Hamilton Medical Center Re-Accredited By Joint Commission
4/5/2007

Keith Jennings
706.272.6118

Dalton, GA – By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety, Hamilton Medical Center has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™.

“We sought re-accreditation for our organization because we want to demonstrate our commitment to patient safety and quality care,” says Hamilton President and CEO, John Bowling. “We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward achieving excellence.”

"Above all, the national standards are intended to stimulate continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvement in an organization's performance and the outcomes of care," says Darlene Christiansen, executive director, Hospital Accreditation Program, Joint Commission. "The communities of northwest Georgia should be proud that Hamilton Medical Center is focusing on the most challenging goal - to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels."

The Joint Commission conducted an unannounced, on-site evaluation of Hamilton Medical Center, Hamilton Hospice and Hamilton Home Health in December 2006. The accreditation award recognizes Hamilton’s dedication to complying with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis. This award excludes skilled nursing and nursing home services, which have been surveyed and accredited separately.

"We continually strive to improve the quality of our services, and meeting the Joint Commission's rigorous national standards is an important recognition of our efforts," says Bowling.

In 1958, Hamilton Medical Center became one of the first three hospitals in Georgia to receive national Joint Commission accreditation. Hamilton has since continuously maintained its accreditation. In addition to the Joint Commission-accredited hospital, home health and hospice programs, the Medical Center also operates a Joint Commission-accredited primary stroke center and laboratory.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services.

The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, the Joint Commission provides certification of 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.

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