News Release

Contact: Heather Kube
Public Relations Director
(563) 244-3519

Mercy Receives Accreditation from Joint Commission

CLINTON, IA - Mercy Medical Center has received accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The status of accreditation indicates that a health system meets Joint Commission standards in all performance areas. Organizations that meet these standards improve their ability to provide quality patient care.

Specific areas within Mercy that received this accreditation include the hospital itself; Mercy Home Care, Hospice, and Home Medical Equipment; and Mercy Services for Aging, which includes Bluff Terrace and Wyndcrest Nursing Homes, as well as Harmony House Center for Dementia Care.

“Achieving accreditation demonstrates Mercy’s commitment to providing high quality care and safety to its patients,” said Linda Hoppe, Mercy’s Quality Improvement Director.

In order to earn and maintain accreditation, a health system must undergo an on-site survey by a Joint Commission team at least every three years. The objective of the survey is not only to evaluate the health system, but also to provide education and guidance that will help the staff continue to improve performance. Five health care professionals who have senior management level experience in health care organizations conducted the survey itself. The team spends several days at the health system facilities interviewing patients and staff, reviewing documents, and observing care as it is carried out.

JCAHO is the leading health care accrediting body in the world, evaluating and accrediting more than 17,000 health care organizations in the United States, including hospitals, home health agencies, clinical laboratories, ambulatory care, long term care, and behavioral health care organizations.