Charleston, S.C./Nov. 4, 2015 - Trident Health has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval(tm) for its inpatient diabetes care program, becoming one of only 82 facilities nationwide to obtain the certification. Earned by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care, the certification recognizes the health system's dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission's state-of-the-art standards and its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients with diabetes.
To achieve the certification, Trident and Summerville Medical Centers underwent a rigorous on-site review. Each facility was evaluated upon 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.
"With Joint Commission advanced certification, we are making a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis," said Lynn Moore, MSN, RN, director of Regulatory Compliance. "This certification provides us a framework to take our organization to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence."
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, and
- An identified program champion or team.