Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Awarded Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation From The Joint Commission - June 18, 2015

For Immediate Release
June 18, 2015

Contacts:
Ashley Marchena
Phone: 915-215-4915
Email: ashley.marchena@ttuhsc.edu

EL PASO, TEXAS – Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso today announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its nationally-recognized standards. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso underwent a rigorous on-site survey in April 2015. During the survey, a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated compliance with ambulatory care standards related to a variety of areas, including coordination of patient care, credentialing and privileging of providers, the environment of care, infection prevention and control, management of medications, and patient education and training.

Established in 1975, The Joint Commission’s Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation program encourages high quality patient care in all types of freestanding ambulatory care facilities. An estimated 2,100 organizations currently maintain Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation, awarded for a three-year period.

“Joint Commission accreditation provides ambulatory care organizations with the processes contributing to improvements in a variety of areas from the enhancement of staff education to the demonstration of leading practices within the ambulatory setting,” said Michael Kulczycki, M.B.A., CAE, executive director, Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation program, The Joint Commission. “We commend Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso for its efforts to become a quality improvement organization, and achieving this pinnacle demonstrating a commitment to patient safety and quality.”

“The mission of The Joint Commission is to continuously improve health care for the public and to inspire health care organizations to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso is proud of our staff, providers, and the services we provide to our community,” added Dr. Michael Romano, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. “We welcomed the external validation by the Joint Commission of our commitment to quality and patient safety.”

The Joint Commission’s ambulatory health care standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help organizations measure, assess and improve performance.

The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso) is the Texas Tech University System’s fourth university. The mission of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso is to improve the lives of people in our State and our community by focusing on the unique health care needs of socially and culturally diverse border populations through excellence in integrated education, research, and patient care. TTUHSC El Paso is comprised of the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, the Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The university has a clinical practice called Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, which is part of the largest network of health care physicians in West Texas. Research focuses on cancer, diabetes and obesity, infectious diseases, and neurosciences. For more information about Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, please visit ttuhscep.edu.