MDH Earns Accreditation from The Joint Commission

Pictured with The Joint Commission certificate are (L-R): Brian E. Dietz, FACHE, President/CEO; Wanda Foster, Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer; Dr. Ed Card, Chief Medical Officer; and Sherry Nelson, interim Director of Quality.

MACOMB, Ill. – Following a triennial four-day visit in July/August, and all follow-up visits, McDonough District Hospital and MDH Home Health Care earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval®. MDH demonstrated compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety.

“Receiving The Joint Commission accreditation, and doing so with one of the best evaluations our organization has ever recorded, reflects the hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence from our MDH staff. This accreditation represents our investment to providing quality health care in a safe and caring environment,” said MDH President/CEO Brian E. Dietz, FACHE. “I credit our staff for the preparation work leading into the survey, which we did not know when they would arrive at MDH, and how well they worked with the Joint Commission survey team during the site visit. We will not rest on our laurels, our commitment to maintaining excellence while focusing on patient safety is done on a daily basis.” 

Four members of The Joint Commission performed an unannounced certification survey, visiting MDH departments and buildings. The expert surveyors evaluated MDH for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management, and facilities.

“Every three years, The Joint Commission performs an unannounced inspection of McDonough District Hospital as well as Home Health and Hospice services to ensure we are meeting national quality and safety performance standards for our patients. In its tradition of excellence to our community, the Home Health and Hospice repeatedly impressed the surveyors with its pursuit of delivering safe and compassionate care,” said Sherry Nelson, Interim Director of Quality. “The hospital, clinics, and our staff demonstrated their commitment to the 1,200-plus standards that ensure safe and appropriate care to our community and the patients we serve. 

“MDH and all its services are fully accredited for another three years. As a team, all members work on performance improvements to make MDH the best it can be. Without our Board of Directors, Leadership, Medical Staff, and all employees our survey would not have been so complimentary. Thank you and congratulations to everyone involved in the process as we make our community proud and the place of choice for their health care needs.”

MDH continually evaluates areas under scrutiny by The Joint Commission to ensure the highest quality of patient safety and care. This accreditation recognizes MDH’s dedication to complying with The Joint Commission’s highest standards on a continuous basis. 

“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,” said Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, Chief Operating Officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and Chief Nursing Executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend McDonough District Hospital for its continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care.”

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care, also being recognized nationwide as a symbol of great quality that reflects and organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.