COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) has again earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Heart Failure Certification for a two-year period by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.
Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart is not able to pump enough blood to meet the body’s demands for blood and oxygen. Over time, this can result in fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling and other symptoms. Management of heart failure can include lifestyle changes, cardiac rehabilitation programs, medications and other treatments.
“Our entire care team is dedicated to providing evidence-based care to patients with cardiovascular health concerns, including heart failure,” said Maury Regional Health CEO Alan Watson. “We are pleased that our commitment to care for heart failure patients has been recognized with this certification.”
The Joint Commission certification recognizes health care organizations that provide clinical programs across the continuum of care for heart failure. The certification evaluates how organizations use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, as well as to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for discharge.
MRMC underwent a rigorous onsite review in June. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards, which are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“Heart failure certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Maury Regional Medical Center for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for heart failure patients.”
For more information about the certification process, visit The Joint Commission website. Learn more about services available for patients with heart failure and other heart-related conditions at Heart.MauryRegional.com.