National Jewish Receives Full NCQA Accreditation

National Jewish Medical and Research Center's longstanding commitment to providing optimal patient care was well rewarded this month when its disease management programs received full accreditation for a 3-year period from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

Full accreditation is the highest level attributed to a disease management program. This evaluation was part of the accreditation process from NCQA, which awarded National Jewish Full Patient & Practitioner Oriented Accreditation for its asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Disease Management Programs.

NCQA, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare, provides third-party confirmation that a disease management program is designed well, the programs are effective, and that the organization is providing excellent patient care and customer service.

According to the NCQA, "For an organization to become accredited by NCQA, it must undergo a rigorous survey and meet certain standards designed to evaluate the disease management program's clinical and administrative systems."
"We, at National Jewish, are very proud of this result. The score is reflective of the excellence of the institution and its programs," said David Tinkelman, MD Vice President of Health Initiatives.

NCQA inspectors evaluated the policies and procedures of National Jewish's asthma and COPD programs, covering areas such as program content, operations, patient and practitioner service, clinical systems, and measurement and quality improvement. In addition, the evaluators examined National Jewish records for their completeness.

National Jewish's disease management interventions are all focused on improving a patient's clinical state and quality of life. The programs have been in existence since 1996. The programs also focus on building relationships with healthcare practitioners across the country. The program's Medical Director, Phillip Corsello, MD, collaborates with practitioners on a daily basis to ensure that patients are being treated in an optimal manner.

What impressed the NCQA about National Jewish was its commitment to optimal and total patient care, treating the entire patient, which includes the co-morbid aspects of disease like depression and diabetes.

"They were also impressed with the adherence strategies that our Disease Specific Care Managers utilize on a daily basis to successfully involve patients with their care and the level at which the Medical Director was involved with each patient," said Abby Schwartz, R.N., MBA, Director of Disease Management Programs at National Jewish. "We strive to ensure that patients and practitioners are empowered with the right information to maximize their disease control and quality of life. The credibility of our Disease Specific Care Managers and Medical Director is recognized by patients and practitioners participating in the National Jewish Disease Management Programs."

National Jewish Medical and Research Center, ranked as the country's number one respiratory hospital for the seventh consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report, is the only medical and research center in the United States devoted entirely to respiratory, allergic and immune system diseases, including asthma, tuberculosis, emphysema, severe allergies, AIDS, cancer, and autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Founded in 1899, National Jewish is dedicated to enhancing prevention, treatment and cures through research, and to developing and providing innovative clinical programs for treating patients regardless of age, religion, race or ability to pay.