Floyd Medical Center is the first hospital in Georgia to receive The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of ApprovalTM for inpatient diabetes care.

The advanced disease-specific care certificate of distinction recognizes Floyd’s compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in diabetes management and care. Hospitals with Gold SealTM distinction have demonstrated exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes across all inpatient settings.

“In the United States, fewer than 40 hospitals have earned this certification,” said Winnie Cullens, RN, BSN, Accreditation and Compliance Coordinator. “This is an indicator to our patients that Floyd is dedicated to providing the best possible care to our patients.”

For health care consumers, certification signifies that Floyd has the critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes, including the following;

• Blood glucose monitoring protocols

• Plans for the treatment of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia

• Data collection of incidences of hypoglycemia

• Patient education on diabetes self-management

• Professional program team

• Staff education

The Joint Commission’s Advanced Inpatient Diabetes certification program was developed in conjunction with the American Diabetes Association and is based on the ADA’s Clinical Practice Recommendations.

“The Joint Commission reviewer who conducted the survey was extremely complimentary of all of our staff,” Cullens said. “She stated that it was obvious that Floyd is committed to providing high quality patient care and strives for excellence.”

For more information, contact the Diabetes Specialty Nursing department at 706.509.5184.