Pharmacy News Article

Dec. 31WHITTIER Whittier Hospital Medical Center officials say they've completed a major hurdle in their bid to renew their status as a fully accredited facility, receiving a favorable review from a team of health-care experts who visited the hospital earlier this month.

Accreditation is required for U.S. hospitals to participate in Medicare and Medi-Cal programs, WHMC officials said.

And this year, the 178-bed hospital's previous three-year accreditation from the Joint Commission the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency was set to expire.

That's why a team from TJC made an unannounced visit to the facility early this month and spent three days surveying every aspect of WHMC's services, from housekeeping to nursing care to physician credentials.

In the end, said Chief Nursing Officer Phyllis Snyder, "The surveyors were very impressed. They liked our processes, they said our staff was very educated, and they said it was a very successful survey."

"And we are very pleased," Snyder added.

Normally, said TJC spokesman Ken Powers, its accreditation teams include doctors, nurses, administrators, engineers and safety code specialists.

"When they're on site, they're on the front lines of how and when care is being given," Powers said. "They're observing patient care and talking about what the process is, and they're looking at those things in actuality and evaluating everything."

After the

team's initial verbal report to the hospital, Powers said, the team continues to work with the facility to "help identify what they're doing well and what they can do better.

"And that's really the goal of the survey," he said.

Howard Ternes, WHMC's chief executive officer, said the accreditation process doesn't come easily or cheaply it takes considerable resources and "commitment to obtain and maintain."

"As demands on the health-care providers continue to escalate, compliance with federal state and local regulations becomes more and more challenging," Ternes said.

But he said he was "pleased with the results of the survey and the great work that our team does on a daily basis to maintain the level of quality required to remain compliant with the standards."

Now, Snyder said, hospital officials must draft an action plan to address any areas of improvement, and submit it to TJC sometime in February.

After that plan is submitted, that's when TJC will decide whether to grant full accreditation for another three years, Snyder said.

tracy.garcia@sgvn.com

562-698-0955, ext. 3051

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