Two hospitals receive Joint Commission award

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Two Mahoning Valley hospitals have been recognized by the Joint Commission for top performance on key quality measures.

Northside Medical Center, operated by ValleyCare Health System, and The Surgical Hospital at Southwoods are two of 1,224 hospitals in the U.S. to receive the award from the commission.

The Joint Commission is an independent, nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies more than 20,500 health care operations in the U.S.

Northside was featured in the commission’s 2014 annual report, America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety, “for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care.”

“We understand what matters most to patients at Northside Medical Center is the quality and safety of the care they receive,” said Trent Crable, CEO. “That is why we have made it a top priority to improve positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes.”

Southwoods was recognized “for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for surgical care.”

“The entire Southwoods team is dedicated to the relentless pursuit of clinical excellence, and this recognition by The Joint Commission confirms we are accomplishing our mission of providing the best patient experience anywhere in the country,” Southwoods CEO Ed Muransky said.

To be named a top performer by the Joint Commission, the hospitals had to meet three performance criteria including consistently having 95 percent or better rankings on select performance criteria based on 2013 accountability data.

Northside has received numerous awards and distinctions including being a designated level III trauma center and an accredited chest-pain center, and the hospital has received gold seals of approval from the Joint Commission in a variety of areas.

Last week, Southwoods said it received the Press Ganey Beacon of Excellence Award and the Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award. Press Ganey is a nationally recognized rating service for health care providers that reviews more than 10,000 facilities.