Princeton Health Units Receive Quality Recognitions, Accreditations, Certifications
Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center (PMC) received several quality recognitions in the final quarter of 2021, highlighted by a new certification for spine surgery, redesignation as a primary stroke center, and accreditations or awards related to critical care, older adults, and bariatric surgery.
James Demetriades, CEO of Penn Medicine Princeton Health, said the quality recognitions demonstrate that staff members and physicians are committed to pursuing excellence. “Promoting safety, quality, and higher standards of care are all ingrained in the culture at PMC and across the Princeton Health system,” Demetriades said. “Our goal is to be the undisputed leader in quality and patient experience for this region.”
The Joint Commission
Spine Surgery
Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center (PMC) has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for spine surgery following an on-site survey and a thorough review of the hospital’s use of evidence-based practice guidelines, collection of data, and performance in key quality measures.
Working toward certification helps organizations to develop consistent communication among all providers involved in a patient’s care – from preoperative consultation through the procedure, rehabilitation, and follow-up care.
The spine surgery certification and the recent development of PMC’s Center for Spine Care are the result of collaboration between PMC staff and surgeons specializing in neurosurgery and orthopaedics. Practitioners from other disciplines, including physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain management, radiology, and interventional radiology, also are involved in patient care at the Center for Spine Care.
Stroke Care
PMC recently earned designation as a Primary Stroke Center, an advanced certification granted by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and The Joint Commission. Primary Stroke Center recognition, valid for two years, is based on an expert evaluation of the hospital’s compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care, and performance improvement.
PMC first received the designation in 2019 and earned the latest certification following a thorough, on-site survey this fall.
American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
The Llura & Gordon Gund Center for Critical Care at PMC received a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence, a notable quality recognition presented by the AACN, the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, representing the interest of more than a half-million acute
and critical care nurses.
This is the second time the Center for Critical Care at PMC received a silver-level Beacon Award. The first award was presented in 2018.
The Beacon Award for Excellence was created in 2003 to serve as a road map for units striving to improve clinical outcomes and promote greater patient satisfaction. Three-year awards are given to recognize units that meet quality related criteria in:
- Leadership structures and systems.
- Staffing and staff engagement.
- Effective communication, knowledge management and learning and development.
- Evidence-based practice and processes.
- Outcome measurement.
NICHE – Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders
PMC was again recognized as an Exemplar Hospital by NICHE, an international program promoting patient-centered nursing care for older adults based on the following principles:
- Evidence-based geriatric care at the bedside.
- Patient- and family-centered environments.
- Healthy and productive practice environment.
- Multidimensional metrics of quality.
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP)
The Center for Bariatric Surgery & Metabolic Medicine at PMC was accredited as a comprehensive center by the MBSAQIP, a quality program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
The site surveyor’s report noted the staff ’s enthusiasm and passion; progressive involvement in postoperative recovery and opioid-free pain management; and innovative programs illustrating the center’s dedication to quality care and patient experience.