How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
The NYU Langone Medical Center was awarded the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission last Friday.
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The commission certifies U.S. health care facilities that practice the best patient care and safety.
Dr. Bernard Birnbaum, chief of hospital operations at NYU Langone, said the accreditation "reflects NYU Langone's deep commitment to high-quality medical care and the resources devoted to ensuring that care — even when an inspection isn't around the corner."
Accreditation must be achieved every three years, so it is up to NYU Langone to ensure that its facilities are running smoothly for their performance review.
NYU Langone had to be on top of its game every day to achieve this standard, as officials could stop in for their reviews at any moment, said Maxine Simon, chief regulatory officer for the NYU Hospitals Center compliance oversight committee.
Without this accreditation, the hospital would not be able to qualify for Medicaid or Medicare reimbursement, said Ken Powers, media relations manager of the Joint Commission.
Powers added that the benefits of this voluntary evaluation are well worth the process.
"Many hospitals will use it to bring in top level, talented staff and maintain the staff that they have," he said. "It's something for patients to look at, too, and knowing that it's accredited by the Joint Commission, they know that it has gone through a rigorous evaluation of the care that it provides."
