[rshoffer]

Nice letter. The ER staff will surely appreciate it. Unfortunately, the POA editors will not. A number of weeks ago the POA very inaccurately sensationalized the Joint Commission full accreditation of TV hospital. They wrote their "above the fold" headline of "problems found during the accreditation process" out of complete ignorance of the survey process or what it means to get FULL ACCREDITATION. I wrote them a letter (to the editor) and tried to explain the whole process (I've been through many surveys and was the chair of the Quality Assurance Committe for a 500+ bed hospital for 2 years). I pointed out that 100% of surveyd hospitals have problems identified, ie never does any hospital complete this very arduous survey and inspection process without areas to improve quality being identified. However, if the hopital receives FULL ACCREDITATION (which TV hospital did), then that is a very positive thing and the headline should have been exactly that.... "TVRH receives full accreditation after Joint Commission hospital survey". My letter was a waste of time. The editors response to my letter indicated my point and information went right over their heads or that they simply wouldn't admit the positive if it hit them square between the eyes.