Mount Nittany Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for its inpatient diabetes care program by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for healthcare quality and safety in disease-specific care. The certification award recognizes the Medical Center’s dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards.
Mount Nittany Medical Center underwent a rigorous on-site review on March 7, 2014. A Joint Commission expert reviewer evaluated the Medical Center for compliance with the requirements for The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification program as well as inpatient diabetes care-specific standards, clinical practice guidelines and performance measures. The inpatient diabetes certification program is based on the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Clinical Practice Recommendations.
“In achieving Joint Commission advanced certification, Mount Nittany Medical Center has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients with diabetes,” says Jean Range, MS, RN, CPHQ, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and I commend the Medical Center for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”
“With a mission of making people healthier, our entire organization benefits from Mount Nittany Medical Center’s excellent inpatient diabetes care, which has been recognized by The Joint Commission with this certification,” says Jan Ulbrecht, MD, medical director, Mount Nittany Health Diabetes Network. “Achieving Joint Commission advanced certification in inpatient diabetes care also is another major step toward our goal of diagnosing, treating, managing and, ideally, combating diabetes across our region.”
The Joint Commission’s Advanced Certification for Inpatient Diabetes Care, developed in conjunction with the ADA, provides standards related to:
- Staff education requirements
- Written blood glucose monitoring protocols
- Plans for the treatment of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia
- Data collection of incidences of hypoglycemia
- Patient education on self-management of diabetes
- An identified program champion or program champion team
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve healthcare for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating healthcare organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 20,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 10,600 hospitals and homecare organizations, and more than 6,600 other healthcare organizations that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also certifies more than 2,400 disease-specific care programs such as stroke, heart failure, joint replacement and stroke rehabilitation, and 400 health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at jointcommission.org.
Mount Nittany Health, a health system located in State College, Pa., consists of Mount Nittany Medical Center, a 260-bed acute care facility, and Mount Nittany Physician Group, a staff of more than 100 providers who offer primary and specialty care services at a growing number of offices throughout Central Pennsylvania. In addition to providing high-quality care, Mount Nittany Health strives to improve the health and wellness of its community through education programs, events and health screenings. Visit mountnittany.org to learn more about Mount Nittany Health’s mission to make people healthier.
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