Peninsula Regional Earns Gold Seal Joint Commission Certification in AMI.

Peninsula Regional Medical Center, a 362-bed tertiary care facility in Salisbury, Maryland, has been presented its fourth Gold Seal of Approval™ for health care quality by The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The Joint Commission recently awarded Peninsula Regional Disease-Specific Care Certification for the treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) or heart attack.

Currently Peninsula Regional is the only hospital or medical center in Maryland, Delaware or Washington, D.C. to hold this prestigious distinction in AMI.

In 2008, 748 people were treated for AMI at Peninsula Regional Medical Center, the regional trauma center for the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Medical Center staff work closely with local EMS to quickly diagnose people who may be experiencing a heart attack. That relationship allows for professional care in the field and rapid transport to the Medical Center’s Emergency/Trauma Center. If necessary, patients have immediate access to Peninsula Regional’s Guerrieri Heart & Vascular Institute for additional treatment options including cardiac catheterization and coronary artery bypass surgery. Thousands each year also rely on Peninsula Regional’s Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Department for a safe return to life’s normal activities following an AMI experience. That program is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in Maryland.

“Peninsula Regional voluntarily pursued this comprehensive, independent evaluation to enhance the safety and quality of the care we provide,” said Medical Center President Peggy Naleppa. “We’re proud to achieve this distinction from the Joint Commission, and privileged to add it to our recent HealthGrades rating that placed Peninsula Regional among the top five hospitals for heart care in Maryland.” Peninsula Regional is also Gold Seal certified by the Joint Commission in Stroke Care, Total Hip Replacement Surgery and Total Knee Replacement Surgery.

A disease management program, like AMI at Peninsula Regional, undergoes an extensive, on-site evaluation by a team of Joint Commission reviewers every two years. The program is evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of a program’s processes, the program’s ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.

“This certification means Peninsula Regional Medical Center does the right things and does them well for AMI patients,” said Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., Executive Director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.

The Joint Commission launched its Disease-Specific Care Certification program in 2002. It is the first program of its kind in the country to certify disease management programs. A list of programs certified by the Joint Commission is available at www.jointcommission.org.