The American Hospital Dubai has announced its re-accreditation by Joint Commission International (JCI), a subsidiary of the American accreditation organisation which sets the standards for the quality of healthcare organisations in the US.

It became the first hospital in the Middle East – and second in the world - to be awarded the accreditation in May 2000 and successfully underwent further surveys by the JCI in 2003, 2006, 2009 and now 2012, to maintain its accredited status.

JCI carries out surveys on its accredited hospitals every three years and this latest re-accreditation was awarded after an intensive, four-day survey undertaken by an evaluation team from the Commission.

Its latest on-site evaluation of the hospital was conducted by a team of international health care experts, including a physician, nurse and hospital administrator. The four-day survey covered around 374 JCI standards and over 1,200 measurable elements were examined. 

Thomas Murray, CEO of the American Hospital Dubai, said: “We are delighted to successfully undergo this latest JCI survey because maintaining our JCI accreditation is a continuation of the quality journey and is only achievable through the close collaboration of all our physicians, staff and management as we continue to expand and develop our services.”

“This JCI survey was very extensive and rigorous and we are very pleased to report that the hospital passed the inspection with a very high degree of compliance across all JCI standards. The result is a testament to the strong teamwork at the hospital and another notable milestone for the hospital as we celebrate our 15th anniversary in this year.”

JCI is dedicated to improving the quality of health care through voluntary accreditation. Its uniform, high standards for patient care and safety are designed to be adaptable to local needs, thus accommodating legal, religious and cultural factors within a country. 

Standards focus on the areas that most directly impact patient care. These include access to care, assessment of patients, infection control, patient and family rights, and education.

Standards also address facility management and safety, staff qualifications, quality improvement, hospital leadership, and management of information. – TradeArabia News Service