– East Cooper Medical Center has earned the nation’s first Joint Commission Gold Seal of ApprovalTM for its minimally invasive colorectal surgery program by demonstrating compliance with national standards for healthcare quality and safety in disease-specific care. The certification award recognizes East Cooper Medical Center’s dedication to continuous compliance with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards.
East Cooper Medical Center underwent a rigorous on-site survey April 28-29. A team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated the hospital for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management. East Cooper Medical Center has five other Joint Commission Gold Seals of Approval for laminectomy (vertebra decompression), heart failure, pneumonia, stroke and advanced diabetic management.
"The Colorectal Center at East Cooper Medical Center follows a pathway of care for minimally invasive colon and rectal surgeries based on national guidelines to guide each patient’s care and assure that everything is done to promote decreased length of stay and decreased complications," said Dr. Rudolph Rustin, a colorectal surgeon at East Cooper.
"With our network of board-certified, fellowship trained colorectal surgeons and dedicated colorectal and wound care nurse coordinator, and now our Gold Sealfrom the Joint Commission, we believe East Cooper has one of the leading colorectal surgery programs in the country."
"Achieving the first Joint Commission certification in minimally invasive colorectal surgery, for our organization, is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide," said Janie Sinacore-Jaberg, CEO of East Cooper Medical Center. "We are so proud of our six Gold Seals of Approval, which is more than any other hospital in South Carolina."
"In achieving Joint Commission certification, East Cooper Medical Center has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients with minimally invasive colorectal surgery," says Jean Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q. executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. "Certification is a voluntary process and I commend East Cooper Medical Center for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves."
The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, launched in 2002, is designed to evaluate clinical programs across the continuum of care. Certification requirements address 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.