EAMC awarded Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Disease-Specific Care Certification from The Joint Commission; Only Hospital in Alabama

OPELIKA, Ala. – East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC) has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Disease-Specific Care Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.

EAMC was the first hospital in Alabama to become certified in this category by The Joint Commission (TJC)—in 2010—and remains the only hospital in Alabama certified in inpatient diabetes. In fact, there are only 60 hospitals in the United States with this prestigious certification from The Joint Commission.

“We have a great collaborative multidisciplinary team including diabetes educators, dietitians, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, social workers, educators, and lab professionals who continually provide expertise with such compassion to our patients with diabetes,” says Amie Hardin, the director who oversees EAMC’s inpatient and outpatient diabetes programs. “This cohesive team assists in successful diabetes management which helps lead to better outcomes in all disease processes.”

According to Hardin, about 30 percent of EAMC’s inpatients have diabetes, which amounts to around 4,000 patients per year. “With diabetes being so prevalent in our state, we feel strongly that we need to put forth this extra effort so that team members across the organization have extensive knowledge when it comes to treating patients with diabetes.”

The certification recognizes health care organizations that provide clinical programs across the continuum of care for advanced inpatient diabetes. The certification evaluates how organizations use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, as well as to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for discharge.

EAMC underwent a rigorous onsite review on February 10. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification requirements. The requirements for this certification are designed to improve the safety and quality of care for inpatients diagnosed with diabetes. The requirements reflect the 2022 American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes and subject matter experts in diabetes care and management. The reviewer also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Disease-Specific Care Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Deborah Ryan, MS, RN, Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. “We commend East Alabama Medical Center for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for patients with diabetes.”

Vice President of Quality, and Chief Nursing Officer Nicki Ware adds that “this certification is an outstanding accomplishment; our employees have such a commitment to excellence in diabetes care. It was so nice to hear an outsider come in and speak so genuinely about how she saw us carrying out our mission and doing it, as she said, with such ‘passion, collaboration, and teamwork.’”

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.

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About East Alabama Health

East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier in Valley, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and a host of other key medical clinic and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 314-bed regional referral hospital with a 26-bed Skilled Nursing Facility, while EAMC-Lanier provides inpatient services as well as a nursing home, an acute rehab unit and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 3,500 employees and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University. For more information, visit www.eastalabamahealth.org.