Hackensack University Medical Center Earns Joint Commission Recertification for its Pediatric and Adult Asthma Programs
October 11, 2019
The adult asthma program at Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center and the pediatric asthma program at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center have received recertification by the Joint Commission. The programs were successfully reviewed in September following surveys that featured the fulfillment of specific and comprehensive criteria.
“I want to commend our team members in each of these programs for achieving this significant recognition,” said Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, president and chief hospital executive, Hackensack University Medical Center and executive vice president of Population Health, Hackensack Meridian Health. “The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal® is a symbol of excellence that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.”
The adult asthma program at Hackensack University Medical Center, under the director of Mary Ann Michelis, M.D., is the first and only program in the nation to earn its Joint Commission Accreditation for Disease Specific Care (DSC) in asthma. This is the program’s seventh recertification. The surveyor indicated she was impressed with the team and their level of engagement. Also noted was the consistent documentation and processes followed during the patient’s entire care experience. Patient comments to the surveyor also reflected the high quality of treatment and experience.
The program at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, which has received its sixth recertification, is the only one of its kind in the region that has earned its Joint Commission Accreditation for Disease Specific Care (DSC) in pediatric asthma. The surveyor described the program as effective, solid and well organized and commented that collaboration and team work are evident. The surveyor also noted the speed of addressing patients in the pediatric emergency department was impressive.
“The pediatric asthma team, led by Donna Lee, M.D., fully represents our commitment to providing the highest quality care to our patients and their families,” said Judy Aschner, M.D., clinical director of the Children’s Care Transformation Service, Hackensack Meridian Health and physician-in-chief of Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital. “This recognition truly shows the collaboration of the comprehensive and multidisciplinary care provided by multiple departments of the children’s hospital. I thank them for the hard work and dedication the team members demonstrate every day in providing patient and family centered care to the communities we serve.”
An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards. In all, Hackensack University Medical Center has earned 26 Joint Commission certifications, more than any other hospital in the country.