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Advanced Sleep Therapy is JCAHO Certified
What Does that Mean for Your Health Care?
In the medical world, there are a lot of acronyms to memorize, and it can get pretty complicated, even for healthcare professionals themselves. In this world of abbreviations, how are you as a patient supposed to understand the importance of acronym-based programs and commissions associated with your healthcare?
The answer is simple, by choosing to work with a practice who is open about their accreditation’s and happily walks you through their own certification processes is a company who will answer all of your questions. This sort of company promotes excellent care, which is exactly what JCAHO Certification is all about. Fostering safe and excellent health care.
What is JCAHO?
JCAHO stands for The Joint Commission Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. Sometimes called JCAHO, sometimes just called The Joint Commission, it’s role remains the same. JCAHO is a non-profit organization who aims to improve healthcare for the public. They work by implementing standards and expecting hospitals and other healthcare establishments to rise up to achieve them.
What Are JCAHO’s Standards for the Health Care Industry?
The Joint Commission keeps the integral portions of their standards available in several ways, one of which is by informing the public of their accountability measures, or the key factors to their means of evaluation. Here are some things they look for in an upstanding healthcare facility:
Tobacco Use Screening: The Joint Commission holds any health care practice who is accredited with their certification responsible for screening their patients for tobacco use. Since cigarette use is a habit known to be extremely detrimental to all parts of the body, it’s very important that the office you visit screens you for tobacco use.
Measuring Practice Data: JCAHO wants to know how each hospital, doctor’s office, and medical provider is measuring their success or challenges in their practice.
Patient Safety: At the top of things that The Joint Commission expects is diligent patient safety. This means that no patient should ever come into undue risk while in the hands of their healthcare provider. The basis of their entire program hinges on promoting total patient safety.
Improvement: Healthcare offices are expected to prove that they are consistently working to improve their practice. You may see this in the form of a patient survey or the implementation of new health promotional programs.
Is Advanced Sleep Therapy JCAHO Certified?
Yes! And a resounding yes at that. At Advanced Sleep Therapy, we are proudly certified by the Joint Commission and happily adhere to their recommended standards. Our values, beliefs, and love of truly great patient care makes becoming accredited easy. We strive for superior, safe client care above all else. When you become our client, you can rest assured that we will screen for any health condition that may affect your sleep, your daily life, and total health. After using our services, we will likely ask for you to complete a very quick and simple survey. The data collected from this survey will helps us improve your next visit with us as well as the visits of our future clients too! If you have any questions at all about our accreditation or how it might impact your service, please do not hesitate to ask. We’re here to serve you any way that we can!
Caryn McArdle RN, BSN Nurse Clinician, has been committed to helping clients sleep through the night for over 20 years.
She began her medical studies at Loyola University in Chicago, where she received a Bachelor’s in Nursing. After several years working in sleep and pulmonary clinics, she decided that she wanted to provide a more specialized service to her patients. In 2004, Caryn founded Advanced Sleep Therapy along with her two business partners, and her dedication to her patients has been instrumental in setting AST apart from others in the field.
When not in the office or seeing patients, Caryn enjoys traveling with her family, reading, and creating mosaic art. She spends her free time with her husband, her two daughters, and her two dogs, Lucy in the Sky and Bang Bang Maxwell. Wishing you better sleep and better health!
John Kissane, Home Medical Equipment Specialist.
As one of two Breathe Easy CPAP founders, I have worked in Sleep Therapy industries for over 20 years. I have worked for home care companies specifically targeting Sleep Apnea, leading the way at AST to provide exceptional patient care.
I worked directly with the technical staff to design a website specifically catered to the customers’ needs. I was Born and raised with four brothers in Chicago, I grew up playing tennis and rooting for the Chicago Cubs. With my wife Missy, we have raised three wonderful children, two girls and a boy. My faithful companion is our dog named Buster.
Karen joined the Breathe Easy CPAP team in March 2008.
Graduating with a degree in Communication from Arizona State University, she has over 30 years of Sales and Marketing experience. Karen’s experience includes working for Kraft Foodservice as a Territory Manager in Southern California and a Sales Manager for J.Goodman and Associates in Southern California.
Karen primarily focuses on marketing AST’s services to physicians and sleep labs. Her passion for maintaining client relationships has been instrumental in bringing our business to a new level of service, gaining AST greater recognition in the Sleep Therapy industry. She is married to Irwin, a Pharmacist and Founder of a local Biotech Company. They have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.
Jody Geraci, Office Manager.
Jody has been working as a medical biller for over 10 years. Jody found the AST Team as a Consultant during 2014 as we transitioned from an outside billing company to in house billing.
In the summer of 2015 Jody accepted the position as Office Manager of AST.
Jody has been an intricate part of integrating new practice management software to improve our service to you.
Jody lives in the northwest suburbs with her husband and 2 children.