The Joint Commission, an independent organization that accredits health care facilities, renewed North End Waterfront Health’s ambulatory health care and behavioral health accreditation and awarded the organization Patient-Centered Medical Home accreditation for the first time.
“We are extremely proud of our three Joint Commission accreditations,” says Jim Luisi, CEO of NEW Health. “The surveyors were impressed by our entire staff’s dedication, loyalty, and commitment to high-quality care for our patients. We were the first health center in the state to receive Joint Commission accreditation and now we are among the first to be accredited as a Patient-Centered Medical Home.”
The Patient-Centered Medical Home is a nationally recognized way of providing the best primary care to patients. It is patient-centered, team-based, comprehensive care in which a system-based approach to quality, safety, and enhanced patient access is a priority.
The Joint Commission surveyors made their decision to accredit the health center in each of the three areas after spending two days at the organization shadowing patients and interviewing staff.
“Through their various patient tracers over the past two days in adult medicine, pediatrics, dental, behavioral health, the lab, and X-ray, the surveyors were able to first handedly observe us performing patient-centered, team-based, and coordinated care,” says Vincenzo Scibelli, NEW Health’s director of behavioral health and chief compliance officer. “In fact, they stated that we are the best Patient-Centered Medical Home practice that they have yet surveyed.”
The Joint Commission accredits health centers every three years. NEW Health’s next survey will occur in 2015.
