Commonwealth Health W-B General Hospital Neurosurgery Earns Certification
1/8/2018
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (Jan. 3, 2018) – Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital announced it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for both spine surgery certification and microdiscectomy certification. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.
Microdiscectomy involves the use of a special microscope to view the disc and nerves during surgery to remove lower back herniated disc material that is pressing on a nerve root or the spinal cord.
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital underwent a rigorous onsite review as Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national care standards and requirements specific to spine surgery and microdiscectomy. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.
Established in 2002 and awarded for a two-year period, The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification evaluates clinical programs across the continuum of care and addresses three core areas:
- Compliance with consensus-based national standards;
- Effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care;
- An organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.
Spine surgery and microdiscectomy procedures are performed at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital by board-certified neurosurgeons affiliated with the Penn State Neuroscience Institute.
