Calumet Medical Center awarded accreditation from the Joint Commission
07 / 09 / 2010
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Maria Heim, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)
Chilton, Wis. — By demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission‘s national standards for health care quality and safety, Calumet Medical Center’s laboratory services has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™.
“We sought accreditation for our organization because we want to demonstrate our commitment to patients’ safety and quality care,” said Tim Richman, president of Calumet Medical Center. “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,” said Gina Zimmermann, M.S., senior executive director, the Joint Commission. “Achieving accreditation demonstrates Calumet Medical Center’s commitment to providing high quality and safe services.”
The Joint Commission conducted an unannounced, on-site evaluation of Calumet Medical Center on March 31, 2010 and April 1, 2010. The accreditation award recognizes Calumet Medical Center’s dedication to complying with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.
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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 evaluates and accredits more than 17,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 9,500 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,300 other health care organizations that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. In addition, the Joint Commission also provides certification of more than 1,000 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. Learn more about the Joint Commission at http://www.jointcommission.org.
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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a faith-based regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley’s second-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and has been nationally listed for two years in a row among the top 50 health systems for quality and efficiency (Thomson Reuters, Modern Healthcare; 2009, 2010). For nine consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI Health (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation – Affinity ranks no. 81 in the 2011 report. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It has been nationally ranked in the Top 50 Health Insurance Plans for five consecutive years in the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 26 family practice and specialty clinics – 23 of which are transforming into medical home models – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.