Saint Peter’s University Hospital Awarded Perinatal Care Accreditation

On Jan 13, 2020

Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for Perinatal Care by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards in maternal-fetal medicine. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects the organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care for mothers and infants leading up to, during and after birth.

Saint Peter’s underwent a rigorous, two-day unannounced onsite review in July 2019. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with perinatal care standards spanning several areas including care for high-risk births and birth complications.

“The Perinatal Care Accreditation is evidence that we’ve been measured against the highest quality national standards for perinatal health and have successfully achieved those standards,” said Carlos W. Benito, MD, maternal-fetal medicine specialist and chair of the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology (OB/GYN) at Saint Peter’s. “Applying for certification was something we actively chose to do. While rigorous in its process and level of scrutiny, we felt the resulting third-party endorsement offered significant value to our patients, reinforcing our ongoing commitment to deliver top-rated maternity care from a healthcare system that continually strives for excellence.”

The Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission reinforces Saint Peter’s existing reputation as a statewide leader in comprehensive maternal and newborn health services. The services include:

• The hospital is home to New Jersey’s first state-designated Regional Perinatal Center, providing an exceptional level of high-risk maternity care for women experiencing complicated pregnancy and neonatal care for infants born premature or with serious medical issues.
• Saint Peter’s Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is well known in the region for its expertise in providing premature and fragile infants with the highest level of care
• Saint Peter’s is the only New Jersey hospital in the Council of Women’s and Infants’ Specialty Hospitals (CWISH) and has held that member designation since 1997. CWISH is a collaborative of 14 hospitals across the country that works together to establish best practices in support of programs, and national policy for women’s and infants’ healthcare services.
• The new Mary V. O’Shea Birth is New Jersey’s first hospital-based birth center and the home of Saint Peter’s midwifery service – where expectant mothers go for office visits, birthing classes and the birth of their baby.
• The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital is the only hospital in New Jersey to be ranked in the Top 50 in Neonatology in S. News & World Report 2019-20 Best Children’s Hospitals and recently received the 2020 Woman’s Choice Award for Best Children’s Hospital.

“As a private accreditor, The Joint Commission surveys health care organizations to protect the public by identifying deficiencies in care and working with those organizations to correct them as quickly and sustainably as possible,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Saint Peter’s University Hospital for its continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care.”

The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help health care organizations measure, assess and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.

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