National Naval Medical Center Receives Joint Commission Accreditation

By Sarah Fortney, National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs

Bethesda, Md. (NNS) -- The National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) received Joint Commission accreditation in recognition of the its safe and high quality care, treatment and services, Feb. 9.

The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs nationwide, ensuring health care provided is safe and effective.

"There are multiple participation requirements that we have to meet in order to be accredited," said Gene Monroe, NNMC Joint Commission specialist. "Part of that includes our on-site survey that took place in November."

During the tri-annual survey, Nov. 15 through Nov. 19, 2010, commission surveyors conducted on-site observations and interviews, and assessed documents provided by hospital staff. Evaluating the hospital's efforts to improve performance, the commission also reviewed more than 1,500 standards, addressing areas such as medication management, emergency management, leadership, life safety, rights and responsibilities of the individual, treatment and services, and national patient safety goals.

"If you were to ask yourself what a high quality hospital looks like, these standards provide that picture for you," said Monroe. "We successfully completed the survey process, and that has resulted in our continued re-accreditation."

Department of Defense medical treatment facilities are required to seek and maintain accreditation, he added.

"It's one of the ways we validate we're doing great work, we're providing safe and quality health care to the beneficiaries," said Capt. Khin Aungthein, NNMC Joint Commission fellow.

Aungthein said even though the commission surveys the hospital tri-annually, they can survey the organization anytime between 18 and 39 months after a completed survey.

"We need to be ready at any given time," said Aungthein, adding that it is not just about meeting the Joint Commission's standards. "We're doing it for our patients to keep our patients safe, our staff safe and our organization safe."

"[The] National Naval Medical Center upholds a commitment of quality patient care," said Col. Charles Callahan, NNMC chief of staff. "Despite everything else we have going on, our staff is committed to providing quality primary care and specialty services in a patient and family-centered environment. The Joint Commission survey process is an opportunity to benchmark our hospital against the highest healthcare industry standards. Our warriors — past, present and future — and their families deserve nothing less."

Aungthein said in addition to the Joint Commission accreditation, the Medical Inspector General (IG) team also evaluates the hospital, making sure NNMC is also compliant with their requirements.

A separate organization, the IG visits at the same time as the Joint Commission, assessing efficiency, readiness and quality of health care in accordance with the secretary of the Navy, and Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED).

"All of those things are very important to make sure our organization is performing at the level we should [be]," said Aungthein.

This spring, the Joint Commission will return for a one-day, life-safety survey of the hospital's new spaces, said Monroe. Staff can also expect another visit within three to six months after integration, surveying Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda (WRNMMCB) as a new organization.

This article was sponsored by Military Books.