Press Release

ALEXIAN BROTHERS MEDICAL CENTER & ST. ALEXIUS MEDICAL CENTER AWARDED CERTIFICATION FROM THE JOINT COMMISSION

February 2, 2007

Elk Grove Village & Hoffman Estates, IL – Alexian Brothers Medical Center and St. Alexius Medical Center Bariatric Surgery Programs have earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ for health care quality.  The Joint Commission awarded Alexian Brothers Medical Center and St. Alexius Medical Center Disease-Specific Care Certification for their Bariatric Surgery programs.

To earn this distinction, a disease management program undergoes an extensive, unannounced, on-site evaluation by a team of Joint Commission reviewers every two years. The program is evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of a program's processes, the program's ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.

"This certification means Alexian Brothers Medical Center and St. Alexius Medical Center do the right things and do them well for bariatric surgery patients," says Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.

"Both Alexian Brothers Medical Center and St. Alexius Medical Center voluntarily pursued this comprehensive, independent evaluation to enhance the safety and quality of care we provide," says Ruth Davis, RN, Director of Weight Management Services for Alexian Brothers Hospital Network. "We're proud to achieve this distinction."

The Joint Commission launched its Disease-Specific Care Certification program in 2002. It is the first program of its kind in the country to certify disease management programs. A list of programs certified by the Joint Commission is available at www.jointcommission.org.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, the Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about the Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.