By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety, Natchez Regional Medical Center has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval.

“We sought accreditation for our organization because we want to demonstrate our commitment to patients’ safety and quality care,” says Jim Richardson, Interim CEO.

The Joint Commission conducted an unannounced, on-site evaluation of Natchez Regional January 15- 22. The accreditation award recognized Natchez Regional’s dedication to complying with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, the Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and 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.

Above all, the national standards are intended to stimulate continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvement in an organization’s performance and the outcomes of care,” says Darlene Christiansen, Executive Director, Hospital Accreditation Program, The Joint Commission. “The community should be proud that Natchez Regional is focusing on the most challenging goal – to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels.

Dan Bland, Chairman, Natchez Regional Board of Trustees praised employees for their involvement in the survey process. “Staff involvement in the accreditation process was vital to the success of the on-site survey,” said Bland. “The dedication to safety and quality care is demonstrated by the staff on a daily basis. Not only did the employees demonstrate their knowledge of Joint Commission standards during the survey process, but they also appreciated the educational aspect of the survey and the opportunity to interact with the survey team,” said Bland.

“This accreditation is proof of the hospital’s organization-wide commitment to provide quality care on an ongoing basis,” concluded Bland.