November 21, 2019
THEDACARE CELEBRATES RURAL HEALTH
ThedaCare Medical Center-New London Awarded Reaccreditation from The Joint Commission
NEW LONDON, Wis. – November 21, 2019, is recognized as National Rural Health Day, celebrating the value of rural hospitals and caregivers. Throughout the week, ThedaCare will be highlighting the accomplishments and stories from our rural areas, providing access to care for those living in Northeast and Central Wisconsin.
ThedaCare Medical Center-New London has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Critical Access Hospital Reaccreditation 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.
“Earning reaccreditation from The Joint Commission is a testament to the dedication of ThedaCare’s mission, to improve the health of the communities we serve,” said David Corso, Vice President, Critical Access Hospitals in New London. “We hold ourselves to the highest standards, protecting patient safety, and appreciate that those performance standards are recognized by a quality organization like The Joint Commission.”
ThedaCare Medical Center-New London underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with Critical Access Hospital standards spanning several areas including, but not limited to, Emergency Management, Environment of Care, Infection Prevention, Leadership, Medication Management and Patient Rights and Responsibilities.
The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help health care organizations measure, assess and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
According to The Joint Commission, of the Critical Access Hospitals in the U.S., nearly 350 of them (about 26%), are currently accredited by The Joint Commission.
“As a private accreditor, The Joint Commission surveys health care organizations to protect the public by identifying deficiencies in care and working with those organizations to correct them as quickly and sustainably as possible,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend ThedaCare Medical Center-New London for its continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care.”
“The goal of welcoming The Joint Commission into our ThedaCare Medical Center-New London is to allow them to assess our quality of care, patient experience and the environment where we care for our patients,” said Corso. “The Joint Commission is here to help us grow and develop into the best that we can be for our patients.”
Corso said the process improvement continues after reaccreditation, using the surveys as a pulse check to assess our programs.
“All of our team members at ThedaCare Medical Center-New London can be proud to know that their dedication to patients and families, while being committed to meeting the highest quality standards, makes our community stronger,” said Corso. “We look forward to continuing to provide access to high-quality health care close to home in New London.”
All ThedaCare hospitals maintain accreditation as directed by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
About ThedaCare
For more than 110 years, ThedaCare® has been committed to improving the health of the communities it serves in Northeast and Central Wisconsin. The organization delivers care to a community of more than 600,000 residents in 14 counties and employs more than 7,000 healthcare professionals. ThedaCare has 180 locations including seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, New London, Shawano, Waupaca and Wild Rose. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving our specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a not-for-profit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs as well as a foundation dedicated to community service.
For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
Media should call Cassandra Wallace, Public Relations Specialist at 920.442.0328 or the ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah switchboard at 920.729.3100 and ask for the marketing person on call.
