Accreditations and Licensure
Good Shepherd Medical Center participates in the collaboration, coordination, and integration of efforts between the myriad State and Federal agencies and organizations involved in the licensure, certification, accreditation, and oversight of health care providers. We submit our organization to the accreditation and licensure requirements of the following agencies to ensure the highest level of quality care possible while protecting the health and safety of our patients.
The Joint Commission: Assessing the Quality of Care in Hospitals
Look for The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval when selecting your hospital.
The Joint Commission has been accrediting hospitals for more than 50 years. Its accreditation is a nationwide seal of approval that indicates a hospital meets high performance standards. The Joint Commission accreditation process helps hospitals improve their performance, raise the level of patient care, and demonstrate accountability in the rapidly changing health care marketplace.
To maintain and earn accreditation, a hospital undergoes an extensive on-site review by a select team of professionals, including physicians, nurses and administrators. Through an assessment of a hospital’s processes and personal visits with its patients and staff, the hospital is evaluated and scored.
Because its standards are regarded as the most rigorous in the industry, hospitals that choose to be evaluated by The Joint Commission are therefore committed to providing the highest level of quality care to their patients.
The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of ApprovalTM is a clear sign that the accredited organization has demonstrated compliance to the most stringent standards of performance.
The Joint Commission website at www.jointcommission.org provides survey results posted in the “Quality Check”TM section.
Texas Department of State Health Services
The role of the Texas Department of State Health (DSHS) is to monitor health care delivery by regulated health care facilities to assure high quality care to the people of Texas.
Healthcare facilities may be certified to participate in the federal Medicare program. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) directs state health agencies or other appropriate agencies to determine if health care entities meet federal standards through surveys and complaint investigations. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) works closely with the CMS Dallas Regional Office regarding certification matter.
Pathway to Excellence® Designation
In 2012, Good Shepherd Medical Center achieved Pathway to Excellence® designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The Pathway to Excellence designation identifies the elements of work environments where nurses can flourish. The designation substantiates the professional satisfaction of nurses at Good Shepherd and identifies it as one of the best places to work.
As a Pathway to Excellence® designated organization, Good Shepherd Medical Center is committed to nurses, to what nurses identify as important to their practice and to valuing nurses’ contributions in the workplace. This designation confirms to the public that nurses working at Good Shepherd know their efforts are supported. The honor encourages other nurses to join their colleagues in this desirable and nurturing environment.
About ANCC
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA), provides individuals and organizations throughout the nursing profession with the resources they need to achieve practice excellence. ANCC’s internationally renowned credentialing programs certify nurses in specialty practice areas; recognize healthcare organizations for promoting safe, positive work environments through the Pathway to Excellence Program® and Pathway to Excellence in Long Term Care™; and accredit providers of continuing nursing education. In addition, ANCC provides leading-edge information and education services and products to support its core credentialing programs.