Bermuda Hospitals Board Announces Laboratory Accreditation

Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) is pleased to announce its Department of Pathology was granted a three-year accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI). As the only full service accredited laboratory in Bermuda, this achievement reflects BHB’s on-going commitment to quality patient care.

JCI is the international branch of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), a voluntary, independent organization established in the United States, setting standards for health care quality in the USA and around the world.

Venetta Symonds, Acting CEO for BHB offered congratulations to staff for this achievement. “We are proud of our dedicated pathology team. Laboratory professionals provide information that makes up 70% of patient medical records and plays a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment of illness and disease. Receiving accreditation brings credibility and recognition to the exemplary job being done every day in our laboratory.”

Although both hospitals received accreditation in 2005 from the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA), that process does not cover the Department of Pathology. Tammy Hendrickson, Pathology Manager and Dr. Kered James, Chief of Pathology, decided to seek individual accreditation through JCI. “This accreditation is of the highest standard,” said Dr. James. “After a vigorous assessment, conducted by highly trained and certified JCI surveyors in January of this year, we are thrilled to achieve success in this undertaking.”

JCI’s accreditation standards for clinical laboratories are intended to stimulate continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvement in daily performance and in the outcomes of patient care. Based on international consensus standards, JCI sets uniform, achievable expectations for hospitals. Accreditation provides a visible commitment to improving quality care, while ensuring a safe environment and reducing risks to patients and staff.

Maureen Connors Potter, Executive Director for JCI praised the Department of Pathology and staff at BHB for achieving recognition of their commitment to provide quality care on an ongoing basis. “The people of Bermuda should be proud that the Department of Pathology is focusing on this most challenging goal- to continuously raise quality to higher levels,” she stated.

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