On the heels of Health City Cayman Islands' first anniversary celebrations, the Caribbean hospital has received the news that it has earned the prestigious Gold Seal of Approval from Joint Commission International (JCI), the worldwide leader in accrediting the quality of healthcare.

The accreditation commission's on-site evaluation of Health City Cayman Islands was carried out by a team of international healthcare specialists who visited the Cayman Islands last month.

"JCI's endorsement of our state-of-the-art clinical facilities and of the medical treatment provided by Health City gives us expanded credibility around the world," stated Dr. Devi Shetty Health City's Founder and Chairman of Narayana Health.

"We have spent a lot of time carefully selecting and attracting some of the best doctors and surgeons - with world class supporting services - to our facility, so it is rewarding to see our efforts recognized with this accreditation by JCI," he added.

"Health City Cayman Islands offers a tremendous opportunity for Ascension to collaborate with Dr. Shetty and his colleagues at Narayana Health on new ways of providing high-quality care at a lower overall cost," said Dr. Anthony R. Tersigni, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ascension. "The partnership holds the promise of helping Ascension live our Mission in a new and creative way by adapting what we learn to transform healthcare not just in the Cayman Islands, but around the world. This Joint Commission International accreditation is an important milestone in our journey."

Health City's Facility Director and Head of Medical Services Dr. Chandy Abraham described JCI's approval as a historic achievement for Health City. He acknowledged that meeting the stringent accreditation standards set forth by JCI was attainable only with the coordination and cooperation of all staff members: "Providing high quality, affordable healthcare is a team effort and one which gives all employees a feeling of pride and prestige to work in an accredited institution."

The majority of Health City's team members come from institutions where quality has become a way of life, allowing the hospital to achieve this important accreditation in such a short time.

"We opened ourselves up to JCI inspection teams because we are confident we have built a leading international medical facility staffed by world-class doctors attracted by the opportunities available at Health City to practise the best medicine of their lives," said Marketing Director Shomari Scott. Scott added that Health City is only the second hospital in the Caribbean to receive "hospital accreditation" - the other is in the Bahamas.

JCI is the international arm of The Joint Commission, the leading health care accreditor in the United States. Since 1994, JCI has been working with health care organizations, ministries of health, and global organizations in more than 90 countries. JCI has accredited and certified more than 410 public and private health care organizations in more than 45 countries since accrediting its first hospital in 1999.

The Joint Commission International Hospital Standards aim to stimulate continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvements in daily performance and in the outcomes of patient care.