Accreditation awarded to local facilities

Friday, April 26, 2002 | 9:51 a.m.

The quarter-century-old Nathan Adelson Hospice has been awarded accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

"Joint Commission accreditation makes a strong statement to the community about our desire to provide services of the highest quality," said Susan Drongowski, president and chief executive officer of Nathan Adelson Hospice. "We view obtaining (accreditation) as a step toward excellence."

The joint commission determines whether a facility is to be accredited based on its efforts to improve safety and quality of health care. The joint commission visited the Nathan Adelson Hospice on Swenson Road in December. The hospice's operations were measured against a set of national standards.

In addition to its 20-bed facility on Swenson, a second facility is located on Buffalo Road and a home hospice care program is available in Pahrump. Founded in 1978, the hospice provides terminally ill patients care and comfort during their final days.

A new nationwide toll-free number

for poison control centers was released by the Council on Family Health.

The number is (800) 222-1222. Emergency stickers for home phones are available from the Council on Family Health, "Emergency Stickers," 1150 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1200-B, Washington, D.C. 20036.