SSM Health/St. Agnes Earns Gold Seal

By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital’s stroke center has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™.

St. Agnes Hospital’s Primary Stroke Center underwent a rigorous announced virtual review on Otcober 6. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards for targeted metrics. These compliance standards include program management to reduce unwanted variations in care and improving the overall patient experience, improve outcomes at a lower cost, consistently aligning communication and collaboration among all disciplines, and align us to effectively face new challenges.

The Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care, according to Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for stroke patients.”

“We congratulate SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital for this outstanding achievement,” says Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Stroke Association. “This certification reflects its commitment to providing the highest quality of care for stroke patients.”

SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital’s Primary Stroke Center received its first certification in February 2009.

“We are very proud of our staff and their efforts to receive this accreditation,” according to Katherine Vergos, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital president. “The overall process has been helpful, including the actual survey with its educational aspect and the opportunity to interact with the surveyors. This accreditation is proof of an organization-wide commitment to provide quality care on an ongoing basis.”

For more information, visit The Joint Commission website.

To learn more about SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital’s primary stroke center services, call 920-926-5775.