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Reading Hospital Receives Disease Specific Certification in Pediatric Asthma from The Joint Commission

by Tower Health

Jul 12, 2019

West Reading, Pa. – Reading Hospital earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Pediatric Asthma Certification. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

Reading Hospital underwent a rigorous on-site review on May 28 where Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national disease-specific care standards as well as with asthma specific requirements. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.

“At Reading Hospital, we pride ourselves on the high-quality care we provide to our youngest patients,” said Gregory Sorensen, MD, Tower Health Chief Medical Officer. “Our electronic health records shows that asthma affects more than 5,000 of our pediatric patients and it was important to the team that we demonstrate our expertise in asthma care for the patients and their families we care for.”

In April 2012, Reading Hospital adopted a “Pediatric Asthma Severity Score” (PASS), a clinically validated tool that is widely used in pediatric emergency medicine, that is a performed on pediatric patients presenting in the Emergency Department or Inpatient Pediatric Unit with possible asthma attack. The PASS evaluation is performed collaboratively by a member of Respiratory Care and Nursing, and helps set the individual course of treatment for each patient. In addition, an “Asthma Action Plan” that provides simple information and instructions on managing the individual’s asthma treatment is prescribed by a physician upon all patient discharges to all pediatric patients treated for asthma. This plan can be used to guide care and treatment at home and is shared with the patient’s primary care provider upon discharge. Patients and families are also encouraged to share their personalized Asthma Action Plan with their school nurse.

“Reading Hospital has thoroughly demonstrated a high level of care for pediatric patients with asthma,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “We commend Reading Hospital for becoming a leader in pediatric asthma care, for all pediatric patients in its community.”

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.

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