February 28, 2020
Contact: Caroline Cornish
207-662-5146 / caroline.cornish@mainehealth.org
PORTLAND, Maine – For a second time, Maine Medical Center (MMC) has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Comprehensive Stroke Certification, demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. Just 5 percent of hospitals in the U.S. achieve this designation.
The certification follows The Joint Commission’s rigorous onsite review of MMC in December. Reviewers evaluated whether MMC was in compliance with Comprehensive Stroke Certification standards in several areas, including emergency management, specialized surgical procedures, critical care management, acute and rehabilitative care management, patient and staff education, data processes, research and program leadership.
“Achieving and maintaining Joint Commission certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center is a tremendous accomplishment for Maine Medical Center,” said Jane Morris, M.D., the medical director of stroke and telestroke at MMC. “I am grateful for all the wonderful support, cooperation and engagement we have received over the years to do our best for our patients and our community as we pursue excellence in stroke care.”
The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help health care organizations measure, assess and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
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About Maine Medical Center
Maine Medical Center (MMC), recognized as a Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News and World Report for 2019-2020, is a complete health care resource for the people of Greater Portland and the entire state, as well as northern New England. Incorporated in 1868, MMC is the state’s largest medical center, licensed for 637 beds and employing more than 9,600 people. MMC's unique role as both a community hospital and a referral center requires an unparalleled depth and breadth of services, including an active educational program and a world-class biomedical research center. As a nonprofit institution, Maine Medical Center provides nearly 23 percent of all the charity care delivered in Maine. MMC is part of the MaineHealth system, a growing family of health care services in northern New England. For more information, visit www.mmc.org.