Medical Center of Lewisville FIRST in Denton County to be Awarded Inpatient Diabetes Certification from The Joint Commission
April 28, 2011
Medical Center of Lewisville
500 West Main Street
Lewisville, TX 75057
Media Contact: CeCe Clemens
972.420.1855
www.lewisvillemedical.com
Lewisville, TX – April 28, 2011 – Medical Center of Lewisville has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for its inpatient diabetes program by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. The certification award recognizes Medical Center of Lewisville’s dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards. The hospital, which is celebrating 35 years in the community, is the first facility in Denton County to receive this certification and is one of only three certified programs in the state.
Medical Center of Lewisville (MCL) underwent a rigorous on-site survey in December 2010. 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.
"In achieving Joint Commission certification, Medical Center of Lewisville has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients with diabetes," 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 Medical Center of Lewisville for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”
"With Joint Commission certification, we are making a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down. Joint Commission accreditation provides us a framework to take our organization to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence,” says Doug Welch, CEO of Medical Center of Lewisville. “Achieving Joint Commission certification in inpatient diabetes care, for our organization, is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide.”
“Recognizing that 25% of our inpatients have a diagnosis of diabetes, several years ago we developed an interdisciplinary program to achieve better glycemic control, decrease length of stay and improve patient outcomes. We provide education to all of our patients with diabetes from day 1 of their hospitalization” says Kerri Kennedy, RN, Diabetes Program Director. “This certification serves as recognition of the quality program we have developed and it confirms the quality initiatives we have implemented in the treatment and management of patients with diabetes.”
Patient education is a primary focus for MCL. With a goal to provide 100% diabetes education, all patients with a diagnosis of diabetes are provided the Eight Steps to Managing Your Diabetes booklet on admission. This booklet was created to provide consistent education to all patients with diabetes. Education starts on admission and nurses are trained about their impact based on the frequency of patient interactions. They have a great opportunity to help patients who “don’t know what they don’t know”. Patients sometimes don’t ask questions because they don’t know what to ask. This booklet, which the patient works through until discharge, covers eight topics on diabetes and educates the patient on how the topic applies to them.
In addition to inpatient diabetes management, Medical Center of Lewisville also offers an outpatient Diabetes Self Management Program. Learn more at www.lewisvillemedical.com.
About The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program
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. 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.