Accredited by The Joint Commission
Accredited Stroke Center by The Joint Commission

Cardiac Interventional Center Designation Given to St. Joseph

St. Joseph Medical Center was awarded a designation of Cardiac Interventional Center by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS).

According to MIEMSS: “The designation as a “Cardiac Interventional Center” indicates that a hospital complies with State standards to receive patients transported by EMS who are experiencing the most common type of heart attack called an ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or “STEMI.” A STEMI occurs when an artery that supplies blood to the heart is suddenly blocked. As a result of these designations, effective April 1, 2011, EMS providers who have identified a STEMI patient may transport those patients to the closest designated Cardiac Interventional Center, bypassing non-designated hospitals in accordance with the Maryland Medical Protocols for EMS Providers.

For these patients, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) (also know as “balloon angioplasty”) is recognized by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association as the treatment of choice for STEMI and is generally associated with fewer complications and better outcomes than other forms of treatment.”

Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and Knee & Hip Replacement

St. Joseph Medical Center is a designated Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and Knee and Hip Replacement by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.

Selection criteria for Blue Distinction for facilities were developed with input from a panel of expert physicians and includes the following: (See www.bcbs.com.)

• Established acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care, emergency care, and a full range of patient support services with full accreditation by a CMS-deemed national accreditation organization
• Experience and training of program surgeons, including case volume
• Quality management programs, including surgical checklists as well as tracking and evaluation of clinical outcomes and process of care
• Multidisciplinary clinical pathways and teams to coordinate and streamline care, including transitions of care
• Shared decision making and pre-operative patient education

Blue Distinction® designation is awarded by independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies throughout the country to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacement, spine surgery and transplants. The program is part of The Blues’® efforts to collaborate with physicians and medical facilities to improve the overall quality and safety of specialty care.

St. Joseph’s Cancer Institute is Maryland’s only NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP)

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) is a network of hospital cancer centers that serves as a community-based platform to support basic, clinical, and population-based research initiatives across the cancer care continuum—from prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship through end-of-life care.

The network provides new opportunities for exploring ways to reduce cancer health care disparities; improve quality of cancer care; expand cancer survivorship and palliative care programs; enhance cancer advocacy; support the investigation of new drugs through clinical trials; expand information technology at community hospital settings through the use of electronic health records (EHRs) and participation in NCI’s cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG®); and increase biospecimen collection to support research for personalized medicine.

The NCCCP is collaborating with NCI programs and related organizations such as the NCI Cancer Centers Program, The Cancer Genome Atlas, the NCI Community Networks Program, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer.

The NCCCP started in 2007 as a pilot program with 16 community cancer centers and was expanded in 2010, using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, to a network of 30 hospitals in 22 states.

St. Joseph’s Breast Center Accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) is a national coalition of professional healthcare organizations dedicated to the highest quality of care for women and men diagnosed with diseases of the breast. The NAPBC promotes a holistic approach to treatment for patients diagnosed with diseases of the breast, and provides a framework for a continuum of care that meets the needs of the whole person and not just the disease.

St. Joseph Receives Best Practice Designation for Environmental Excellence

St. Joseph Medical Center received a Best Practice designation for Environmental Excellence from SterilMed Inc., a Minnesota-based healthcare cost containment company and leading reprocessor of single-use medical devices. Honoring the top facilities and systems throughout the country, St. Joseph was recognized as a top performer for significant achievements by maximizing device use reducing medical waste sent to landfills and minimizing the facility’s environmental impact.