Grady Cancer Center for Excellence Awarded Highest Level of Achievement for Excellence in Person-Centered Care

The Grady Cancer Center for Excellence has been awarded Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care by Planetree International. This Person-Centered Care Certification® recognizes Grady’s achievement and innovation in the delivery of person-centered care. The cancer center is the first in Georgia to earn this prestigious award and one of only three oncology centers and 102 healthcare organizations worldwide to receive the honor.

Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care represents the highest achievement in person-centered care, based on evidence and standards. Person-centered healthcare prioritizes the active participation of patients and their families throughout the healthcare process, emphasizing partnership, compassion, transparency, inclusion, and quality.

“At Grady, one of our core values is being patient-centered,” said Pooja Mishra, Vice President of Oncology and Sickle Cell at Grady. “Our cancer team is incredibly proud to be honored by Planetree for our commitment to providing our patients with the highest quality patient-centered care. This honor proves that when someone comes to us for treatment, we keep them at the heart of care delivery.”

As part of the Certification process — which included a validation assessment by representatives from Planetree — discussion with the cancer center’s patients, families, and current staff validated that specific person-centered policies are in place, including non-restrictive visiting hours and a shared medical record policy; that staff members at all levels are involved in the implementation of person-centered care; and that the organization’s physical environment supports patient and family engagement in their care. The process also included a review of the organization’s performance on patient experience and quality of care measures and how the measurement of these indicators improves organizational outcomes.

“The Planetree Certification is the only award that recognizes excellence in person-centeredness across the continuum of care,” said Susan Frampton, President of Planetree International, a not-for-profit organization that has been at the forefront of the movement to transform healthcare from the perspective of patients for more than 40 years. “This Gold Certification signals to its patients and community that The Grady Cancer Center is an organization where staff partner with patients and families and where patient and family comfort, dignity, empowerment, and well-being are prioritized as key elements of providing top-quality clinical care.”

For more information on Planetree’s Person-Centered Care Certification® Program, visit planetree.org/certification.

Grady Health System is one of the largest safety net health systems in the United States. Grady consists of the 953-bed Grady Memorial Hospital, six neighborhood health centers, Crestview Health & Rehabilitation Center, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding, which is operated as a Children’s affiliate. With its nationally acclaimed emergency medical services, Grady has the premier Level I trauma center in the Metro Atlanta region and serves as the 911 ambulance provider for the city of Atlanta. Grady’s American Burn Association/American College of Surgeons verified Burn Center is one of only two in the state. And the Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center is a Joint Commission designated Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center. Other key services/distinctions include Grady’s Regional Perinatal Center with its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Georgia’s first Cancer Center for Excellence, The Avon Comprehensive Breast Center, the Georgia Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, and the Ponce de Leon Center – one of the top HIV/AIDS outpatient clinics in the country. Grady is one of an elite group of hospitals to earn the Baby-Friendly USA international recognition as a Baby-Friendly Designated birth facility. For more information visit http://www.gradyhealth.org/.

SOURCE Grady Health System