NATIVIDAD MEDICAL CENTER AWARDED ACCREDITATION FROM JOINT COMMISSION

By demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's national standards for health care quality and safety, Natividad 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 patient safety and quality care," says Chad Chadwick, CEO. "We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward achieving excellence."

The Joint Commission conducted an unannounced, on-site evaluation of Natividad November 15-18, 2005. The award of accreditation recognizes Natividad Medical Center‘s dedication to complying with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.

Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,200 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

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