NYU Winthrop Was First Teaching Hospital in New York State to Achieve Distinction
NYU Winthrop Hospital today announced that it was awarded The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification in Inpatient Diabetes Care. NYU Winthrop Hospital was the first teaching hospital in New York state to earn this distinction, beginning in 2013, and the newest Gold Seal of Approval® marks uninterrupted advanced certification since that time. The Joint Commission is the premier healthcare quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation, and its experts conducted a rigorous on-site review at NYU Winthrop, evaluating compliance with national disease-specific care standards, as well as inpatient diabetes-specific requirements. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed. These in-depth reviews proved NYU Winthrop’s commitment to excellence that resulted in the Gold Seal of Approval®. More than 30 million adults and children in the U.S. have diabetes, and every 21 seconds, another individual is diagnosed with diabetes.
In reviewing standards of care for this very prevalent disease, The Joint Commission analyzed NYU Winthrop’s protocol related to:
- patient education on self-management of diabetes
- consistency in the continuum of care across hospital departments
- ongoing quality improvement processes
- continuing staff education
- thorough data collection
- blood glucose monitoring protocols
- plans for treatment of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia
“NYU Winthrop Hospital has thoroughly demonstrated a high level of care for patients with diabetes,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, hospital business development, The Joint Commission.
“Those in the region who have diabetes know to come to NYU Winthrop for the absolute highest standards of care,” said Virginia Peragallo-Dittko, RN, executive director of the Diabetes and Obesity Institute at NYU Winthrop Hospital.
Ms. Dittko noted that NYU Winthrop has the distinction of being an “insulin pump-friendly hospital.” An insulin pump allows a person with diabetes to self-manage their insulin levels 24 hours a day, in contrast to many hospitals where patients must forgo their personal pumps upon admittance to a hospital. NYU Winthrop long ago made a commitment to partner with the patient in allowing continued use of personal insulin pump in the hospital setting, as long as it is safe for the patient. “We believe in patients having a strong voice in their diabetes care, and we demonstrate this commitment by including patients with diabetes on our diabetes care and insulin safety committees,” added Ms. Peragallo-Dittko.
The care of people with diabetes at NYU Winthrop is closely coordinated by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, case managers, and diabetes nurse clinicians.
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Anne Kazel-Wilcox
Phone: 516-663-4999
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