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CAPC Palliative Care Discussion Forum
General Operational Topics
letter to Joint Commission in support of cert-Author: chrisbee
Date: Dec 10, 2008 10:29 am
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In response to question in the previous post, on November 20, 2008 CAPC sent out the below eAlert.
Thank you,
Forum Administrator
-----Original Message-----
From: Center to Advance Palliative Care [mailto:capc@mssm.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:07 AM
Subject: Take Action to Save The Joint Commission Certification for Palliative Care Programs
Dear Palliative Care Community,
The launch of The Joint Commission Certification for Palliative Care Programs has been put on hold. The Joint Commission (TJC) is concerned about the level of interest of U.S. hospitals in pursuing this certification. In order to encourage TJC to go forward with this program, we need to send as many letters as possible to TJC from hospital palliative care program directors and especially from your hospital CEOs, indicating strong interest in and enthusiasm for pursuing palliative care certification.
As many of you know, TJC (formerly JCAHO) has developed a certification program for palliative care. The purpose of pursuing the Certificate is to demonstrate your program's quality, based on the National Quality Forum's Framework and Preferred Practices for Hospice and Palliative Care.
Why is TJC engagement important?
The Joint Commission certificate sends a strong signal of importance and legitimacy to hospital administration, payers, policymakers and organized medicine.
Certification availability is a spur to palliative care program leaders to adhere to quality guidelines.
Certification is a stepping-stone to the presence of a quality palliative care program in all U.S. hospitals.
Please send letters to:
Mark Chassin, MD (and please cc Chuck Mowll at the same address)
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
For your convenience, below is a sample letter.
Thank you,
CAPC
Dear Dr. Chassin,
The purpose of this letter is to express our interest in, and enthusiasm for, The Joint Commission Certification for Palliative Care Programs. Our hospital's palliative care program has been established since ____. We are convinced that this service markedly improves the quality of care that we deliver to our sickest and most complex patients. Further, we are planning to pursue certification because we believe the recognition and validation associated with the certification process will powerfully demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of our program to the community we serve, as well as to our trustees and our staff.
Thank you for your work in assuring the quality of our nation's health care organizations and for your recognition of the key role of palliative care in achieving that goal.
Sincerely,