East Jerusalem hospital wins international accreditation for quality & patient safety – WHO article

Through EU Support to the East Jerusalem Hospitals Network: August Victoria Hospital
achieves Joint Commission International Accreditation, 25 June 2013

25 June 2013 – Jerusalem:  Augusta Victoria Hospital has been awarded the three-year Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for quality and patient safety. The Joint Commission is a US-based organization that has established patient safety and quality service standards and goals for health service facilities. This accomplishment is a significant milestone for the Palestinian healthcare system which demonstrates the safety and quality of services.

Over the last three years, the East Jerusalem Hospitals (EJHs) have been preparing their facilities for JCI accreditation. The Joint Commission conducts site visits to facilities to evaluate their implementation of the standards. Successful facilities receive a three-year accreditation. The facilities within the East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN) are the first in Palestine to endeavor to achieve this goal.

“The staff of AVH labored hard to prepare for this accreditation motivated by their firm belief that all patients who come to our hospital have the right to receive the best and safest services. This success also extends to the entire Palestinian healthcare system as it demonstrates that Palestinian health professionals, despite the challenges in the economic and political conditions, can achieve international standards of excellence in healthcare delivery ”. Dr. Tawfiq Nasser, AVH, CEO

The East Jerusalem Hospitals serve as the main centers for specialized care within the Palestinian health system. Patients needing services and procedures that are not available in the West Bank and Gaza are referred for treatment in the EJHN facilities by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Over half of the EJHN workload comes from referred patients from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. As such, the EJHN plays a critical role in providing health services to the Palestinian people.

The EJHN and its six facilities have been supported by the European Union and the World Health Organization (WHO) for the last four years. Through the latest phase of this programme the EU provided EUR2,4 million which allowed the hospitals to improve the quality of their health services, upgrade their status to the highest international standards (ISO certification and most recently, Joint Commission International1 accreditation) and engage in joint initiatives and activities (e.g.: risk management, legal representation). In order to prepare the hospitals for JCI accreditation, WHO facilitated various training opportunities including direct training from JCI, and on site consultations by JCI mock surveyors and external quality professionals. In addition, WHO facilitated regular meetings and workshops among the EJHN quality coordinators and their teams to encourage an environment of joint learning, information sharing, and communication among the member facilities of the network.

Contacts:

Augusta Victoria Hospital – 02-627-9902

WHO – Ms. Aisha Mansour, 02-540-0595