Quality Care

Accomplishments in Quality and Safety at Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals have been recognized by many national organizations on our standards of quality, excellence and safety.

Joint Commission – The Gold Standard
Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals are fully accredited by the Joint Commission. Across the United States, the Joint Commission evaluates and accredits healthcare organizations. Accreditation from this independent, nonprofit organization is a recognized symbol of quality, demonstrating an organization's achievement of performance standards. Joint Commission accreditation requires successful completion of an on-site survey at least every three years.

The Joint Commission has also recognized Jefferson with specific quality awards, including The Medal of Honor for Organ Donation and Advanced Certifications as a Primary Stroke Center and Ventricular Assist Device. For more information, visit the Joint Commission's web site, at www.jcaho.org.

MAGNET® Recognition for Nursing Excellence
Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals Center City campus has been granted MAGNET® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association. Less than five percent of the hospitals in the nation have achieved MAGNET recognition for superior patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Hospitals that achieve MAGNET recognition are associated with improved patient care outcomes as well as attracting top notch physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals. Visit the ANCC web site at www.nursecredentialing.org.

American College of Surgeons – National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is a participating site for the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP). The ACS-NSQIP is the first nationally validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based program to measure and improve the quality of surgical care. The program employs a prospective, peer controlled, validated database to quantify 30-day risk-adjusted surgical outcomes, which allows valid comparison of outcomes among all hospitals in the program. Participating hospitals and their surgical staff are provided with the tools, reports, analysis, and support necessary to make informed decisions about improving quality of care. Visit their site at https://acsnsqip.org.

Level 1 Regional Resource Trauma Center and Spinal Cord Injury Center
Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals' Emergency Department is an officially designated Level 1 Regional Resource Trauma Center. It is one of only 18 hospitals in the United States that is both an official Trauma Center and a federally designated Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center.

Jefferson, in affiliation with Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, is designated as one of the nation's 14 Model Spinal Cord Injury Centers by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The only such facility in the Delaware Valley, the Center has treated more than 3,000 persons with spinal cord injuries and significantly reduced the severe secondary complications of traumatic spinal cord injury. Read more about the Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley.

National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center
The Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson is a national leader in cancer treatment, research and education and a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center. It is among the top 20 centers in the country in grant funding from NCI. Read more about The Kimmel Cancer Center and The NCI.

Blue Distinction Award
Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals earned the Blue Distinction Award from Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association for demonstrating expertise in delivering quality health care in the following specialties: Complex and Rare Cancers, Cardiac Care, Spine Surgery and Hip and Knee Replacement. This award designation serves as a guide in selecting quality specialty care. To learn more, visit www.bcbs.com.

U.S.News & World Report
In U.S.News & World Report's 2010-2011 ratings of America's Best Hospitals, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals were rated among the best in the nation in eight specialties. Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals' top rankings are for Orthopedics and Rehabilitation. Jefferson is the 13th best hospital in the nation for Orthopedics and the 12th best in the U.S. for Rehabilitation.

Other programs to receive national recognition were Cancer; Ear, Nose & Throat; Gastroenterology; Geriatrics; Gynecology; and Pulmonology. In addition, Wills Eye Institute, which serves as the Department of Ophthalmology for Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals and Jefferson Medical College, was rated third in the nation for Ophthalmology. The rankings include 4,852 hospitals nationally, of which only 152 scored high enough to appear in any of the 16 specialty rankings.