Olean General Awarded Accreditation

By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety, Olean General Hospital has earned a three-year accreditation.

The Joint Commission recently conducted an unannounced five-day, on-site evaluation of Olean General Hospital’s compliance with numerous quality and patient safety standards. The accreditation award recognizes Olean General’s compliance with The Joint Commission on a continual basis. Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission is dedicated to continuously improving the safety and quality of the nation's health care through voluntary accreditation.

"Above all, the national standards are intended to stimulate continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvement in an organization's performance and the outcomes of care," said Mark Pelletier, R.N., M.S., executive director of The Joint Commission’s Hospital Programs for Accreditation and Certification Services. "The community should be proud Olean General is focusing on the most challenging goal -- to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels."

Hospitals seek accreditation because it: helps organize and strengthen patient safety efforts; strengthens community confidence in the quality and safety of care, treatment and services; provides a competitive edge in the marketplace; improves risk management and risk reduction; provides education on good practices to improve business operations; provides professional advice to enhance staff education; provides a customized, intensive review; and enhances staff recruitment and development.

Timothy J. Finan, President and CEO of Olean General and its parent company Upper Allegheny Health System, said, “We pursued accreditation for our organization because we want to demonstrate our commitment to patients’ safety and quality care. We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward achieving excellence.”

He called the accreditation "proof of an organization-wide commitment to provide quality care on an ongoing basis."

Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center are members of Upper Allegheny Health System.

photo courtesy of OGH