7/20/2017
ROME, July 20, 2017 – The UPMC San Pietro FBF Advanced Radiotherapy Center, operated in Rome by UPMC since 2013, has successfully achieved its first accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI). This recognition is based on an extensive review of the center’s patient safety and quality standards and processes.
A leader in international health care accreditation, JCI sets the “gold standard” in global health care quality. Its rigorous accreditation process focuses on determining whether a health care facility has the right systems and processes in place to support high-quality and safe patient care, and has the culture and capacity to continuously improve care. JCI’s surveyors examine such crucial issues as patient and family education, access to care and medication management.
“Ensuring our patients receive the best possible care close to home is our No. 1 priority, and demonstrating compliance with JCI standards serves as validation of this commitment,” said PierCarlo Gentile, M.D., medical director, UPMC San Pietro. “Our dedicated staff is fortunate to be part of UPMC’s global network, where we can take advantage of the experience and expertise of our colleagues not only in Italy, but worldwide.”
One of three oncology outpatient clinics accredited by JCI in Italy, UPMC San Pietro offers the most advanced radiation therapy, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy and image-guided radiation therapy, to residents of Rome and the surrounding region. As part of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, the facility leverages UPMC’s cancer expertise from more than 50 treatment locations worldwide. For instance, teams from UPMC’s radiotherapy center in Waterford, Ireland—which also has JCI accreditation—helped to guide their colleagues in Italy through the process, along with UPMC experts in Pittsburgh.
“By collaborating across our global network, UPMC has once again met the challenge of reaching internationally recognized, time-tested and comprehensive quality standards,” said Dwight E. Heron, M.D., director of radiation services, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. “The entire UPMC team can be proud of this accomplishment, which underscores our excellent, patient-centered model of care.”
Established to respond to a growing demand around the world for standards-based evaluation of quality in health care, JCI today accredits or certifies more than 900 health care organizations and clinical care programs in more than 100 countries. JCI is the international arm of the Joint Commission, which has worked for more than 50 years to improve the quality and safety of health care services. As the largest accreditor of health care organizations in the United States, the Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations through a voluntary process and is recognized as a leader in all aspects of safe, high-quality care.