Evergreen receives Advanced Certification in Inpatient Diabetes from The Joint Commission

Feb 18 2012

Evergreen Healthcare has earned Advanced Certification in Inpatient Diabetes from The Joint Commission for its comprehensive diabetes treatment program, establishing it as Washington state's only program to currently hold the distinction.

The designation is awarded to hospitals that implement evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, incorporate nationally established best practices for successful models of care and use an interdisciplinary approach to patient education, glucose control and medication management.

Evergreen's multi-disciplinary diabetes steering committee guides its inpatient diabetes care program, which provides comprehensive diabetes care through education, glucose control and medication management to help patients self-manage their conditions after discharge.

This long-standing comprehensive approach to treating diabetes made the advanced certification possible through the leadership of Dr. James Colquhoun, medical director of the Evergreen Healthcare diabetes program, Kathleen Bouranova, diabetes program manager, and Kathy M. Schoenrock, director of quality management.

"We are incredibly proud to be the first hospital in Washington to earn this certification," said Dr.  Colquhoun.  "Our nursing staff achieved this special recognition for their ongoing commitment to the care of diabetic patients. Additionally, our diabetes nurse educators work closely with patients in the hopes that they will feel more confident about managing their diabetes at home after hospital discharge."

In its effort to certify top-performing organizations, The Joint Commission identifies a group of critical attributes for successful diabetes programs, which include staff education requirements, blood glucose monitoring protocols, treatment plans and data collection for hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, patient education on self-management of diabetes and identification of a program champion team.

"Advanced certification for our comprehensive diabetes program is another example of our focus on delivering breakthrough care across our entire organization," said Evergreen Healthcare CEO Bob Malte.  "It is a tribute to the efforts of the dedicated staff in our diabetes program, as well as a symbol of our emphasis on achieving excellence in every facet of patient treatment."

SOURCE Evergreen Healthcare