Vista Achieves Inpatient Diabetes Certification by Joint Commission

Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan recently became the first hospital in Lake County, and one of only five hospitals in Illinois, to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for its Inpatient Diabetes program.

“We recognize that there are a number of people in Lake County who suffer from diabetes, and this certification by The Joint Commission represents our commitment to treating those patients,” said Barbara J. Martin, president and CEO of Vista Health System. “I want to thank the outstanding work done by our staff to attain this Gold Seal of Approval by The Joint Commission. It’s an important validation of the quality of our program.”

Vista joins 54 other hospitals in the U.S. to have earned this certification that demonstrates compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. Certification was awarded to the program at Vista following a rigorous on-site review earlier last month. A Joint Commission expert evaluated the hospital for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.

This latest recognition adds to Vista’s expanding list of accreditations or certifications in several important clinical areas that include: Bariatric Surgery, Cancer, Chest Pain, Congestive Heart, Orthopedics (Hip & Joint Surgery), and inpatient Rehabilitation. In addition, Vista East is a Level II trauma center.

The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, launched in 2002, is designed to evaluate clinical programs across the continuum of care. Programs recognized by The Joint Commission for advanced level of certification must meet the requirements for Disease-Specific Care Certification plus additional, clinically specific requirements and expectations.

“In achieving Joint Commission certification, Vista Medical Center East has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients without any requirements for improvement,” said Jean Range, The Joint Commission’s executive director of Disease-Specific Care Certification. “Certification is a voluntary process, and I commend Vista for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

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Vista Health System is a network that includes: two hospitals in Waukegan – Vista Medical Center East and Vista Medical Center West; the Vista Lindenhurst campus that includes the Vista Ambulatory Care Center, Lindenhurst Surgery Center, LLC, the Vista Freestanding Emergency Center, and the new Vista Medical Office Building; and several locations for imaging, patient therapy and physician practices. Vista is a Center of Excellence in a number of key service areas and is accredited in Bariatric Surgery, Cancer, Chest Pain, Congestive Heart Failure, Inpatient Diabetes, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Stroke. To learn more about Vista Health System, please visit VistaHealth.com.