High Risk Neonatal Program Receives Joint Commission's Gold Seal, First in NC
April 1, 2011
CHARLOTTE -- The High-Risk Neonatal Program at Levine Children's Hospital recently received the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission. The Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery (NICN) at LCH is the first in North Carolina to have this accreditation. It is also the only nursery in the nation with the highest intensive care classification to receive this distinction. LCH is affiliated with Carolinas Medical Center (CMC).
The certification is an evaluation by The Joint Commission of selected clinical programs that deliver care to a defined patient population. Following an invitation by The Joint Commission to apply as a result of excellent reviews, an extensive, on-site evaluation of the program was conducted. The team assessed the program's quality and safety processes, as well as the ability to evaluate and improve care within its organization. Achieving this honor certifies the NICN at LCH is at the top of all neonatal intensive care nurseries nationally with respect to the care of high-risk infants.
"This accreditation emphasizes the fact that LCH provides the highest quality of healthcare to the sick and premature babies we see in our neonatal nursery," said Martha Whitecotton, President of LCH. "Our program consists of a team of experts who work together to provide excellent services and treatments to our patients and their families."
"I am extremely proud of the work that has been done at LCH to receive this designation," said Suzanne Freeman, President of CMC. "Our team is very passionate about the care they provide to our patients and their families, and the accreditation from The Joint Commission demonstrates their dedication to providing the very best care."
The High-Risk Neonatal Program specializes in treatment of critically ill newborns with extreme prematurity and newborns requiring heart surgery, neurosurgery and treatment of other complex conditions. The program is designed to ensure delivery of the highest quality of care with a focus on service excellence, improvements in patient outcomes, optimization of safety measures and evidence-based best practice models.
The interdisciplinary team includes board-certified neonatologists, neonatal nursing staff and advanced practice nurses, neonatal respiratory therapists, a neonatal dietitian, pediatric residents and parents of former patients who serve on the Family Advisory Council at LCH. The NICN is equipped with the latest in medical technology including the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) heart-lung bypass that supports neonates with respiratory failure, as well as therapeutic hypothermia for asphyxiated infants. The staff also provides education, counseling and emotional support to new parents as well as a high-risk neonatal follow-up clinic to ensure success after discharge.
The High-Risk Neonatal certification joins nine other programs at CMC that are currently certified by The Joint Commission: Primary Stroke, Heart Failure, End Stage Renal Disease, Acute Myocardial Infarction, Ventricular Assist Device, Maternal / Child, High-Risk Obstetrics, Ovarian Uterine Cancer, and Advanced Inpatient Diabetes.
Certification by The Joint Commission is based on compliance with relevant standards and criteria and the effective use of clinical guidelines and outcomes measurement. Having this certification demonstrates excellence in fostering better outcomes by the integration and coordination of care.
About Carolinas HealthCare System
Carolinas HealthCare System, one of the leading healthcare organizations in the Southeast, includes 33 affiliated hospitals in North and South Carolina. CHS provides a lifetime medical home to all patients through a network of some 600 care locations that includes hospitals, health care pavilions, physician practices, surgical and rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, nursing homes and other facilities. These operations comprise more than 1,700 employed physicians, 6,300 licensed beds and 48,000 employees.
