NMCSD Awarded Accreditation from Joint Commission

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anastasia Puscian, Naval Medical Center San Diego Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) and its Branch Health Clinics (BHC) demonstrated compliance with the Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety by receiving the Gold Seal of Approval Sept. 15.

NMCSD completed the Medical Inspector General (MEDIG) July 8-16 and an unannounced, on-site evaluation by the Joint Commission July 12-16, resulting in full accreditation for another three years.

"We continually evaluate our processes to provide the best possible patient centered care through education, innovation and training," said Rear Adm. C. Forrest Faison III, commander, Naval Medical Center San Diego "This accreditation is reflective of the high quality of medical care NMCSD provides daily."

The survey evaluated NMCSD's standards of performance and assessed its ability to provide safe, high quality care. The survey focused on NMCSD's level of performance in key functional areas, such as patient rights, patient care, infection control and medication safety.

The Joint Commission identified nine best practices during their survey of NMCSD, recognizing the mental health ward's redesign with innovative and new technology to ensure the safety of patients, including the "Angry Onion" and "Sweet Potato", which provide a rapid feedback process for staff on daily hassles that effect patient care and productivity, and the pain management clinics' thorough psychosocial evaluations to name a few.

In addition, the MEDIG identified six additional best practices, to include NMCSD's Research Integrity Program and the Operational Forces Medical Liaison Program.

The accreditation award recognizes NMCSD's dedication to compliance with the Joint Commission's national standard for health care quality and safety on a continuous basis.

NMCSD has maintained the Joint Commission's rigorous national standards through continuous review and improvement of education, training programs, and actual delivery of critical services to more than 90,000 enrolled beneficiaries.

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 evaluates and accredits approximately 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, according to their website.

For more information, visit http://www.qualitycheck.org/qualityreport.aspx?hcoid=10073 to view the Joint Commission's summary report on NMCSD's accreditation.