Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare Awarded Home Care Accreditation From The Joint Commission
Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Home Care Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.
Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review on Aug. 16-19, 2022. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with Home Care standards spanning several areas including infection control, information management, leadership, life safety, medication management, record of care, and plan of care.
The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help healthcare organizations measure, assess and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“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 Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for its continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care.”
Kurt Holmes, executive director of Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, recognized the staff members of Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for their dedication to excellence. “Accreditation from The Joint Commission honors the hard work and dedication of our staff to provide superior care and superior services to our patients and families through patient safety and quality of care,” Holmes said. “We’re grateful to our staff for their support of our mission as we went through this process. They have worked together to demonstrate our commitment to compliance standards.”
To prepare for the accreditation process, the leadership team at Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare reviewed The Joint Commission standards to better understand what the survey would entail. The team ensured that the organization had appropriate policies in place to address the standards of The Joint Commission and developed additional policies as needed. The team reviewed records to ensure the organization was meeting the expectations for compliance and reporting. Team leaders performed chart reviews and made visits with clinical staff to help them prepare for visits with the surveyor. The team also shared regular communication with staff about The Joint Commission process.
For more information, please visit The Joint Commission Website.
Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, a not-for-profit organization established in 1982, is an affiliate of Ohio’s Hospice that serves communities in northeast Ohio. It embodies the spirit of neighbors caring for neighbors with a commitment to relieve suffering, ease fears, and provide companionship along life’s last journey. Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare addresses patient and family needs wherever the patient calls home. Services also include access to the Stanley C. and Flo K. Gault Inpatient Pavilion, providing short-term patient care to manage acute symptoms, adjust medications, or stabilize patient condition. The Marilyn B. and Mark E. Gustafson Center for Supportive Care includes Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare’s Volunteer Services, the Pathways of HopeSM Grief Counseling Center, and transportation service and support.
