Winthrop Wins National Gold-Star Healthcare Award

Typically, businesses and establishments will hurry around at the last minute trying to better their appearance whenever they are up for an inspection. Very rarely do they actually volunteer to be randomly inspected – and graded by a national organization.

When it came time for to be accredited by the Joint Commission, a not-for-profit organization which makes healthcare improvement its sole focus, Winthrop was ready and willing to put itself to the test.

The commission’s evaluations and ratings are widely recognized throughout America as an accurate representation of a particular hospital’s safety. The commission tries to see whether or not hospitals are meeting certain performance standards and whether or not they are using effective healthcare treatments.

Winthrop and its Home Health Care Agency received , dubbed “The Gold Seal of Approval” since the organization felt the hospital complied with the highest levels of safety and quality standards.

In an interview, Joint Commission Executive Director of Hospital Programs Accreditation and Certification Mark Pelletier said that “in achieving the Joint Commission accreditation, one of the highest sort too, Winthrop has again demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients.”

Pelletier commended Winthrop because “accreditation is a voluntary process” and “undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

The voluntary survey initially taken randomly and included an extensive, five-day, on-site review. The reviewing panel included a physician and an administrator as well a couple of nurses and engineers. The survey, a comprehensive evaluation of the hospital’s standards in addressing both hospital management and patient care, was developed by healthcare experts, patients, healthcare providers and even a few measurement experts.

“A large part of Winthrop’s success with the Joint Commission survey was the outstanding communication shared by the members of the Winthrop staff,” Vice President of Administration Barbara Kohart Kleine said immediately following the accreditation rating.