Home Health receives high marks on two unannounced reviews

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Two national quality reviews recently gave Clarendon Memorial Home Health high marks after surveying the division of Clarendon Health System for a two-week period. The Joint Commission on Accreditation and Healthcare Organizations, the first review, found only one minor deficiency from a quality checklist of more than 1,500 elements of performance. The Community Health Accreditation Program provided the second review, spending four days with the Home Health staff in the office, as well as in patient homes. CHS Public Relations Director Jeffrey Black said the survey included six home visits, a review of 14 medical records and several employee files, and an examination of quality data. CHAPs noted two small deficiencies. "They typically find 20 on average in first-time evaluations," Black said. Clarendon Memorial Home Health Director Denise Melton, a registered nurse, said she was pleased with the results of both reviews. "Home Health is my passion," she said. "I love caring for the people in the community. We are a hospital-based home health agency and our job is to care for the residents of Clarendon County. We are here to serve the community." The number of Home Health patients has doubled in the past two years, and clinicians now use laptops to create electronic medical records, instead of using paper documentation, Melton noted. The staff has also expanded to include three additional nurses, a physical therapist, a physical therapy assistant and a licensed medical social worker. "These high marks for quality are a testament to the hard work of the Home Health team and the outstanding care they provide to our friends and neighbors who need medical care in their homes," said Clarendon Health System CEO Richard Stokes. "It is rare to have two unannounced reviews both take place the same week, and I want to thank Denise and the entire team for their unwavering commitment to quality."