Successful Joint Commission survey

14 Apr 2019

Message from the CEO

By: Cheryl Wolfe, president and CEO

 

Our four-day Joint Commission survey is complete. Your cooperation as Salem Health providers and medical staff was deeply appreciated in making this a successful survey. We couldn't have done it without you.

A few notes surveyors made in the closing conference:

• Many thanks to the escort service team/tracers for taking surveyors around.
• Lots of evidence of staff engagement, from our visibility walls and the enthusiasm any staff member showed when approached, to physician engagement.
• Our Epic documentation for assessment of abuse in pediatrics was better than our surveyors have seen, even at pediatric hospitals.
• Substantial evidence about our work with the community, from how staff, incident command and infection prevention handled a measles case, to our contracted services with the state penitentiary.
• Outstanding cleanliness and work by Environmental Services and support staff.
• Zero findings for problems with testing and maintenance of machines and equipment.

Overall, the surveyors called their tour a “very impressive experience” that “went quite well.”

We do have areas to work on. The Joint Commission looks at 1,600 elements of performance and has 10 business days to review their report for their own quality metrics. At that point, we will have their findings and 60 days to show evidence of standard compliance. Details will be available after we receive our official survey, through your leadership.

Let’s appreciate our culture and the quality care we have developed here. There IS something special and different about Salem Health -– and it’s YOU. It’s our staff and providers.

We have so many reasons to be proud, but none of that would be possible without you.