NMH awarded JCAHO accreditation

NEWTON - Three components of Newton Memorial Hospital’s health-care service were evaluated recently by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and subsequently granted full three-year accreditation. By asking for accreditation, NMH agreed to have its behavioral health care, home care, and hospital measured against national standards set by healthcare professionals. “It is important that we open Newton Memorial Hospital to the surveyors at JCAHO so that our patients have proof of the level of professionalism and experience that our hospital demands,” said Maryanne Fox, administrator of patient support services. “Our staff benefits from these reviews as well with the assurance that they are comparing favorably with other healthcare institutions.” Performance measurement in healthcare represents what is done and how well it is done. The goal is to accurately understand the basis for current performance so that better results can be achieved through focused improvement. The JCAHO accredits more than 16,000 healthcare organizations in the United States and many other countries. Specially trained surveyors evaluate the healthcare organization’s compliance with commission standards. The goal is not merely to find problems, but also to provide education and consultation so that improvement is possible. The surveyors assess performance measurement through statistically valid, data-driven mechanisms that generate a continuous stream of performance information. The outcome enables a healthcare organization to verify the effectiveness of corrective actions; identify areas of excellence with the organization; and compare their performance with that of peer organizations using the same measures. To learn more about services at NMH, call 973-383-2121 or visit online at nmhnj.org.