Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH) has been awarded the “Gold Certification” for excellence in person-centered care by Planetree International. This Person-Centered Care Certification recognizes the organization’s achievements and innovation in the delivery of person-centered care. JHAH is one of only 97 health care organizations worldwide to earn this certification and is the fourth in the Kingdom and largest health care organization in the Middle East to be certified to date.

The “Gold Certification” represents the highest level of achievement in person-centered care grounded in quantitative evidence and standards. Person-centered health care values the active participation of staff, patients, and their families throughout the health care process with a strong emphasis on partnership, compassion, transparency, inclusion, and quality.

There is a growing body of scientific research connecting patient and family engagement to improved health outcomes. JHAH started its journey to person-centered care in 2018, when the institution committed to improving the entire health care experience by engaging patients, families, and all levels of staff.

“Becoming a person-centered health care organization requires reshaping our culture. The ‘Gold Certification’ signals to JHAH’s patients and community that this is an organization where the staff partner with patients and their families and where patient and family comfort, dignity, empowerment, and well-being are considered key elements of providing top-quality clinical care. Being a person-centered health care organization is key to continuing to improve quality, safety and experience,” said Dr. Daniele Rigamonti, chief executive of JHAH.

THELIST

Some JHAH achievements in person-centered care:

• 97% of JHAH employees completed Experiential Communication Training and Compassion Training within eight months.

• JHAH established Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs), where patients, families and staff work together to create a person-centered health care culture.

• When patients are admitted to the ward they are asked their visiting preferences.

• MyWay, JHAH’s digital navigation app, helps patients, staff and visitors find their destination and information.

Surveyors from Planetree were on-site at five JHAH facilities as part of the “validation visit,” between Feb. 16 and 20, to assess the organization’s achievements and commitment to the culture of person-centered care. The assessment criteria included the quality of patient-provider interactions, access to information, family involvement, and the physical environment of care. Importantly, the criteria also measured how the organization supports staff, opportunities for staff, patients, and whether families have a voice in the way care is delivered, and the ways in which JHAH is reaching beyond its walls to care for its community. As part of their assessment, the Planetree team interviewed focus groups that included frontline staff, clinical staff, and patients and their family members.

“We all played a role within our sphere of influence, understanding the anxiety of patients, acknowledging the concerns of families and fulfilling the expectations of our colleagues. Collectively, we have changed and are changing the culture of our work environment and our lived experience,” said Dr. Amar Sattar, co-chairman of the JHAH Person-Centered Care Council.

JHAH is the result of a joint venture between Saudi Aramco, a world leader in energy, and Johns Hopkins Medicine, one of the world’s leading academic health systems.