Moses Taylor 1st in Nation for Perinatal Care Certification

8/9/2015

SCRANTON, Pa. Commonwealth Health Moses Taylor Hospital has become the first hospital in the United States to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval ® for Perinatal Care. Perinatal care refers to the care of mother and child before, during and shortly after birth.

The awarding of this certification follows a thorough evaluation of the hospital’s Perinatal Care Program by The Joint Commission to determine if the facility meets the rigorous performance standards in delivering quality, safe care.

This certification means the Moses Taylor staff has made an extra effort to review and improve the key areas in its perinatal program that can affect the quality and safety of patient care.

Justin Davis, CEO of Moses Taylor Hospital, credits the dedication of the entire hospital staff for earning this historic designation.

“This is validation of the commitment of our employees to providing excellent care to all of our patients and especially to the women who entrust us with their care and that of their infants before, during and after birth,” Davis said. “We could not have earned this recognition and reached this milestone without a total team effort.”

The Joint Commission accredits more than 21,000 organizations worldwide and focuses on continually improving health care by setting the highest standards for health care quality throughout the world. In setting the standards, The Joint Commission consults doctors, nurses, and quality and safety experts to review the current standards and make recommendations for improvements.

Frank Kolucki, M.D., chairman of obstetrics at Moses Taylor, also stressed the importance of teamwork that led to the certification.

“Our staff is on par with any Center of Excellence in the entire country,” Kolucki said. “This validates the quality and passion that our staff has which is evident in their commitment to the health and safety of the mothers and their babies. I am extremely proud of the fact that I am part of this team. Physicians alone could not accomplish this. ”

During the review, Joint Commission experts completed an independent evaluation of Moses Taylor Hospital’s perinatal health care services, as well as the following key requirements:

• A safe environment for the care of mother and infant;
• 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
• Educating the mother about the nature of a diagnosis and treatment;
• Protecting a woman’s rights as a patient, including privacy rights;
• Plans for emergency situations

“Achieving Perinatal Care Certification recognizes an organization’s commitment to healthy mothers and healthy babies,” said Wendi Roberts, RN, BA, MS, CLNC, executive director, Certification Programs, 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.”

About Moses Taylor:

Moses Taylor is a 214-bed hospital and houses Scranton’s only obstetrics department. Its Family Birthing Suites have earned the HealthGrades Maternity Care Excellence Award for three consecutive years, placing the Family Birthing Suites in the top 10 percent in the nation.

An OB/GYN physician is on staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The onsite Lactation Center helps new moms become accustomed to breastfeeding and consultants are available around the clock to provide support.

The hospital’s Pediatric Center of Excellence provides around-the-clock care by pediatric hospitalists from Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital in a newly opened pediatric wing.

Moses Taylor Hospital has a Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) within its Family Birthing Suites – with physicians and staff ready at a moment’s notice. The NICU is designed to enable more control of artificial and natural lighting, as well as significant noise reduction to lower an infant’s stress levels.  Private rooms are uniquely designed to suit the needs of premature or critically ill newborns. Monitoring technology enables staff to continually observe every infant’s condition.