AtlantiCare receives Gold Seal for diabetes care

AtlantiCare Atlantic City campus

AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center  has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® for advanced certification for inpatient diabetes care. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization's commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. AtlantiCare is one of only 81 organizations across the country, and four in New Jersey that have earned the certification.

The certification recognizes healthcare organizations that provide clinical programs across the continuum of care for diabetes. This includes how organizations use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, and to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for discharge.

AtlantiCare underwent a rigorous onsite review April 29-30. During the visit, a joint commission reviewer evaluated the hospital's compliance with related certification standards. This included how the team supports patients who have and are at-risk for diabetes. Ways the team does so include:

• Has a dedicated in-patient diabetes program team.


• Personalizes standard patient education to teach patients about managing diabetes.


• Uses evidence-based treatment plans in caring for patients who have hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.


• Provides education for all hospital clinical staff about the highest standards of care for diabetes.

Whether a patient with diabetes is having elective joint replacement surgery or is admitted to the hospital after having a heart attack, he or she has unique needs, Meaghan Kim, director of Population Health at AtlantiCare. Sometimes patients learn they have diabetes when they're in the hospital. Helping people manage their disease along with their other health issues - in and out of the hospital is critical to healing and preventing complications or other health issues.

Inpatient diabetes care certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care, said Mark Pelletier,of the Joint Commission. We commend AtlantiCare for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for patients.