Baptist Achieves National Disease-Specific Care Certifications for Cancer, Diabetes and Heart

Contact: Robby Channell, 601-968-5135 rchannell@mbhs.org

Jackson, Miss. - October 6, 2004 - By demonstrating excellence in health care quality in its heart, diabetes, and cancer programs, Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Miss. has been awarded the Gold Seal of Approval T and has achieved Disease-Specific Care Certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Additionally, Baptist will be the first organization in the United States to earn this distinction for an entire cancer program.

According to Joint Commission surveyors, Baptist is the first healthcare organization in Mississippi to earn these disease-specific certifications. In August, reviewers from the Joint Commission evaluated Baptist's Cancer Services; Heart Services in the area of acute coronary syndrome, and Diabetes Services in the area of outpatient education, to assess its compliance with the Joint Commission's state-of-the-art national standards and performance measurement expectations for the management of chronic care illnesses.

"We pursued this certification because we want to demonstrate our commitment to a high standard of quality care to the community," said Vickie Gerrard, RN, Baptist JCAHO coordinator. " We are an accredited hospital; so adding certification for various services is a demonstration that we strive for excellence in patient outcomes and the integration of care ."

The Joint Commission has more than 50 years of recognized and respected experience and expertise in evaluating clinical care quality in all types of health care settings.

"Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care Certification assures consumers and purchasers that an organization is committed to quality and safety excellence," says Maureen Conners Potter, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, Joint Commission. "It is the Gold Seal of Approval for health care quality and safety."

Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission accredits nearly 17,000 health care organizations in the United States and many other countries and is committed to assuring the American public of quality health care. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

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