Houston Healthcare is pleased to announce that Houston Medical Center, Perry Hospital and their outpatient facilities have earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approvalfor Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care. 

Houston Medical Center and Perry Hospital underwent a rigorous, unannounced on-site survey in May 2016 and October 2015, respectively. During the review, a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated compliance with hospital standards related to several areas, including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management. Surveyors also conducted on-site observations and interviews.

“We seek accreditation for Houston Medical Center, Perry Hospital and our outpatient facilities because we want to demonstrate our continued commitment to patient safety and providing quality care to the communities we serve,” stated Cary Martin, Chief Executive Officer for Houston Healthcare. “We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation and the validation of our compliance with the National Patient Safety Goals as another step toward achieving excellence.”

The Joint Commission has accredited hospitals for more than 60 years. More than 4,000 general, children’s, long-term acute, psychiatric, rehabilitation and specialty hospitals currently maintain accreditation from The Joint Commission, awarded for a three-year period. In addition, approximately 360 critical access hospitals maintain accreditation through a separate program.

“Joint Commission accreditation provides hospitals with the processes needed to improve in a variety of areas from the enhancement of staff education to the improvement of daily business operations,” said Mark G. Pelletier, RN, MS, Chief Operating Officer, Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. “In addition, our accreditation helps hospitals enhance their risk management and risk reduction strategies. We commend Houston Medical Center and Perry Hospital for their efforts to become a quality improvement organization.”

The Joint Commission’s hospital standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help hospitals measure, assess and improve performance.

“We are pleased to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission,” added Martin. “Staff from across the organization continue to work together to develop and implement approaches that have the potential to improve care for the patients in our community.”