* GMH gets unannounced visit from Joint Commission
In the midst of a financial crisis and supply shortages, the Guam Memorial Hospital received an unannounced visit from a Joint Commission surveyor yesterday.
A single surveyor visited Guams only public hospital to review the quality and safety of care provided throughout the hospital, said GMH spokesman Connor Murphy.
He added that since the initial surveys in 2009 and last year, all surveys from the Joint Commission will be unannounced from here on out.
œEvery member of our staff is expected to do their jobs in line with Joint Commission standards all day, every day, and to be continuously survey ready, said Murphy in an email response.
The Joint Commission, formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), accredited GMH in July last year after the hospital lost its accreditation 28 years ago in 1982.
The Joint Commission is a private United States-based non-profit organization, and accreditation by them is a widely recognized base standard for healthcare organizations.
Murphy clarified that one component of yesterdays visit was what are called tracers, basically œtracing the care provided to random individual patients.
The surveyor talked to the nurses, doctors and other staff who interacted with the patient, and evaluated the hospital from that perspective, said Murphy.
The surveyor also conducted interviews with hospital staff on various topics and reviewed hospital policies and procedures as well as minutes from meetings, he added.
Murphy said they œwelcome the surveyors visit despite the problems the hospital is facing.
œThe hospital is having its challenges, but our staff is still doing their jobs to provide quality care in a safe environment. Thats what the surveyor expects to see, and thats what we will be showing them today, added Murphy.
The surprise visit comes during daily news of critical supply and medicine shortages as well as financial woes besetting GMH, which has some officials worried that the hospital may lose their accreditation after it received it in July, 2010.
Last month, then Governor Felix Camacho told Variety in an interview that he was fearful the mounting financial issues could cause GMH to lose its accreditation.
He made the statement after signing into law a bill that expanded the borrowing ability of Guam Memorial Hospital Authority to $25 million, now known as Public Law 30-200.
Prior to signing that law, Camacho declared a state of emergency at GMH to allow the U.S. Department of the Interior to reprogram $1 million of Guams Compact-Impact funds for the hospital.
Hospital Administrator Peter John Camacho also told Variety the Joint Commission made inquiries in mid-December about reports that hospital staff and nurses were hoarding supplies.
In the last month, there have been various reported shortages such as the lack of medicine needed for epidurals for women giving birth, the hospitals cafeteria suspending hot food items, and reports that the hospitals laboratory was facing a general supply shortage.
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Halo Sobat, Nama Saya Sofyan Syah, Memulai Dunia Blogging Sejak Nov 2011, Meskipun Masih Baru terjun di Dunia Blogging, Saya tidak patah semangat Untuk menjadi Yang terbaik dari yang Terbaik, karena saya yakin, Tidak ada hal yang tidak Mungkin.Buat saya Blogging Is My Life.Senang rasanya jika sobat sudah Berkunjung di blog ini.
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