June 3, 2016 - Nacogdoches Medical Center, the anchor of NMC Health Network, today announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Chest Pain Certification. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects NMC’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.
Established in 2002 and awarded for a two-year period, The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification evaluates clinical programs across the continuum of care and addresses three core areas:
- Compliance with consensus-based national standards;
- Effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and
- An organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.
"NMC has thoroughly demonstrated a high level of care for patients with chest pain,” said Wendi J. Roberts, RN, executive director, Certification Programs, The Joint Commission. “We commend them for becoming a leader in chest pain care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for chest pain patients in its community.”
NMC underwent a rigorous on-site review in April, during which Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national disease-specific care standards as well as with chest pain specific requirements. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.
"Heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide," stated Dr. Gary Barkocy, Director of Cardiology at NMC. "The life of a patient who is having a heart attack is affected by different people in different places - from the onset of the patient's symptoms, the actions of emergency medical services, to where the patient is treated, how blood is restored to the heart, the observation unit, treatment, cardiac rehabilitation and discharge."
Achieving certification is generally thought to provide enhanced care, better prognosis, improved quality of life, faster treatment and decreased length of stay in the hospital. The Chest Pain team at NMC has one primary goal: to ensure that patients get the treatment they need during the early stages of a heart attack. Their goal is to reduce the time from the patient's arrival at the emergency department to treatment - to avoid as much heart damage as possible.
In addition, accredited systems better integrate the emergency department with the local emergency medical system, continually improve processes and procedures, ensure the competency and training of staff, and support community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack.
“Hospitals vary in their processes and outcomes,” said Jeff Patterson, CEO. “This accreditation further exemplifies NMC Health Network’s continued commitment to bring superior quality, life-saving care to our community, family and friends.”
About Nacogdoches Medical Center
Nacogdoches Medical Center is a 161-bed medical center located at 4920 NE Stallings Drive in Nacogdoches, TX. The hospital has served the medical and health care needs of the East Texas area for over 40 years. Nacogdoches Medical Center specializes in emergency services, women’s health, cardiovascular medicine and surgery, open heart surgery, cancer, orthopedics, neurology and neurosurgery. Other affiliated facilities include the Imaging Center of Nacogdoches, the Breast Health Center, the Ambulatory Surgery Center of Nacogdoches, the Wound Care Center, the Loma Laird Cancer Center including a standalone infusion clinic, and the Center Emergency Room in Shelby County. Nacogdoches Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. Please visit www.NacMedCenter.com.
The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit 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 www.jointcommission.org.
