BREAST CANCER PROGRAM AT HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER RECEIVES DISEASE-SPECIFIC CARE CERTIFICATION FROM JOINT COMMISSION

Hackensack University Medical Center has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for its Breast Cancer program at the John Theurer Cancer Center by demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission’s national standards for healthcare quality and safety in disease-specific care. The certification award recognizes HUMC’s dedication to continuous compliance with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards. This is the first certification for Breast Cancer, and makes for Hackensack University Medical Center’s 16^th Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission – one of only two hospitals in the nation to have that many certifications.

Hackensack University Medical Center underwent a rigorous on-site survey in June, 2011. A team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated the medical center for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.

"With Joint Commission certification, we are making a significant statement about the quality of care at Hackensack University Medical Center on a day-to-day basis,” says Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of Hackensack University Medical Center. “Achieving Joint Commission certification in breast cancer, in addition to the other 15 Gold Seals of Approval we’ve attained, is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide.”

"In achieving Joint Commission certification, Hackensack University Medical Center has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients with breast cancer,” says Jean Range, RN, M.S., C.P.H.Q. executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and I commend Hackensack for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

“It took a lot of hard work by every member of our team, and a continued commitment to a care delivery model resulting from evidence-based practice,” said David B. Pearlstone, chief, Division of Breast Surgery, co-director, Breast Services, John Theurer Cancer Center at HUMC. “Joint Commission accreditation provides us a framework to take our breast cancer program to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence at the John Theurer Cancer Center and all of HUMC.”

HUMC also holds Disease-Specific Care Certifications in:

•          Acute Myocardial Infarction

•          Asthma

•          Bone Marrow Transplant

•          Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

•          Coronary Artery Disease

•          Depression

•          End-Stage Renal Disease

•          Heart Failure

•          Hip Replacement

•          Inpatient Diabetes

•          Knee Replacement

•          Pediatric Asthma

•          Pneumonia

•          Stroke

•          Trauma

The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, launched in 2002, is designed to evaluate clinical programs across the continuum of care. Certification requirements address three core areas: compliance with consensus-based national standards; effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.

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