The Joint Commission denied Baltimore-based MedStar Union Memorial Hospital preliminary accreditation due to a condition that posed a threat to patients, The Baltimore Sun reports.
Three things to know:
1. A May 18 survey of the hospital revealed a condition* that "posed a threat to patients or other individuals served," a spokesperson for The Joint Commission told The Baltimore Sun. The result of the survey was a Preliminary Denial of Accreditation, which is subject to review and appeal.
2. MedStar officials said they are working with The Joint Commission to resolve these issues.
"We take our responsibility to provide exceptional patient care very seriously," hospital officials said in a statement obtained by The Baltimore Sun. "After reviewing the survey results with appropriate medical, nursing and administrative staff, we immediately implemented a corrective action plan that has been accepted by The Joint Commission. We will continue to work with The Joint Commission to ensure all issues are resolved."
3. The hospital received 45 days from the initial survey to appeal the decision before the organization makes a full denial. The last on-site survey was June 8, according to The Joint Commission's website.
*Editor's note: This story was updated July 5 at 2:43 pm CST. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated a May 18 survey of the hospital revealed a patient safety issue in the hospital's dialysis unit. The Joint Commission's accreditation is voluntary and survey findings provided to an organization following its survey are confidential. As a result, The Joint Commission would be unable to confirm that a patient safety issue was found in the dialysis center. The Joint Commission posts a general description of the areas in which performance issues were found during the onsite survey at QualityCheck.org.