SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 29, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Regional Medical Center of San Jose and Good Samaritan Hospital today announced that they have earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® for Sepsis Certification. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to providing safe and effective patient care. Regional and Good Samaritan, owned by Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), are the first hospitals in California to be "Sepsis Certified."
Regional Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital underwent a rigorous on-site review in September 2015. The Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national sepsis care standards as well as with Regional and Good Samaritan sepsis requirements. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.
Established in 2002 and awarded for a two-year period, The Joint Commission's Disease-Specific Care Certification evaluates clinical programs across the continuum of care and addresses three core areas:
- Compliance with consensus-based national standards;
- Effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and
- An organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.
"Regional Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital have thoroughly demonstrated a high level of care for patients with sepsis," said Wendi J. Roberts, RN, executive director, Certification Programs, The Joint Commission. "We commend these two organizations for becoming a leader in sepsis care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for sepsis patients in the Santa Clara County community."
"Regional Medical Center is pleased to receive Sepsis Certification from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation," said Mike Johnson, Regional's Chief Executive Officer. "Our entire staff continually works toward clinical excellence by developing and implementing approaches to improve care for the patients in our community."
"Sepsis Certification from The Joint Commission is the result of a dedicated team effort," said Paul Beaupre, Good Samaritan Chief Executive Officer. "Our team of nurses and doctors are committed to providing the highest quality care for all of our patients. This certification is evidence that quality care is our number one priority."
What is Sepsis?
Sepsis is your body's toxic, or severe, response to an infection. This extreme inflammatory response (swelling) in your body is frequently caused by a bacterial or viral infection, such as pneumonia or influenza, but it can be caused by parasitic or fungal infections.
Your body's immune system, which is supposed to fight off the infection, goes into overdrive and begins to attack your body.
Sepsis is a medical emergency and must be treated quickly and properly for survival1.
The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.
1Sepsis Alliance, www.sepsis.org
About Regional Medical Center of San Jose
Regional Medical Center of San Jose is a Level II Trauma Center staffed by in-house specialists 24/7/365. The hospital provides a host of technologically-advanced services including Cardiovascular, Neuro, Orthopedic, Bariatric and General Surgery, Interventional Pulmonology, along with multi-organ Cancer Care, and services for Women and Children. Regional holds The Joint Commission advanced certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and a Get with the Guidelines- Stroke Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. It is a certified Chest Pain Center, Certified Atrial Fibrillation Program, county-designated STEMI (heart attack) receiving center, and an ACoS accredited Community Cancer Center. Regional is a recipient of Healthgrades 2015 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence. It is recognized by The Joint Commission as a 2011, 2012, 2013 Top Performing Hospital on Key Quality Measures™. The hospital has also been recognized by U.S. News and World Report and Healthgrades as a top performing hospital, and is home to the San Jose Institute for Robotic Surgery. For more information, visit: www.regionalmedicalsanjose.com
About Good Samaritan Hospital:
Good Samaritan Hospital is a 474 bed acute care hospital in the heart of Silicon Valley, California. Good Samaritan is recognized as a leader in neurosciences, high risk obstetrics, comprehensive cancer services, advanced cardiology and innovative surgery techniques.
Good Samaritan Hospital was the first of five in the country to become a Stroke Certified Hospital, and now holds The Joint Commission advanced certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. It is awarded with the Stroke Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Good Samaritan is an accredited Chest Pain Center and a county-designated STEMI receiving center.
Readers of Bay Area Parent magazine have chosen Good Samaritan as the "Bay Area's Best Place to Have a Baby" and "Family Favorite Hospital" for over 10 years. Good Samaritan is only one of ten hospitals to be award four consecutive times with the Outstanding Achievement Award from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Through leadership in research and adopting the latest technological and clinical practices, Good Samaritan Hospital offers excellent medical care for the people of Silicon Valley and surrounding counties. www.goodsamsanjose.com