The Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission

On October 19, 2007 Strong Memorial Hospital received the Gold Seal of Approval™ from the Joint Commission.

What is the Joint Commission and What Does Receiving the Gold Seal of Approval Mean?

The Joint Commission is a private organization that has been accrediting hospitals for more than 50 years. Its accreditation is a nationwide seal of approval that indicates a hospital meets high performance standards. To receive accreditation from the Joint Commission we are assessed on more than 250 standards, many of which examine quality of care and patient safety issues. Strong Memorial Hospital underwent its Joint Commission review in October 2007, with the survey team spending five days questioning, studying, and evaluating our processes, policies, and procedures. At the end of survey, we were reaccredited and received “The Gold Seal of Approval.”

We believe sharing information honestly and accurately is essential if we are to constantly raise the bar on patient quality and safety. We believe sharing the findings of the Joint Commission surveyors as well as our action plans and progress reports will help staff, patients, and families understand the level of excellence we strive for at Strong Memorial Hospital.

What Did the Joint Commission Surveyors Find?

Strong Memorial Hospital is a large academic medical center, and our Joint Commission survey results are comparable to other similar hospitals nationally. We received 8 Requirements for Improvement (RFIs). We then had 45 days to correct each of these RFIs, and submit a report describing the actions taken. This report was submitted and accepted by the Joint Commission. Some of our plans required that we audit and monitor our progress to ensure that we were on target. The audit period lasted four months, beginning January 2, 2008. Audit results were submitted on May 1, 2008 and accepted by the Joint Commission.

View the Joint Commission's findings.