Memorial Hospital Receives Gold Seal of Approval®

Memorial Hospital of Chester, IL received a Gold Seal of Approval® from The Joint Commission following their survey in March 2021. The Joint Commission is a global driver of quality improvement and patient safety in health care. Memorial voluntarily participates in a thorough evaluation once every 36 months conducted by The Joint Commission. The goal of the evaluation is to see if the facility meets The Joint Commission’s rigorous performance standards in delivering, quality, safe care.

The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 22,000 health care programs worldwide and focuses on continually improving health care by setting the highest standards for health care quality throughout the world. By meeting these standards, Memorial received an internationally recognized symbol of quality, The Gold Seal of Approval®.

Accreditation by The Joint Commission is considered the gold standard of health care. During the survey, health care professionals, who are experts in their fields, visited Memorial’s facilities to conduct their reviews and monitor how well the staff:

1. Provide a safe environment for patient care

2. Educate patients about the risks and options for their diagnosis and treatment

3. Protect the patients’ rights, including privacy rights

4. Evaluate patients’ conditions, before, during and after diagnosis and treatment

5. Protect patients from infection

6. Plan for emergency situations

Memorial’s initial review, scheduled for 2020, was postponed during the COVID pandemic until the survey could be conducted on-sight safely. During this year’s review surveyors also looked at the facility’s response to the pandemic and the actions taken to protect staff, patients, and the community. Following the survey, Brett Bollmann, CEO, congratulated all staff on passing the survey and thanked them for their continued dedication to the community. Bollmann remarked, “The surveyors were pleased with their inspection and how we are meeting regulatory requirements. They were very complimentary of the staff and recognized all the accomplishments [they] have made. The hard work of each department and every employee makes this possible.” Achieving accreditation means that the staff at Memorial has made an effort to review and improve the key areas that can affect the quality and safety of patient care.

Memorial Hospital is honored to be re-accredited as a Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval® critical access hospital. The Memorial Hospital Team is committed to professional excellence in providing safe, quality healthcare, compassion and service to patients, the community and each other.