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GMH Receives Notice of Preliminary Accreditation |
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Oct. 6, 2009
The Guam Memorial Hospital Authority (GMHA) today received notice from The Joint Commission that the hospital has received preliminary accreditation following a two-day survey completed Sept. 23.
Preliminary accreditation means that The Joint Commission, the nonprofit organization that accredits hospitals worldwide, has reached a preliminary decision that the structures and systems the hospital has in place are compliant with Joint Commission standards in areas including the quality of care and the safety of the environment in which care is provided. This award excludes the GMHA Skilled Nursing Unit, which is surveyed under the Long Term Care Program. This marks the first time in 26 years that GMH has received preliminary accreditation.
“This is a major achievement for GMH,” said Gov. Felix P. Camacho. “It required true leadership on behalf of the board and the hospital’s management. We are so proud of them and all the employees who took it upon themselves to reach this goal. And this certainly would not have happened if it weren’t for Lt. Gov. Cruz and all of his expertise in the decisions that led us to this point.”
The governor worked closely with Lt. Gov. Michael W. Cruz, M.D., to stabilize the hospital financially toward the goal of accreditation. To help navigate the hospital through its financial shortfalls, Gov. Camacho and Lt. Gov. Cruz recomposed the board with a heavy focus on financial expertise.
“One of the reasons why Lt. Gov. Cruz sought political office in the first place was to do whatever he could to help GMH,” said Carlotta Leon Guerrero, chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Cruz. “As a freshman senator, he became the health chairman and worked with the legislature and Gov. Camacho to create pharmaceutical funds. These funds give a percentage to GMH to be used for medicine. This was a critical component that helped to stabilize GMH.”
Preliminary accreditation is customarily valid for up to 39 months. The hospital continues to prepare for an intensive weeklong survey in early 2010, during which it will be evaluated for compliance with all Joint Commission standards across the continuum of care.
Accreditation by The Joint Commission – formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, or JCAHO – is a rigorous process, and only about 88 percent of the nation’s hospitals are accredited.
“Today’s news is recognition of the hard work of our hospital staff,” said GMHA Administrator and CEO PeterJohn D. Camacho, MPH. “We still have a formidable task ahead of us, but this achievement speaks volumes about the level of care our hospital has for its patients every day.” |
