Big Rapids Hospital Awarded Accreditation from The Joint Commission

Big Rapids, Mich., July 30, 2015 – Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for hospital accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects the organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

Big Rapids Hospital underwent a rigorous, unannounced on-site survey in May 2015. During the review, a team of expert surveyors from The Joint Commission evaluated compliance with hospital standards related to several areas, including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management. Surveyors also conducted on-site observations and interviews.

“Big Rapids Hospital is pleased to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission,” said Caroline Ring, vice president of patient services and chief nursing officer at Big Rapids and Reed City Hospitals. “Staff from across the organization continue to work hard to maintain high standards of care for patients in our community, and this accreditation reflects that hard work.”

The Joint Commission has accredited hospitals for more than 60 years. More than 4,000 general, children’s, long-term acute, psychiatric, rehabilitation and specialty hospitals currently maintain accreditation from The Joint Commission, awarded for a three-year period.

“Joint Commission accreditation provides hospitals with the processes needed to improve in a variety of areas from the enhancement of staff education to the improvement of daily business operations,” said Mark G. Pelletier, RN, M.S., chief operating officer, Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. “In addition, our accreditation helps hospitals enhance their risk management and risk reduction strategies. We commend Big Rapids Hospital for its efforts to become a quality improvement organization.”

The Joint Commission’s hospital standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help hospitals measure, assess and improve performance.