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Shawnee Mission Medical Center Awarded Diabetes Program Certification From Joint Commission

Merriam, Kan. - Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) recently received The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for its inpatient diabetes program by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. SMMC is the first and only hospital in the Kansas City metropolitan area to receive this certification.

"In achieving Joint Commission certification, SMMC has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients with Diabetes," says Jean Range, MS, RN, CPHQ. Executive Director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and I commend Shawnee Mission Medical Center for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program is designed to evaluate clinical programs across the continuum of care. Certification requirements address three core areas: compliance with consensus-based national standards; effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.

“We are committed to excellent diabetes care to provide our patients with every opportunity for a full and rapid recovery,” said Sandie Anderson, ARNP-BC, BC-ADM, SMMC Nutrition & Diabetes Center Manager,  “The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval in inpatient diabetes care demonstrates this dedication.”

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. The Joint Commission also provides certification of more than 1,700 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.

About Shawnee Mission Medical Center
Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) is a 504-bed facility with nearly 20,000 inpatient admissions and more than 200,000 outpatient admissions annually. SMMC has the busiest emergency department in Johnson County, the area's first accredited Chest Pain Emergency Center, a nationally recognized Center for Women's Health and delivers more babies each year than any other hospital in the metropolitan area. SMMC employs more than 2,900 local residents and supports an exceptional staff of 700 physicians representing 50 medical specialties, the largest medical staff in Kansas City. Visit us on the Web at ShawneeMission.org.

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