August 10, 1999


UNT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER ACHIEVES PATIENT CARE ACCREDITATION

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth has achieved three-year accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

The accreditation applies to all health science center patient care services, largely provided by the center’s physician group practice, the Physicians & Surgeons Medical Group.

An organization voluntarily undergoes a site visit by a full team of Joint Commission experts every three years, with three years as the maximum accreditation award.

"The health science center seeks accreditation to demonstrate our commitment to the community of providing high quality patient care and service," said Dr. David M. Richards, health science center president. "We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as an incentive to continue to improve our services."

Joint Commission accreditation recognizes an organization’s performance in complying with national health care standards for ambulatory care organizations. These standards are intended to help organizations achieve the highest level of performance possible, reduce patient risk for undesirable outcomes and create an environment for continuous improvement.