Penn State Health St. Joseph successfully completed a Joint Commission review on Friday following an unannounced, four-day onsite inspection. The site surveyors praised the staff for its progress on becoming a high-reliability organization.
Preparation was key because The Joint Commission has significantly adjusted its survey process since the medical center’s last review in 2016. While surveyors provided much positive feedback, they also identified issues that St. Joseph will resolve within the time provided to attain full accreditation.
Joint Commission standards are designed “to promote patient safety and quality of care through performance improvement.” The surveyors used the tracer methodology to evaluate compliance with the standards related to patient care experiences, the physical environment and organizational leadership. The surveyors visited all parts of St. Joseph, including the Bern and Downtown Reading campuses and some outpatient facilities.
The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies health care organizations and programs in the U.S. Joint Commission inspections are performed every three years to ensure hospitals meet national quality and safety performance standards.
