“We will spend time and resources to make sure every patient who needs medical care gets the best care possible. When you enter GMH with a broken leg, or a heart attack, or on the brink of delivery, the hospital will be there for you.”
—Governor Eddie Baza Calvo
“GMH is working hard to get patients a bigger and better ER, and cleaner and more reliable facilities for maternity, intensive care, surgery, and more. Accreditation speaks to this commitment. We’ve come a long way; but we have much more to do.”
—Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio
GMH Gets High Marks for Medical Care & Safety
The Guam Memorial Hospital Authority (GMHA) earned another full three-year accreditation from the Joint Commission. The Commission inspected GMH in April and believes the hospital meets required rules on medical care and patient safety. These include:
- Improving the accuracy of patient identification
- Improving the effectiveness of communication among caregivers
- Improving the safety of using medications; and
- Reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections
“In achieving Joint Commission accreditation, GMHA has demonstrated its
commitment to the highest level of care for its patients,” says Mark
Pelletier, R.N., M.S., executive director, Hospital Programs, Accreditation
and Certification Services, The Joint Commission. “Accreditation is a voluntary process and I commend the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and
instill confidence in the community it serves.
JC Inspects GMH in April
In April 2013, GMHA underwent a rigorous, unannounced, on-site survey from a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors. During the visit, they evaluated GMHA for compliance with standards of care specific to patient needs, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management. The hospital was recently notified that The Joint Commission granted full Accreditation to the hospital.
‘Take GMH to the next level’ The hospital is accredited for three years. The Joint Commission, however, reserves the right to either shorten or lengthen the duration of the accreditation cycle. This full accreditation award excludes GMHA’s Skilled Nursing Unit in Barrigada, which must undergo a separate review process for long-term care standards.
“Joint Commission accreditation signifies evidence-based progress at GMH that the people of Guam can take pride and comfort in knowing GMH can accomplish when we all pull together. With Joint Commission accreditation, Guam is making a significant investment in quality healthcare on a day-to-day basis from the top down. Joint Commission accreditation provides us a framework to take GMH to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence for our patients,” said Joseph P. Verga, GMH Administrator/CEO.
GMH thanks patients and supporters
GMHA extends its appreciation to all patients and their families; volunteers and vendors; staff and management; and island leaders who contributed to the inspiration, resources, dedicated work and the collective will to make this achievement possible.
Accreditation Process
The following is a brief explanation of the accreditation process from The Joint Commission:
Joint Commission standards address the hospital’s performance in specific areas, and specify requirements to ensure that patient care is provided in a safe manner and in a secure environment. The Joint Commission develops its standards in consultation with health care experts, providers and researchers, as well as measurement experts, purchasers and consumers. The standards-based performance areas for hospitals are:
Environment of Care Emergency Management
Human Resources Infection Prevention and Control
Information Management Leadership
Life Safety Medication Management
Medical Staff National Patient Safety Goals
Nursing Performance Improvement
Transplant Safety Waived Testing
Provision of Care, Treatment, and Services
Record of Care, Treatment, and Services
Rights and Responsibilities of the Individual
To earn and maintain accreditation, a hospital undergoes an on-site survey by a Joint Commission survey team. The survey team includes health care professionals, including a physician, nurse, life safety code specialist, or hospital administrator who has senior management level experience.
Joint Commission surveys are unannounced, with a few exceptions. An organization can have an unannounced survey between 18 and 36 months after its previous full survey. For example, if an organization’s last survey was January 1, 2011, it could have its survey as early as July 1, 2012 or as late as January 1, 2013 (18 to 36 months). During an accreditation survey, The Joint Commission evaluates an organization’s performance of functions and processes aimed at continuously improving patient outcomes.
This assessment is accomplished through evaluating an organization’s compliance with the applicable standards in the manual, based on the following:
- Tracing the care delivered to patients
- Verbal and written information provided to The Joint Commission
- On-site observations and interviews by Joint Commission surveyors
- Documents provided by the organization
About The Joint Commission
The Joint Commission’s hospital standards address important functions relating to the care of patients and the management of hospitals. The standards are developed in consultation with health care experts, providers, measurement experts and patients.
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to 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 also certifies more than 2,400 disease-specific care programs such as stroke, heart failure, joint replacement and stroke rehabilitation, and 400 health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare.
Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.
For further details, please call June Perez at 647-2415 or june.perez@gmha.org.
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