Curry General Hospital Earns Accreditation

GOLD BEACH, OR (February 5, 2015) - Curry Health Network announces the successful completion of its new accreditation process for Curry General Hospital from DNV GL-Healthcare, the first accreditation earned in the 60+ year history of the only hospital in Curry County.

By earning accreditation, Curry General Hospital has demonstrated it meets or exceeds patient safety standards (Conditions of Participation, or CoP) set forth by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. DNV GL's accreditation program is the only one to integrate the ISO 9001 Quality Management System with the Medicare CoP.

"This recognition is a sign of our commitment not only to providing the best care for our patients, but also our dedication to continually improving how we provide that care," said Wayne Hellerstedt, CEO. "The ability to integrate ISO 9001 quality standards with our clinical and financial processes is a major step forward. We're joining the ranks of other larger healthcare entities with DNV accreditation."

Curry General has three years from the date of accreditation to achieve compliance with ISO 9001, the world's most trusted quality management system used by performance-driven organizations to advance their quality and sustainability objectives.

"This accreditation allows Curry General Hospital to follow the best practices for patient care while at the same time encouraging new ideas," said Pamela Brown, Director of Risk Management and Quality Assurance. "While the process of receiving this recognition was rigorous, it is also exciting because the program allows us to tap into the knowledge of our hospital staff to continue to evaluate and to assess our approach as we develop best practices."

The hospital underwent rigorous, unannounced on-site surveys and surveyors evaluated compliance with hospital standards related to several areas including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management. DNV surveyors also conducted on-site observations and interviews.

The hospital was granted accreditation January 27, and surveyors will visit the hospital on regular annual intervals to help ensure a level of constant readiness and to monitor the hospital's progress including preparation for ISO 9001 certification.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Chairman Gary Anderson offered congratulations and thanks to the entire hospital staff for their hard work, commitment and dedication to the process of achieving DNV accreditation and providing quality care and safety for their patients - an achievement he described as a "major milestone" for the hospital, and for Curry Health Network.

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