Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center has become the first facility in the nation to earn a Health Care Equity Certification from The Joint Commission.
The certification recognizes the efforts of Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health to address and improve healthcare equity across all of its networks, including its ASCs and hospitals, according to an Aug. 22 press release.
To receive the certification, health systems must have a formal structure in place to address health equity across all facilities. They must be actively collecting, analyzing and acting on data points related to patient care, communication, socioeconomic information, staff education and policies.
HUMC underwent an onsite review in which a team of surveyors evaluated over 40 program-specific standards, including quality and safety measures for clinical conditions based on sociodemographic characteristics, a comparison of the race, ethnicity and languages spoken by staff members in relation to demographics of the community, employee opinions of cultural safety, and a healthcare equity performance improvement plan.