The American Hospital Dubai has earned its sixth accreditation by Joint Commission International (JCI), a leader in improving the quality of healthcare, following a recent JCI on-site survey by a team of international health care experts, representing medical, nursing and hospital administration.

The hospital became the first hospital in the Middle East – and only the second in the world - to be awarded JCI accreditation in May 2000 and has successfully maintained its accredited status, said a statement.

JCI carries out surveys on its accredited hospitals every three years, it said.

Paula Wilson, president and chief executive officer, JCI, said: “Health care organisations around the world want to create environments that focus on quality, safety and continuous improvement.

“Accreditation meets this demand by stimulating continuous, systematic improvements in an organisation’s performance and the outcomes of patient care. The community should be proud that the American Hospital Dubai has made a commitment to quality and safety.”

Peter Makowski, chief executive officer of the American Hospital Dubai, said: “I would like to congratulate the entire hospital staff for presenting and representing the hospital so magnificently and showing the JCIA survey team the high quality of care that our patients receive here. This is a very powerful testament to the quality of all our people and the pride we take in our work.

“JCI accreditation is an important way of assuring all our patients, corporate clients and the wider community, that we are providing the highest standards of US quality health care. It also confirms that we are committed to maintaining our position as a pioneering leader in the private health care sector and to supporting the country in becoming a destination of choice for high quality international health care tourism.”

JCI is dedicated to improving the quality of health care through voluntary accreditation. Its standards are revised at least every three years by a 13-member Standards Advisory Panel, composed of experienced physicians, nurses and administration and public policy experts, and the 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, but also require the adoption of evidence based practices.

The standards focus on the areas that most directly impact patient care. It includes international patient safety goals, access to care, assessment of patients, prevention and control of infection, patient and family rights, anaesthesia and surgical care, medication management and patient education.

It also addresses health care organisation management, which includes facility management and safety, staff qualifications and education, quality improvement and patient safety, hospital leadership, and management of information. - TradeArabia News Service