä in bone marrow transplants and congestive heart failure management. American Health Magazine named 11 MUSC physicians among the ãbest in America.ä