State of the Heart Hospice is proud to announce that the nonprofit agency recently achieved a score of 100 percent in a survey by the Joint Commission on accreditation of health care organizations. This marks the first perfect score for State of the Heart which has consistently had highscores just below 100. The survey was completed over a period of four days, beginning September 15.
“As a result of the accreditation activity conducted, there were no requirements for improvement identified with State of the Heart Hospice,” officials with the Joint Commission wrote in their report.
“The fact that we had a 100 percent score is exciting news for all of us at State of the Heart,” stated Mindy Stebbins Director of Business Development for the agency. “The representative who surveyed our agency told us, ‘I do not very often have a survey that is 100 percent perfect. This is one of the most positive surveys I have conducted’.”
Stebbins added, “Accreditation by the Joint Commission is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality. To receive a 100 percent score on the survey is just remarkable and exemplifies how we are leading the industry in quality hospice care. For 33 years, State of the Heart has adhered to the highest standards. It was evident that our high standards carried through earning a score that reflects the excellent care we provide.”
Ted Bauer, Executive Director for State of the Heart, said, “Every State of the Heart employee is responsible for this success. Our clinicians, nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains, bereavement specialists, music therapists and volunteers give exceptional care and document their work appropriately. Our administrative staff which includes human resources, education, marketing, operations, fund development and quality control demonstrates the detail needed to ensure our agency stays on the right track in providing the very best in hospice care.”
During the survey, the person doing the survey traveled to the agency’s various offices, spending time with staff, checking record keeping and documentation, and verifying that the agency met the Joint Commission standards. The intensive survey is done every three years.
Meghan Schwieterman, RN, MSN, Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement coordinator for State of the Heart explained that a large focus of the survey was assurance of quality and performance improvement by the agency. The vision of Joint Commission, she explained, is to assure that all people always experience the safest, highest quality, best value health care across all health care settings. “Their mission is to continuously improve health care by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value,” she added.
In a letter to State of the Heart, Mark Pelletier, chief operating officer for the Joint Commission Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations, stated: “The process you participated in is designed to help your organization continuously provide safe, high-quality care, treatment and services by identifying opportunities for improvement in your processes and helping you follow through on implementation of these improvements.” In the final report to State of the Heart, the accreditation agency stated, that there was no need for improvement, that the agency is 100 percent on target to provide the best in care.
In his congratulations to the hospice staff, Bauer also noted that State of the Heart had the agency’s financial reporting examined recently by an outside auditor and earned a perfect assessment. The auditors spent several weeks reviewing every financial aspect of the agency, from billing, payroll, accounts receivable and payable, donations received, to investments earned.
State of the Heart Hospice has three office locations, Greenville, Coldwater and Portland, and serves patients and families in eastern Indiana and western Ohio who are confronting a life limiting illness. A team consisting of physician, nurses, health aides, social workers, chaplains, bereavement specialists, music therapists and volunteers work as a team to support and care for the patient as well as the family. For more information about any of the services visit the agency web site at www.stateoftheheartcare.org.
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