YNHH earns Joint Commission accreditation
After a full week of inspections and evaluations as part of a triennial survey, YNHH has received The Joint Commission (TJC) seal of approval.
Achieving accreditation means the hospital has met or exceeds TJC high-performance standards for providing care, emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, medication management and others. The survey included inpatient services at the York Street and Saint Raphael campuses; Behavioral Health; YNHH’s Rehabilitation services at the Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus; and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital at Bridgeport. The survey also covered outpatient facilities, including the North Haven, Shoreline and Old Saybrook medical centers and other facilities throughout the state.
“Our success required the engagement and support of the entire staff,” said Victoria Dahl Vickers, RN, vice president, Accreditation and Regulatory Affairs. “We provide safe, high-quality care every day, and the survey gives us the opportunity to demonstrate to TJC the excellent work we do for patients.”
Areas earning specific praise from surveyors included the provision of care, Behavioral Health, medication management, and plans of care and medical staff documentation in the electronic medical record. Surveyors noted significant progress in infection control and prevention and the environment of care, with opportunities to continue improvement in both areas.
TJC surveyors also noted the Capacity Coordination Center. “It is like nothing I’ve ever seen,” said Terry Putnam, TJC lead surveyor, who was on the team that surveyed YNHH three years ago. “This is a continuous journey, and YNHH has made tremendous progress.”
She also complimented YNHH staff for “consistent and impressive articulation of the organization’s culture, mission, vision and goals.”
Based on survey results, “YNHH is one of the highest-quality care hospitals in the nation, with best practices in a number of key areas,” said Thomas J. Balcezak, MD, Yale New Haven chief medical officer. “This is an incredible result and one that reflects the high level of commitment and engagement of all our employees. We are extremely proud of everyone’s continued hard work and diligence.”
