Winneshiek Medical Center under accreditation review by Joint Comission

Officials from the Winneshiek Medical Center say that they are expecting representatives from the Joint Commission to be visiting some time during the next week or two to conduct an inspection to the hospital.

The Joint Commission is a non-profit organization that inspects health care facilities and programs once every three years, and provides accreditation to the health care entity.

At the end of the inspection, the Joint Commission will decide whether to award accreditation or certification to the WMC. However, the Joint Commission's website notes, "Accreditation and/or certification does not 'endorse' a program or organization's quality of care, nor does it 'prove,' 'assure,' or 'testify' that a program or organization provides quality care. Accreditation and certification demonstrate a commitment to provided disease-specific care, healthcare staffing, palliative care, rehabilitation and advanced care or ambulatory or hospital primary care medical home services."