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WOONSOCKET, R.I. — MinuteClinic has become the first retail clinic provider to achieve three straight Gold Seal of Approval awards from The Joint Commission, an independent accreditation and certification organization.
The CVS Caremark retail health clinic subsidiary said Monday that the accreditation, valid valid for up to a three-year period, demonstrates its compliance with the commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety.
The Joint Commission conducted unannounced on-site evaluations of MinuteClinics across the nation during the second quarter of this year. Expert surveyors evaluated MinuteClinic for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.
MinuteClinic was first accredited by The Joint Commission in 2006. The latest accreditation applies to the approximately 600 MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics inside CVS/pharmacy stores in 25 states and the District of Columbia.
"This accreditation and our continued compliance with The Joint Commission’s rigorous national standards is a testament to the outstanding clinical care delivered by MinuteClinic practitioners during the more than 13 million patient visits at our clinics to date," Andrew Sussman, president of MinuteClinic and senior vice president/associate chief medical officer at CVS Caremark, said in a statement. "With patient satisfaction ratings exceeding 95%, we are proud of our record for delivering the highest level of care while expanding the number of clinics and patient services we offer across the United States."
The commission’s standards, for outpatient ambulatory care organizations, are developed in consultation with health care experts, providers, measurement experts and patients. Nearly 1,900 freestanding ambulatory care organizations maintain Joint Commission accreditation, MinuteClinic reported.
