The National Heart Insitute or Institut Jantung Negara has once again received the Joint Commission International’s (JCI) Gold Seal of Approval for its high standards of patient care.
The Gold Seal of Approval is only awarded to hospitals that meet the highest patient safety standards globally. Incidentally, this is the heart hospital’s fifth JCI re-accreditation process, having first received the accolade in 2009.
Based in the United States, JCI is a worldwide leader in independent healthcare assessment and prioritises hospitals and their commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. The standards used by JCI are developed on feedback from healthcare experts and patients, as well as scientific literature.
Healthcare centres seeking JCI accreditation are required to undergo a rigorous review, where they are evaluated on a range of areas including, assessment and care of patients; governance and leadership; provision of high-risk services and care; as well as staff qualifications and education.
JCI also measures healthcare providers’ ability to meet international patient safety goals, including safe surgery and reduced risk of healthcare-associated infections.
IJN chief executive officer Datuk Dr. Aizai Azan Abdul Rahim explained that the JCI accreditation served as a benchmark for the centre to work towards.
“The standards set by JCI are not static; these are metrics updated regularly to match medical advancements and best practices in clinical care,” he said. “From our perspective as a healthcare provider, these evolving guidelines are useful in terms of how we can further improve and refine our own processes. Ultimately, these improvements are always framed as: what can we do better for our patients?”
He added that the accreditation offers patients the assurance that they are receiving top-notch care from skilled specialists, in a safe setting complemented by state-of-the-art facilities.
“It’s a symbol of reliability in our expertise and capabilities, so we are incredibly honoured to maintain our JCI-accredited status,” he said.
