UZ Leuven awarded four prestigious JCI quality accreditations

30 October 2019

On Friday 18 October the fourth JCI inspection was concluded at UZ Leuven. This evaluation tests the quality systems of care organisations against internationally recognised quality and safety standards. UZ Leuven was awarded the prestigious quality accreditation for the fourth time. In fact it was the first Flemish hospital to be awarded four different quality accreditations at the same time. 

 

 

Four quality accreditations in one go

Moreover, UZ Leuven is the first hospital in Flanders to have gained not one, but four JCI accreditations. UZ Leuven was not only accredited as a hospital, it was also inspected with respect to the care it provides for patients with a poly trauma, stroke (CVA) or spinal problems. Thanks to the valiant efforts of all UZ Leuven employees, the hospital was awarded accreditations not only for the overall evaluation but also for the assessment of its care programmes. 

Thanks to our robust quality culture we are able to time and again raise the quality and results of our patient care.
Prof. dr. Wim Robberecht - CEO

Robust quality structure

“The immense input and efforts from all employees have ensured that we gained this certification. We are extremely grateful to everyone for this. Thanks to our robust quality culture we are able to time and again raise the quality and results of our patient care,” CEO prof. dr. Wim Robberecht affirmed. “We should be extraordinarily proud to have gained this for the fourth time. Yes, it is not the first time that we have been awarded this accreditation, but with a report highlighting barely ten comments we have scored better than ever this year. Furthermore, we have not only gained global accreditation for the entire hospital, but also three care programme certificates.”

Joint Commission International

The Joint Commission International (JCI) organisation sets international, i.e. JCI standards, in the areas of care quality and patient safety. There are 300 standards that need to be evaluated on the basis of 1,300 objective, measurable criteria. If the JCI inspection demonstrates that a care organisation’s quality system complies with its standards, JCI will award a hospital accreditation for a period of three years.

JCI inspects the day to day operations of a hospital. Inspectors monitor individual patients during all aspects of their treatment and care. It involves employees and patients as well as visitors. This sets JCI apart from other accreditations and certificates that work with a specific focus on policy/organisation. The JCI approach concentrates on all aspects of a hospital’s operations.

In 2010 UZ Leuven was the first Flemish hospital to take up the challenge to be evaluated by the Joint Commission International (JCI). If a JCI inspection demonstrates that the quality standards of a hospital comply with the demanding JCI standards, it will be awarded this accreditation. This year UZ Leuven gained this prestigious quality accreditation for the next three years, for the fourth time in a row.

Last edit: 21 January 2021