Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies has received recognition from The Joint Commission, for their outstanding patient care and physician standards. The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. It’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care (ACPC) has been awarded to only 17 facilities across the country, and Orlando Health Winnie Palmer is the first in Florida to receive this designation.
“This is a huge recognition of all the hard work the team does here for our patients,” said Suzanne Worthington, president, Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. “For The Joint Commission to recognize our facility’s process of continual improvement is quite meaningful. Our talented physicians clearly work hard to serve our patients well. Being recognized as the first hospital in our state to meet these rigorous standards speaks to our commitment of providing the highest level of care.”
Orlando Health initiated the rigorous certification process with The Joint Commission and worked with their review panel to ensure that the actions and goals of the team at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer met the highest standards. The Joint Commission makes its determination of the fitness of the facility through an onsite review process, evaluating compliance with a litany of key metrics in prenatal through postnatal care for both complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies.
Orlando Health Winnie Palmer met the quality standards, organizational performance, and dedication to continual improvement that this certification requires.
ACPC is for hospitals that have the capability to provide labor and delivery services. In order to be certified, hospitals must be located in the US, use a standardized method of delivering clinical care based on clinical practice guidelines, and use performance metrics to improve performance over time. Organizations are required to utilize evidence-based literature to develop policies and procedures for the care the program provides across the perinatal continuum.
The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization, whose mission is 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.
“Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care recognizes healthcare organizations committed to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” said Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “We commend Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies for using The Joint Commission certification process to reduce variation in clinical processes and to strengthen its clinical program to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for individuals served.”
As a recipient of this certification, Orlando Health Winnie Palmer is required to keep monthly data for a large set of standardized performance metrics, reporting to The Joint Commission quarterly with the results.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work we do to improve care for the mothers and babies that we see here at the hospital,” added Worthington. “This is a great team that is dedicated to the full continuum of care for everyone that walks through our doors.”
Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies is dedicated exclusively to the unique healthcare needs of women and babies in a caring, family-centered environment. As an extraordinary Orlando Health facility, it is home to leading physicians, surgeons, and specialists, as well as one of the nation’s largest and most successful neonatal intensive care units. Its physicians provide specialized care that covers all facets of women’s health, from comprehensive gynecological services and minimally invasive surgeries to obstetrics and high-risk pregnancies and births.
