The Breast Center at St. Joseph Medical Center has been designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR). This prestigious designation means the Breast Center at St. Joseph has earned accreditation in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy and breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided breast biopsy).
The Center of Excellence designation was awarded after St. Joseph undertook an extensive evaluation process, which included a thorough peer-review by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. The evaluation determined that St. Joseph has achieved high practice standards in image quality, personnel qualifications, facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs.
St. Joseph Medical Center’s Radiology department has earned a three-year accreditation for computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound from the American College of Radiology (ACR).
St. Joseph undertook an intensive evaluation process, which included rigorous peer-review conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field to ensure the medical center complies with strict criteria in areas such as staff credentials, image quality, equipment standards and quality control. Accreditation from the ACR represents the highest level of imaging and patient safety.
St. Joseph Medical Center has earned Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. The accreditation proves St. Joseph works seamlessly with area emergency medical services to ensure patients get the treatment they need during the critical early stages of a heart attack. As an Accredited Chest Pain Center, St. Joseph ensures patients who come to the Emergency Department with chest pain or discomfort are given the immediate treatment necessary to avoid as much heart damage as possible. Protocol-based procedures developed by leading experts in cardiac care are part of St. Joseph's overall cardiac care services.
Commission on Cancer Accreditation
St. Joseph Medical Center's cancer program has earned a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
St. Joseph undertook an intensive evaluation process, which included an on-site review by a physician surveyor to ensure the medical center complies with stringent standards in areas such as cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, community outreach and quality improvement.
Get with the Guidelines® - Stroke Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award
St. Joseph Medical Center has earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award.
To receive this award, St. Joseph consistently achieved at least 12 consecutive months of 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get with the Guidelines - Stroke Quality Achievement indicators and achieved at least 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 Get with the Guidelines - Stroke Quality Measures during that same period.
Premier Award of Quality
St. Joseph Medical Center was recognized by Healthcare Alliance Premier Inc., as a winner of the Premier Award for Quality in all clinical areas measured. Participating hospitals report quality data to Premier Inc., which is turned over to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for five high-volume inpatient conditions. These are:
- Heart attack (AMI)
- Heart bypass (CABG)
- Heart failure
- Pneumonia
- Hip and knee replacement
Get With the Guidelines Silver Achievement Award
St. Joseph Medical Center earned the Get With the Guidelines® Silver Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology Foundation’s National Cardiovascular Data Registry. Hospitals earn the award by following strict treatment guidelines for 12 consecutive months and achieving the goal of treating coronary artery disease patients with 85 percent compliance to the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association’s core standard levels of care.
Blue Distinction Knee and Hip Accreditation
St. Joseph Medical Center earned accreditation for the Blue Distinction Knee and Hip Program from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City. The accreditation recognizes hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to quality care, resulting in better overall outcomes for patients.
Outpatient Services Recognized by HealthStream Research
St. Joseph Medical Center’s Outpatient Services was recognized with an Excellence through Insight award for “Overall Patient Satisfaction in Outpatient Care” for the large hospital category by HealthStream Research. St. Joseph’s was one of three facilities in the large hospital category awarded this honor. To qualify for an award, a hospital must have been a patient satisfaction-tracking client of HealthStream Research in 2009, scored in the 75th percentile or higher and surveyed a minimum of 100 patients.
St. Joseph scored in the 85th percentile with an 86.6 percent overall satisfaction rate for outpatient services.
St. Joseph Medical Center Ranked Among Top 30 in Nation by Joint Commission
The Joint Commission scored St. Joseph in the top 30 hospitals across Missouri and the nation for quality and safety.
Each quarter the Joint Commission assesses risks at accredited hospitals using a tool called the Strategic Surveillance (S3). S3 scores are determined for each hospital by reviewing core measures, past citations, MSDRGs, complications, mortality rates and patient satisfaction scores. The lower the S3 score, the better a hospital’s performance. For fourth quarter 2009, St. Joseph’s cumulative S3 score was 86, placing the Medical Center in the top 30.
Stroke Center Awarded Certification from Joint Commission
St. Joseph Medical Center received certification as a Primary Stroke Center from the Joint Commission. This certification recognizes that St. Joseph’s Stroke Center follows national standards and guidelines published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association to significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients. As a certified Primary Stroke Center, St. Joseph’s has demonstrated excellence for the past three years in consistently meeting National Inpatient Hospital Quality Measures.
GWTG Gold Performance Achievement Award
St. Joseph Medical Center has earned the American College of Cardiology Foundation’s NCDR ACTION Registry–GWTG Gold Performance Achievement Award for 2011 – one of only 167 hospitals nationwide to do so. To earn this award, St. Joseph consistently followed the treatment guidelines in ACTION Registry–GWTG, as outlined by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association, for eight consecutive quarters and met a performance standard of 85 percent for specific performance measures.
Magnet Designation
Our commitment to quality has earned St. Joseph Medical Center the Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s leading credentialing organization. It is one of the highest achievements a hospital can obtain in professional nursing.
Research has shown there are clear benefits to patients in Magnet hospitals. They have fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, higher patient safety, and higher patient and employee satisfaction scores.