St. Mary's Health Care System has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease program.

To earn certification for COPD care, St. Mary's demonstrated compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. The certification recognizes St. Mary's dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards.

COPD is a group of long-term conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis that make it hard to breathe. According to the American Lung Association, COPD is becoming increasingly common and now affects more than 11 million Americans. Most often caused by smoking or air pollution, COPD is the third leading cause of death in America.

"The good news about COPD is that it is often preventable and treatable," says Michele Johnson, manager of St. Mary's Respiratory Services Department. "We have built a robust program to help our patients breathe better. Whatever level of care our patients need, whether it's ventilator care in the ICU or support through our Better Breathers Club, we are here to help."

To earn COPD certification, St. Mary's underwent a rigorous on-site review earlier this year. A team of Joint Commission expert reviewers evaluated the hospital for compliance with the overall requirements for The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification program as well as standards, clinical practice guidelines and performance measures specific to COPD.

"In achieving Joint Commission certification, St. Mary's has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients with COPD,” says Michele Sacco, M.S., interim executive director, Certification Programs. “Certification is a voluntary process and I commend St. Mary's for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

"With Joint Commission certification, we are making a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down," says Nina Evans, St. Mary's Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. "Joint Commission certification provides us with a framework to take our organization to the next level. It helps us create a culture of excellence. Achieving Joint Commission certification in COPD is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide.”

COPD certification is St. Mary's seventh Joint Commission disease-specific certification. The other six are: Advanced primary stroke center, advanced inpatient diabetes care, heart failure care, total knee replacement, total hip replacement and spine surgery. St. Mary's is the first hospital in Trinity Health and the second hospital in Georgia to be certified in COPD.

The Joint Commission's Certification for COPD, developed in conjunction with the American Lung Association, provides standards for outpatient and ambulatory care settings related to:  

• Staff education requirements

• The use of spirometry

• Smoking cessation

• Risk factor reduction

• Patient education on self-management of COPD, and

• Coordination of care.

St. Mary's offers a comprehensive continuum of care for patients living with COPD, Johnson says, including emergency care, intensive care, routine inpatient hospital care, inpatient and outpatient diagnostics such as pulmonary function testing, home health care/hospice services, pulmonary rehabilitation, Freedom from Smoking program, and the Better Breathers Club.

According to the American Lung Association, symptoms of COPD include a cough that won't go away, shortness of breath while doing everyday activities, blueness of the lips or fingernail beds, fatigue, coughing up mucus, and wheezing.

"Early diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference in quality of life," Johnson says. "The earlier we can detect COPD, the more we can do to prevent damage to the lungs and bronchial system. That means it's very important that people who are at-risk get regular check-ups with their doctor and see a doctor as soon as possible if they start experiencing symptoms."