JHAH earns ‘Gold’ Person-Centered Care certification

Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH) has been accredited as one of only four health-care organizations in the Kingdom with gold certification. 

Person-Centered Care is an international standard established by Planetree International for quality in health care, where staff, patients, and families have their needs and desires heard and addressed. 

The Gold Award was celebrated at a ceremony in Dhahran on Jan. 3. Nabeel A. Al-Jama’, senior vice president of Human Resources and Corporate Services and JHAH chairman of the Board, and Dr. Susan Frampton, president of Planetree International, joined the ceremony virtually to celebrate with JHAH leadership, including Dr. Michael Walsh, chief executive of JHAH; Salem Al-Shehry, chief operating officer and Person-Centered Care advocate; and JHAH employees. 

“As of today, JHAH is officially the gold standard for person-centered care in Saudi Arabia,” Al-Jama’ said at the award ceremony. “This is thanks to the hard work and determination of a great many people: doctors, nurses, technicians, support personnel, JHAH’s leadership, and of course all the patients and their families who’ve come with us on this journey. Together, you have built a JHAH culture that puts people and their needs right at the front and center of everything we do.”

“As of today, JHAH is officially the gold standard for person-centered care in Saudi Arabia. Together, you have built a JHAH culture that puts people and their needs right at the front and center of everything we do.”
— Nabeel A. Al-Jama’, senior vice president of Human Resources and Corporate Services

“This Planetree gold certificate is a milestone and not an endpoint,” Al-Jama’ added. “We must build on and strengthen this culture. But for now, you can all be incredibly proud of what you have achieved. So thank you and congratulations.”

How to go gold

The Gold certification was achieved after a weeklong validation visit by international quality surveyors assessed JHAH’s delivery of health care services. As part of the assessment, surveyors interviewed a number of focus groups that included front-line staff, clinical staff, and patients, and the surveyors visited all five of JHAH’s locations in the Kingdom. 

As defined by Planetree, person-centered care creates positive impressions and satisfying experiences, but beyond that, it improves lives. Person-centered care creates workplaces that energize and inspire joy at work. It improves health outcomes and unites communities around health and wellness. Research has documented that person-centered care yields internal, external, and cultural benefits to health care organizations and improves organizational performance in quality, safety, and experience. 

The surveyors noted a number of JHAH’s services that demonstrate person-centered care excellence, including Patient and Family Advisory Councils, Patient-Directed Visiting Hours, Welcome Guides, and a health encyclopedia for patients in Arabic and English, among others.