June 05, 2008 –
Prairie Band Potawatomi Health Center
Awarded Joint Commission Accreditation
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Health Center received the Gold Seal of Approval with full Ambulatory Care Accreditation from the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) on May 30.
“It required a total team effort by our entire staff to achieve Joint Commission Accreditation,” said John Holtz, Clinic Administrator. “We dedicated more than a year of preparation and training to focusing on meeting the rigorous accreditation standards.” He thanked, on behalf of the clinic staff, all the members of the Health Board and Tribal Council for their encouragement and support throughout the Joint Commission process.
Holtz said that receiving Joint Commission Accreditation is a major accomplishment and that the Prairie Band Potawatomi Clinic is one of the few tribal ambulatory programs in the country that has ever achieved the Joint Commission Accreditation status.
He also pointed out that some of the benefits of Joint Commission Accreditation are:
Ø Strengthening community confidence in the quality and safety of care, treatment and services
Ø Focusing on continuously helping the health care organization improve the safety and quality of care, which can reduce the risk of error
Ø Helping organize and strengthen patient safety efforts
Ø Providing education on good practices to improve business operations
Ø Providing professional advice and counsel and enhancing staff education
Ø Enhancing recruitment of personnel and also providing opportunities for staff to develop their skills and knowledge
Ø Assisting the organization in maintaining a high-level of quality and compliance with the latest standards
The accreditation award is valid for three years. During that time, the clinic will be required to maintain its standards of compliance to be ready for an unannounced follow-up visit from the Joint Commission staff who will conduct a comprehensive on-site survey sometime in the future.
JCAHO is a private, not-for-profit organization long recognized as the predominant accrediting body of health care organizations and programs in the United States.