Provider Directory

Evaluating Your Hospital

You can check your provider's report card by doing a little homework.

JCAHO accreditation - The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations evaluates and accredits nearly 19,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. This independent, not-for-profit group is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. JCAHO accreditation is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that indicates an organization meets certain performance standards to improve patient care and safety. To earn and maintain JCAHO accreditation, a hospital must undergo an on-site survey by a JCAHO survey team every three years.

Experience/volume performing certain procedures - Generally more is better when looking at a hospital's ability to serve your special needs. Patient outcomes also need to be considered. Would you rather have your automobile transmission rebuilt by a mechanic who performs 250 of those procedures each year or by one who overhauled three or four transmissions in the past 12 months? The same decision-making process applies to hospitals.

Service excellence - Look for a healthcare system that constantly strives to improve its own performance record. Does your healthcare network regularly self-evaluate and reassess its services? Does it embrace performance improvement initiatives? Hospitals that maintain service excellence departments are constantly working to ensure that patients receive quality, cost-effective, compassionate care.