For Immediate Release

Contact: Michael Ruhs
Director, PHS Corporate Communication
Office: 651-789-3259
Email: maruhs@pediatrichomeservice.com

ST. PAUL, Minn. (May 22, 2006) – By demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization’s national standards for health care quality and safety, Pediatric Home Service (PHS) has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™.

PHS was first accredited in 1994 and has participated in five Joint Commission surveys; PHS is now in its 13th year of consecutive JCAHO accreditation. Effective January 2006, Joint Commission surveys are unannounced and use the “patient tracer methodology,” which is a way to analyze an organization’s system of providing care, treatment, and services using actual care recipients as the framework for assessing standards compliance.

Susan Wingert, CEO of PHS, says Joint Commission accreditation shows that "we make a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis throughout our organization – from the top down. We seek accreditation for our organization because we want to be the best, and we view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward excellence."

Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission is dedicated to continuously improving the safety and quality of the nation's healthcare through voluntary accreditation. PHS, which provides pediatric home care (respiratory and infusion therapy, etc.) services, received the accreditation award after the Joint Commission found that it had demonstrated compliance with the Joint Commission's national standards
for home care organizations. The on-site survey occurred in March.

"In becoming accredited, PHS was evaluated against a set of national standards by a Joint Commission surveyor experienced in the delivery of home care services," says Maryanne Popovich, R.N., M.P.H., executive director, Home Care Accreditation Program, Joint Commission. "Achieving accreditation demonstrates PHS’s commitment to provide high quality and safe care to its patients."

Wingert notes that accreditation is attainable only through the cooperation and communication of all staff members. "Everyone here at PHS plays a valuable role in working to meet the standards,” added Wingert. “It gives them a feeling of pride and prestige to work in an accredited organization. They also appreciate the educational aspect of the survey and the opportunity to interact with the Joint Commission surveyor."

To view a full copy of the PHS Joint Commission report, visit http://www.quality check.org.

Pediatric Home Service, based in St. Paul Minn., is an independent pediatric home care company that is committed to taking care of the child by providing specialized health care services to technologysupported children in their home. In business since 1990, PHS has partnered with healthcare professionals and family caregivers to deliver care to children with special medical needs. For more information about PHS, visit www.pediatrichomeservice.com or call 651-789-3259.

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