Harris Hospital Laboratory Awarded Accreditation from The Joint Commission

Newport, August 11, 2009 – By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission‘s national standards for health care quality and safety, the Harris Hospital laboratory has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™.

“We sought accreditation for our laboratory because we want to demonstrate our commitment to our patient’s safety and quality care,” says Chip Camp, CEO. “We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward achieving excellence.”

“The accreditation process helps promote continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvement in health care organizations,” says Gina Zimmermann, M.S., senior executive director, The Joint Commission. “Achieving accreditation demonstrates Harris Hospital’s commitment to providing high quality and safe services.” The Joint Commission conducted an unannounced, on-site evaluation of Harris Hospital laboratory on June 4, 2009. The accreditation award recognizes Harris Hospital’s dedication to complying with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, The Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.