GLASGOW, Ky. — T.J. Samson Community Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Acute Stroke Ready Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. T.J. Samson Community was first awarded accreditation in 2019 and has maintained and improved its accreditation ever since.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.
T.J. Samson Community Hospital underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite visit on July 29, 2023. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with Acute Stroke Ready Hospital standards spanning several areas including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, medication management, and rights and responsibilities of the individual.
“T.J. Samson has again achieved Acute Stroke Ready Accreditation with an even better rating this year. The Gold Seal of approval reflects the quality of care that we strive to provide to every patient, every day,” said Neil Thornbury, CEO of T.J. Regional Health.
The Joint Commission’s standards are developed with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help health care organizations measure, assess and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“As a healthcare accreditor, The Joint Commission works with healthcare organizations across care settings to inspire safer and higher quality of care that is more equitable and compassionate,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “Through collaborating on innovative solutions and evidence-based resources and tools, The Joint Commission helps drive improvement while maintaining accountability through our leading survey methods and standards. We commend T.J. Samson Community Hospital for its commitment to advance safety, quality, equity and compassion for all patients.”
T.J. Regional Health, the parent of T.J. Samson Community Hospital and T.J. Health Columbia, is accredited by The Joint Commission. In addition to two hospitals, the organization owns and operates the T.J. Health Pavilion, the Family Medicine Center and Residency Program, Hospice and Home Care Services, T.J. Orthopedics, Rural Health Clinics throughout southcentral Kentucky, and R+ Med Spa. For more information about the services offered at T.J. Regional Health, please visit www.tjregionalhealth.org.
