Saint Joseph East Earns Disease Specific Care Certification from The Joint Commission

Lexington, Ky. (December 5, 2019) — Saint Joseph East has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease Specific Care in Sepsis Certification. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

Saint Joseph East underwent a rigorous onsite review to receive this certification. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national disease-specific care standards, as well as with sepsis-specific requirements. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.

“Saint Joseph East is pleased to receive Disease Specific Care Sepsis Certification from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation,” said Dan Goulson, MD, chief medical officer, CHI Saint Joseph Health. “Certification by The Joint Commission illustrates our commitment to a culture of excellence in serving our patients and community.”

The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification was established in 2002 and is awarded for a two-year period; the first sepsis certification was awarded in 2013. The certification program 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.

“This certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Saint Joseph East for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its sepsis program structure and management framework.”

For more information about CHI Saint Joseph Health and Saint Joseph East, please visit www.CHISaintJosephHealth.org.

About CHI Saint Joseph Health
CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of Catholic Health Initiatives, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 135 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to building healthier communities by elevating patient care through an integrated physical and behavioral health delivery system. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.

About Saint Joseph East
Saint Joseph East is a 217-bed full-service community hospital located in the southeastern section of Lexington, KY. Established in 1983, the facility serves residents of central and eastern Kentucky. At Saint Joseph East, ambulatory surgery, 24-hour emergency care and women’s health services are supported through a vast array of inpatient and outpatient programs.

About 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 more than 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.

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