Gunnison Valley Hospital Receives Joint Commission Reaccreditation

Gunnison Valley Hospital has again earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Critical Access Hospital Accreditation by 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.

Gunnison Valley Health’s CEO, Rob Santilli, said the rigorous accreditation process from The Joint Commission ensures that the healthcare system delivers the highest level of patient safety.

“We choose to be surveyed by the Joint Commission because it demonstrates our commitment to delivering the highest quality outcomes while also promoting excellence in our entire organization,” said Santilli. “Earning reaccreditation in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is the result of every staff member working incredibly hard to continue to prioritize patient safety and achieve excellence.”

Gunnison Valley Hospital underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review for reaccreditation in March. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with Critical Access Hospital standards spanning areas including emergency management, infection prevention and control, environment of care, medication management and overall patient care.

In addition to the Hospital, Rehab & Athletic Medicine and the Mountain Clinic were also surveyed. Although all three have been accredited for years, the Joint Commission conducts a reaccreditation survey triennially. Each survey evolves to reflect the most recent scientific literature and expert consensus to maintain the highest level of patient safety.

Gunnison Valley Hospital also earned reaccreditation on its Deemed Status. This means the facility meets the certification requirements of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and can provide care to Medicare and Medicaid patients.

“As a private accreditor, The Joint Commission surveys health care organizations to protect the public by identifying deficiencies in care and working with those organizations to correct them as quickly and sustainably as possible,” said Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Gunnison Valley Health for its continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care.”

“I am so proud of our entire staff for meeting the criteria of the Joint Commission and earning deemed status while also taking on all the challenges of COVID-19,” said Santilli. “This recognition motivates us to continue to pursue excellence and deliver the highest quality healthcare to our community.”