Greensburg, Pa.-based Independence Health System has earned recognition from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy for its endoscopy units at Mount Pleasant, Pa.-based Frick Hospital, Latrobe (Pa.) hospital and Greensburg, Pa.-based Westmoreland Hospital and its Laurel Surgical Center in Greensburg and North Huntingdon, Pa.-based Norwin Surgical Center, according to a June 26 report from the Latrobe Bulletin.
The five locations have received a three-year commendation, joining Independence's Surgery Center at Benbrook in Butler, Pa.
The Independence Health sites are among more than 600 endoscopy units that have been recognized by the ASGE since 2009. More than 25,000 endoscopies are performed across the system annually.
The ASGE recognizes endoscopy programs with a dedication to patient safety and quality, especially with regard to the organization's guidelines on privileging, quality assurance, endoscope reprocessing and staff competency, as well as infection control guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.