Shore Medical Center’s proven track record for providing exceptional patient care and superior medical outcomes has once again been nationally recognized by The Joint Commission.

Shore Medical Center has again received Advanced Certification as a Primary Stroke Center, as well as receiving the organization’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Spine Surgery. To add to these achievements, Shore has for the first time received The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for its Hip and Knee Joint Replacement programs.

“We are honored to be recognized by The Joint Commission for our commitment to providing high quality care to our patients and their families,” said Shore Medical Center President and CEO Ron Johnson. “These certifications are a testament to the outstanding effort put forth each and every day by Shore’s passionate physicians, nurses, clinicians and staff. It represents our ongoing commitment to providing exceptional patient care and clinical outcomes to the residents of southern New Jersey.”

An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting healthcare body. Along with general hospital certifications, the Joint Commission also certifies institutions that provide excellence in patient care for disease-specific programs, including spine surgery and hip and knee joint replacement.

To earn this distinction, a program undergoes an extensive, on-site evaluation by a team of Joint Commission reviewers. The program is evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of a program’s processes and ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, as well as interviews with patients and staff. The certifications are given for two years.

In 2011, Shore Medical Center was recognized as a top performing hospital in The Joint Commission’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures program for 2010. It was named a top performer in four key quality measures – heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care.