Mercy San Juan First on West Coast to Earn Perinatal Care Certification

Dignity Health Mercy San Juan Medical Center is the first hospital on the West Coast to receive official certification from The Joint Commission's for its perinatal care. The Joint Commission's Perinatal Care Certification process acknowledges those facilities which have excelled in providing integrated, coordinated and patient-centered care.

Dignity Health Mercy San Juan Medical Center is the first hospital on the West Coast to receive official certification from The Joint Commission’s for its perinatal care. The Joint Commission’s Perinatal Care Certification process acknowledges those facilities which have excelled in providing integrated, coordinated and patient-centered care. 

“Mercy San Juan Medical Center is gratified to have its exceptional perinatal care recognized by The Joint Commission,” said Brian K. Ivie, president and CEO of Mercy San Juan Medical Center. “This certification represents four years of collaborative work to build a culture focused on patient safety and the best possible outcomes for our perinatal patients. I am proud that we have achieved this Perinatal Care Certification because it allows us to provide the kind of high-quality care that our community needs and deserves.”

To achieve the Perinatal Care Certification from The Joint Commission, organizations must demonstrate integrated, coordinated patient-centered care that starts with prenatal care and continues through postpartum care; identify high-risk pregnancies and births early; and manage mothers’ and newborns’ risks at a level corresponding to the program’s capabilities. Certified organizations must also provide direct care or stabilize and safely transfer mothers and/or newborns who require care beyond the scope of services for the hospital, provide patient education about perinatal care services to meet mothers’ needs and implement ongoing quality-improvement processes.

“This certification reflects Mercy San Juan Medical Center’s success in constantly improving the care they provide to both mothers and babies,” said Dr. Lynn McLean, medical director of Perinatal Services for Dignity Health’s Greater Sacramento Service Area. “This designation serves as reassurance to all perinatal patients and potential perinatal patients that Mercy San Juan Medical Center is committed to providing exceptional patient care through collaborative teamwork across a variety of disciplines.” 

“Achieving Perinatal Care Certification recognizes an organization’s commitment to healthy mothers and healthy babies,” said Wendi Roberts, RN, BA, MS, CLNC, executive director of The Joint Commission's Certification Program. “The certification will give providers an unparalleled advantage when it comes to preparing mothers for labor and delivery, while helping mothers and newborns if complications arise.”

Mercy San Juan Medical Center has secured several elite quality designations in the last year, including being designated by The Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and a Center of Excellence for Hip- and Knee Replacement. The hospital was also named to Healthgrades’ “America’s Top 100 Hospitals” list and has received more than a dozen quality awards for its critical care, neuroscience, cardiac and specialty surgical programs.