UC Irvine Medical Center Receives Certification from Joint Commission for Stroke and Joint Programs

UCI is among the first hospitals nationally to attain certifications

Orange, Calif., Jan. 20, 2004 -- By demonstrating excellence in health-care quality in its Stroke Management and Joint Replacement Programs, UCI Medical Center has achieved Disease-Specific Care Certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.  

UCI Medical Center is the first hospital nationally to achieve joint replacement certification and the first in Southern California to receive the Primary Stroke Center certification.  The Joint Commission established the new certifications last fall to recognize hospital programs that meet national quality standards.

"Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care Certification assures consumers that UCI Medical Center is committed to quality and safety excellence," says Maureen Connors Potter, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, Joint Commission. "It is the Gold Seal of Approval(tm) for health-care quality and safety."

The Primary Stroke Center certification will help the public and emergency medical service professionals to recognize which hospitals are best-equipped to treat stroke. Stroke is the nation's third leading cause of death.  Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke.

UCI's Joint Replacement Program has consistently rated higher than national benchmarks for pain management and improved quality of life for patients undergoing total joint replacement.  The program stresses an individualized approach to care, education and rehabilitation. 

Reviewers from the Joint Commission evaluated UCI Medical Center's Stroke Management and Joint Replacement Programs last December to assess its compliance with the Joint Commission's state-of-the-art national standards and performance measurement expectations for the management of chronic-care illnesses. 

"We voluntarily pursued this comprehensive, independent evaluation to enhance and validate the safety and quality of care we provide," said Dr. Ralph W. Cygan, chief executive officer for UCI Medical Center. "We're proud to have achieved this distinction for both programs."

The evaluation assessed the qualifications and competence of practitioners, ongoing efforts to measure and improve process and outcomes; demonstrated leadership support for the program; and use of clinical information systems to monitor patient-care management.  Disease-specific certification is awarded for one year.  A one-year extension may be granted contingent upon submission of an acceptable Periodic Performance Review.

The Joint Commission has over 50 years of recognized and respected experience and expertise in evaluating clinical care quality in all types of health care settings.  For more information about disease-specific certifications, visit www.jcaho.org.

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UCI Medical Center is the only university hospital in Orange County, offering specialized medical and surgical services.  It has the county's only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I trauma center and regional burn center and National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.  Included in its University Children's Hospital is the county's most sophisticated neonatal unit, caring for more than 500 premature and at-risk infants a year.    In early 2004, construction will begin on UCI's new university hospital, which will be located at Chapman Ave. and The City Drive in Orange.

Media contact:

Kim Pine, Communications Manager

714-456-7759; pager 714-506-0472

kpine@uci.edu