NATCHEZ — By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety, Natchez Regional Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval.

“We sought accreditation for our organization because we want to demonstrate our commitment to patients’ safety and quality care,” said Jim Richardson, interim CEO.

The Joint Commission conducted an unannounced, on-site evaluation of Natchez Regional Jan. 15- 22. The accreditation award recognized Natchez Regional’s dedication to complying with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations.

“The community should be proud that Natchez Regional is focusing on the most challenging goal — to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels,” Darlene Christiansen, executive director, Hospital Accreditation Program, The Joint Commission.

Dan Bland, chairman of the Natchez Regional Board of Trustees praised employees for their involvement in the survey process.

“Staff involvement in the accreditation process was vital to the success of the on-site survey,” Bland said. “The dedication to safety and quality care is demonstrated by the staff on a daily basis. Not only did the employees demonstrate their knowledge of Joint Commission standards during the survey process, but they also appreciated the educational aspect of the survey and the opportunity to interact with the survey team,” Bland said.