August 15, 2018 – El Camino Hospital today announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for the management of sepsis. The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.
Sepsis, a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, amputations and death, affects 1.7 million people in the United States each year. Sepsis is the third leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer, killing more than 270,000 people each year.
El Camino Hospital underwent a rigorous on-site review in July 2018. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national disease-specific care standards, clinical practice guidelines and performance measures.
"The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification demonstrates our team’s ability to produce better patient outcomes and lower sepsis mortality rates,” said Catherine Carson, senior director, chief quality officer at El Camino Hospital. “Our ultimate goal is to achieve zero preventable deaths from sepsis and this certification validates our patient care processes.”
Established in 2002 and awarded for a two-year period, The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification evaluates clinical programs across the continuum of care and addresses three core areas:
- Compliance with consensus-based national standards;
- Effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and
- An organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.
"El Camino Hospital has thoroughly demonstrated a high level of care for patients with sepsis,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “We commend El Camino Hospital for becoming a leader in sepsis care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for sepsis patients in its community.”
What does this mean for patients?
We take sepsis seriously and we are committed to providing high quality, individualized care. Our care team is trained to quickly identify sepsis and treat it appropriately. Early intervention is crucial. From regular hand washing to close monitoring of patients for sepsis symptoms, our team is dedicated to patient safety and follows a set of highly practiced interventions, known as sepsis bundles of care, to treat patients rapidly and effectively.