Joint Commission Gold SealMemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach was recognized for the fourth consecutive time for excellence in pediatric asthma care. Miller Children’s & Women’s remains the only free-standing children’s hospital in California, and only one of 13 hospitals in the nation, to receive the Disease Specific Certification in Pediatric Asthma from The Joint Commission.

“Receiving the Joint Commission’s approval shows just how incredible the Children’s Pulmonary Institute is and how dedicated they are to their patients well-being,” said Grahma Tse, M.D., chief medical officer, MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach. “With the Gold Seal from the Joint Commission, it shows that we are continuously setting the bar higher for ourselves to ensure quality of patient care is met every time they come in for treatment.”

The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization offering unbiased assessment of quality achievement in patient care and safety. This re-certification denotes the highest honor for quality in patient care for children with asthma.

“We’re reviewed every two years by The Joint Commission, and between those reviews we’re constantly seeking ways that we can improve our standards of care,” says Inderpal Randhawa, M.D., medical director, Children’s Pulmonary Institute, Miller Children’s & Women’s. “We are honored to be among the elite asthma care providers in our country.”

Since the last site review, the care team has focused on a couple of key initiatives. The first is a study designed to track and improve how patients are managing asthma after hospitalization. Improvements were achieved through increased education and implementation of a standard asthma control test. The second initiative focused on follow-up appointments for those are moderate to severe asthmatic. The importance of seeing patients as soon as two-weeks after their visit helps ensure that they are receiving the most appropriate care and treatment, which will help the patient live a healthier life.

The team continues to work on closing the gaps in the transition between inpatient and outpatient care in order to give fully comprehensive care for their patients.

“We use the latest technology, medications and evidence-based guidelines to achieve the best outcomes for our patients with asthma,” says Steven Jensen, M.D., medical director, General Pediatrics, Miller Children’s & Women’s. “The continued approval by The Joint Commission emphasizes our efforts.”