PCH Home Care Medical receives accreditation

Piggott Community Hospital's Home Care Medical, a durable home medical equipment company operated by the local hospital, has achieved the Award of Accreditation from the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation, based in Waterloo, Iowa.

The award is achieved only when home medical equipment companies demonstrate a high level of quality practices in their business operations and patient care techniques. Home Care Medical earned the three-year accreditation after completing a comprehensive application that focuses on patient care, financial stability and a commitment to quality operational practices and procedures. Accreditation by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation assures Medicare and other payers that the highest levels of quality are practiced within all areas of the company.

"We sought accreditation by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation to demonstrate that our company is committed to providing excellent patient care and safety in a financially solvent environment," said James Magee, CEO of Piggott Community Hospital. "This award also reinforces that our commitment to quality is ongoing."

Home Care Medical is a division of the hospital that has been successful in serving patients in Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. Currently its service area is made up of stores in Piggott, Corning and Campbell, Mo.

Durable medical equipment is a term used to describe any medical equipment used in the home to aid in a better quality of living. Availability of such equipment is a benefit included in most insurance coverage, including Medicare and Medicaid. The term "durable medical equipment" includes oxygen equipment, CPAP machines, catheters, hospital beds and wheelchairs. This equipment is ordered by a patient's physician when it is determined to be necessary on the basis of the individual's medical and physical condition. Supplies carried by the stores include a full line of blood-testing strips and blood glucose monitors for individuals with diabetes without regard to whether the individual has Type I or Type II diabetes or to the individual's use of insulin.

"While many local citizens use the services we offer, some still do not realize that the store they use is their personal choice," said Rhonda Starnes, director of Home Care Medical. "For example, if a patient goes to a larger hospital or a specialist out of Piggott, they do not have to get their equipment or supplies in the city where they were treated."

"We provide these stores to maintain loyalty to our local patients in seeing that they do not have to travel so far for services," said Magee.

Founded in 2005, the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation seeks to continuously set standards of the highest quality on behalf of the durable medical equipment industry and business owners. Its interactive, Web-based design is specifically aimed at the durable medical equipment industry, providing a targeted approach to accreditation and quality improvement.