Northwest Health’s Willow Creek Women’s Hospital First in State to be Awarded Perinatal Care Certification from The Joint Commission

6/21/2021

JOHNSON (June 21, 2021) – Willow Creek Women’s Hospital is the first in the state of Arkansas to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Perinatal Care Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe, quality patient care.

The certification recognizes Willow Creek Women’s Hospital’s efforts to achieve integrated, coordinated, patient-centered care for clinically uncomplicated pregnancies and births. The certification uses standards, guidelines and The Joint Commission’s perinatal care core performance measures for managing and monitoring aspects of perinatal care that are critical to improving and maintaining the health of newborns and their mothers.

Willow Creek Women’s Hospital underwent an onsite review at the end of May. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including providing alternatives to primary cesarean sections, supporting options for birth including low-intervention birthing experience and interdisciplinary team meetings for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) infants. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“Perinatal Care Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” said Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, accreditation and certification operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Willow Creek Women’s Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for newborns and their mothers.”

“This is validation of the hard work and dedication of our team to provide excellent, high-quality care to all of our families and especially to the women who entrust us with the care of their babies before, during and after birth,” said Juli McWhorter, chief administrative officer of Willow Creek Women’s Hospital. “We could not have earned this recognition and achieved this milestone without a total team effort.”

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.

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