Mater Private in Cork awarded JCI Gold Standard

MATER Private Network Cork has become the first hospital in Ireland to be awarded the new seventh edition Gold Standard from the Joint Commission International (JCI) for patient care and organisation management.

Mater Private Network Cork underwent a rigorous, virtual on-site review in March, during which a team of JCI reviewers evaluated compliance with standards spanning several areas including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, medication management, and rights and responsibilities of the individual.

Mater Private Network Cork managing director Martin Clancy said that the hospital’s mission was to “provide excellent medical care to those who need it, in compliance with the highest international standards for safety and quality of care”.

He added: “We are continuing to raise the bar for others to follow and our key aim is to provide GPs with swift and easy access to in-hospital care for their patients. 

"Our increased operating and bed capacity can ensure that more patients will be looked after promptly, efficiently and effectively by our team of top-class consultants, medical and nursing staff.”

The JCI’s standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients, and are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help healthcare organisations measure, assess and improve performance.

JCI chief operating officer, accreditation and certification operations, and chief nursing executive Mark Pelletier said: “As a private accreditor, the Joint Commission surveys healthcare organisations to protect the public by identifying deficiencies in care and working with those organisations to correct them as quickly and sustainably as possible.”

He commended the Mater Private Network Cork for its “continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care”.