PITTSBURGH, Penn. – The Joint Commission has awarded HealthSouth Harmarville Rehabilitation Hospital its Disease-Specific Care Certifications. The hospital earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ for healthcare quality for its Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury and Stroke Rehabilitation Programs. HealthSouth Harmarville was the first rehabilitation hospital in the country to be awarded the Gold Seal of Approval™ for its Stroke Rehabilitation Program in 2004. It is now the only rehabilitation hospital in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania to hold three certifications in these programs.

“We voluntarily pursued the Joint Commission to evaluate three of our rehabilitation programs because we wanted to demonstrate our commitment to excellence,” said Thomas Franz M.D., medical director of HealthSouth Harmarville. “We strive to be the provider of choice for patients and their families and referring physicians looking for high-quality brain injury, spinal cord injury and stroke rehabilitative services.”

To earn these certifications, the three rehabilitation programs underwent an extensive, unannounced, on-site evaluation by a team of Joint Commission reviewers. The programs were evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of the programs’ processes, the programs’ ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization and interviews with patients and staff.

“Our focus is to serve the needs of the Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania communities,” said Ken Anthony, chief executive officer at HealthSouth Harmarville. “Each day, our staff works to provide a differentiated level of care and offer services that get patients back on their feet and functioning in their communities. We’re honored to achieve this distinction.”

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. For more information on The Joint Commission and its certification programs, visit www.jointcommission.org.