The Joint Commission recently announced MJHS, a nonprofit health system in New York, as the first health care organization in the nation to receive its new Community-Based Palliative Care (CBPC) Certification. The certification demonstrates MJHS’s commitment to providing high-quality, community-based palliative care to patients and families in their home.

Joint Commission surveyors visited MJHS on July 22, 2016, and conducted a rigorous onsite review and evaluation of the organization’s compliance with Joint Commission certification requirements. During the onsite evaluation, surveyors experienced in the delivery of palliative care services evaluated the organization’s compliance with CBPC requirements related to:

  • An interdisciplinary care team
  • Customized, comprehensive care plans
  • After-hours care and services
  • Use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines
  • A defined hand-off communications process

“We applaud MJHS for promoting the recognition of this formalized scope of professional practice by pursuing this rigorous certification in an effort to improve patient safety and quality of care for palliative care patients,” says Margherita Labson, RN, MSHSA, CPHQ, executive director, Home Care Accreditation, The Joint Commission. “The framework of CBPC Certification will help MJHS design, deliver, and validate patient-centered care and services, as well as provide opportunities to promote improved outcomes and strengthen operational efficiency.”

“Being first in the nation to receive Joint Commission certification in community-based palliative care is an honor and a significant validation of our longstanding commitment to evidence-based practice, quality, safety, and positive patient outcomes,” says Lenard L. Parisi, RN, MA, CPHQ, FNAHQ, vice president, Quality Management, MJHS. “MJHS was one of the first organizations to create a community-based palliative care program in the Greater New York area and so The Joint Commission’s recognition is made all the more meaningful; it signals the health care sector’s growing recognition of the important role palliative care should play in patient care and underscores the importance of delivering it with compassion, as well as with cultural sensitivity.”

The CBPC Certification program, awarded for a three-year period, launched in May 2016 with onsite surveys beginning in July 2016. To be eligible for the certification, organizations must have home health or hospice accreditation from The Joint Commission with services available to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, at least three patients must be actively receiving CBPC services at the time of survey and at least five must have received palliative care services in the prior 12 months.

For more information, visit The Joint Commission.