Celebrating Your Accreditation From The Joint Commission

Congratulations on achieving accreditation from The Joint Commission. Joint Commission accreditation means your organization complies with the highest national standards for safety and quality of care. Let your organization’s patients, residents or clients know that your organization was awarded the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™. Here are some suggestions:

• Use the Gold Seal of Approval™ to promote your organization’s Joint Commission accreditation. We’ve included two Gold Seal of Approval™ decals in this kit for your organization to display at the main entrance of its facility. Your organization can download artwork of the Gold Seal of Approval™ from our online publicity kit to incorporate the Gold Seal of Approval™ into print, billboard, television and online advertising, letterhead and stationery, business cards, patient, resident or client educational materials, and your organization’s website.
  
  Click here to download artwork of the Gold Seal of Approval™.
  
  Your organization can also order Gold Seal of Approval™ products through our affiliate, Joint Commission Resources (JCR). To view JCR’s online catalog, go to www.jcrinc.com, click on the shopping care or call JCR Customer Service toll-free at (877) 223-6866.
• Display your organization’s Certificate of Accreditation in a prominent location in your organization. Your organization’s certificate should arrive approximately four to six weeks after receipt of this publicity kit. Order additional accreditation certificates by contacting Joint Commission Business Coordinator Jean Sponzilli at (630) 792-5862.
• Direct patients, residents or clients to your organization’s Quality Report on Quality Check® at www.qualitycheck.org. Your Quality Report includes the accreditation decision, a listing of accredited sites and services, special quality awards, level of compliance with the National Patient Safety Goals, and for hospitals, National Quality Improvement Goals.
• Send a news release to the local media. See the sample news releases.
• Conduct a news conference. Invite local reporters to meet with your organization’s CEO, medical director, quality assurance/improvement director, and other key staff members. Discuss how staff involvement is essential to both maintaining continuous standards compliance and demonstrating that compliance during the unannounced on-site survey. Explain the focus on patient, resident, or client care through the tracer methodology and observation of care. Emphasize how the on-site survey is tailored to your organization’s unique characteristics, services, and patient, resident, or client populations via the Priority Focus Process. Stress your organization’s ongoing continuous compliance with standards 24/7, 365 days a year.
• Demonstrate ongoing efforts to comply with Joint Commission standards that can provide additional positive publicity. For example, invite the news media to cover emergency drills. This is a highly visible, graphic story and generates positive media exposure.
• Notify any state or metropolitan provider association of which your organization is a member. Many of these associations publicize accreditation information in their newsletters.
• Notify the benefit manager at insurance carriers and/or health plans whose clients use or might use your organization’s services.
• Include information on the benefits of accreditation in your organization’s newsletters and in presentations to staff, board members and community groups.
• Celebrate the accreditation award by sponsoring a “Quality Day” at your organization. Honor special staff, volunteers or donors and offer tours of your organization’s facility.