• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

LifeWatch Achieves Accreditation From Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)

Posted on: Friday, 29 September 2006, 12:01 CDT

LifeWatch Holding Corp. announced today that it has achieved JCAHO accreditation under the Program classification of "Ambulatory Health Care Programs". LifeWatch is one of only a few independent diagnostic testing facilities (IDTFs) worldwide who have received this Gold Seal of Approval™.

Headquartered in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, LifeWatch is the nation's leading independent provider of cardiac event monitoring services for the detection of arrhythmia. LifeWatch processes over 1.5 million ECG transmissions per year covering Holter, pacemaker, implantable cardiac defibrillator and cardiac event monitoring. In 2005, LifeWatch signed an exclusive long-term agreement with Guidant for monitoring of ICD patients. LifeWatch began the JCAHO accreditation process 12 months ago as a further step in its expansion strategy.

"Achieving the JCAHO Gold Seal of Approval™ corroborates our clinical excellence and quality processes," said Frederick J. Mindermann, President and CEO of LifeWatch Holding Corporation. "This lays the foundation for our aggressive expansion into the TeleMonitoring, TeleCare and Clinical Research verticals as we announced in May of 2006. We will proudly display this approval on all our corporate collateral, as it is a clear recognition by this prestigious organization and a strong sign to our customers that we are best in class within our industry."

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. As an independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Since 1951, the Joint Commission has maintained state-of-the-art standards that focus on improving the quality and safety of care provided by health care organizations. The Joint Commission's comprehensive accreditation process evaluates a health care organization's compliance with these standards and other accreditation requirements.

"Joint Commission accreditation sets LifeWatch apart," says Michael Kulczycki, executive director, Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program, Joint Commission. "Organizations awarded this Gold Seal of Approval™ dedicate themselves to continuous operational improvement."

As a subsidiary of Card Guard AG, LifeWatch also has access to the most technologically advanced suite of ambulatory cardiac monitoring technologies. In September of 2006, Card Guard was granted a 510(k) approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its LifeStar ACT™ Ambulatory Cardiac Telemetry solution, and announced that LifeWatch would officially introduce this new technology in the USA during the 4th quarter of 2006.

"LifeWatch and its employees have again demonstrated their commitment to the highest quality of service," stated Yacov Geva, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Card Guard AG. "Receiving the JCAHO accreditation from the leading US standards organization in health care will allow LifeWatch to further penetrate the market and facilitate its expansion into new remote patient monitoring areas."

About LifeWatch Holding Corporation.

LifeWatch Holding Corporation, based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, is the nation's leading independent provider of cardiac event monitoring services for the detection of arrhythmia. LifeWatch services thousands of physicians, cardiologists, and electro-physiologists with remote monitoring devices, outpatient care services, and clinical reporting. LifeWatch is a wholly owned subsidiary of Card Guard AG, a leading healthcare technology and solutions provider listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (CARDG). For more information on LifeWatch, visit www.lifewatch.com.

About Card Guard AG

Card Guard AG, headquartered in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland, is a leading company for healthcare technologies and solutions, specializing in advanced telehealth systems and monitoring services for high-risk and chronically ill patients, including ordinary consumers of health products and those who are worried well. Card Guard has subsidiaries in the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and in Israel. Among its subsidiaries, the company owns LifeWatch, a leading US-based cardiac monitoring service provider, and Instromedix, a US-based manufacturer of telecardiology products. www.cardguard.com

About the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healtcare Organizations (JCAHO)

The Joint Commission is focused on improving the safety and quality of care provided to the public. The Joint Commission accomplishes this goal by accrediting health care organizations and offering health care performance improvement services. Since 1951, the Joint Commission has maintained state-of-the-art, performance-based standards and evaluated the quality and safety of care by assessing the compliance of health care organizations with these national standards. The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™, a distinctive seal that is proudly displayed at accredited organizations and certified programs, is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects a commitment to meeting certain performance standards. A not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the oldest and largest health care accrediting body.

The Joint Commission's evaluation and accreditation services are provided for the following types of organizations:

General, psychiatric, children's and rehabilitation hospitals

Critical access hospitals

Medical equipment services, hospice services and other home care organizations

Nursing homes and other long term care facilities

Behavioral health care organizations, addiction services

Rehabilitation centers, group practices, office-based surgeries and other ambulatory care providers

Independent or freestanding laboratories

Joint Commission accreditation is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards. To earn and maintain the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™, an organization must undergo an on-site survey by a Joint Commission survey team at least every three years. Laboratories must be surveyed every two years. For more information on JCAHO, visit www.jointcommission.org.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category