Altru Receives Perinatal Care Certification from Joint Commission

Grand Forks, N.D. – Altru Health System has earned Perinatal Care Certification from The Joint Commission. The certification program recognizes Joint Commission-accredited hospitals committed to achieving integrated, coordinated, and patient-centered care for mothers and their newborns.

Altru underwent a rigorous onsite review on February 22-23, 2018, to assess its compliance with certification standards for perinatal care. During the review, Joint Commission experts completed an independent evaluation of Altru’s perinatal health care services, as well as the following key requirements:

• Integrated, coordinated patient-centered care that starts with prenatal and continues through postpartum care
• Early identification of high-risk pregnancies and births
• Management of mothers’ and newborns’ risks at a level corresponding to the program’s capabilities
• Available patient education and information about perinatal care services

“Achieving Perinatal Care Certification recognizes an organization’s commitment to healthy mothers and healthy babies,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “The certification gives providers an unparalleled advantage when it comes to preparing mothers for labor and delivery, while also being able to help them if complications arise.”

“We are delighted to receive Perinatal Care Certification from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation,” added Janice Hamscher, Altru’s Chief Nursing Officer. “By achieving this certification, we are focused on ongoing quality-improvement processes to improve care for mothers and newborns.”

Established in 2015, Perinatal Care Certification is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited hospitals.

The Joint Commission

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

About Altru Health System

Altru Health System is a regional-owned, integrated system with a general acute care hospital, a specialty hospital, more than a dozen clinics in Grand Forks and the region, and a large home care network. It employs nearly 200 physicians and 4,000 staff and has an annual net operating revenue of more than $549 million. As the first member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, Altru’s providers have access to clinically integrated tools extending Mayo Clinic’s knowledge and expertise to patients.