For Immediate Release
June 4, 2002
Contact: Maria E. Ramos
(219) 865-2141, ext. 45321
Maria.Ramos@ssfhs.org

Hammond/Dyer, IN - - Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers recently earned a three-year accreditation from the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Accreditation by HFAP demonstrates that a healthcare facility has met the standards set forth by HFAP for high quality care and compliance with governmental regulations.

HFAP, recognized nationally by the federal government, state governments, insurance carriers and managed care organizations, has been accrediting healthcare facilities for more than 50 years. Dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of patient care, HFAP is one of only two national voluntary accreditation programs with "Deeming Authority" from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly Health Care Financing Administration, of the Federal Government to accredit hospitals and their clinical laboratories.

"Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers should be recognized for its commitment to providing quality care to its community," said George A. Reuther, AOA director of the Division of Healthcare Facilities Accreditation. "Accreditation is an important achievement for a healthcare facility and one that Saint Margaret Mercy should be proud of."

Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers, a two-campus, acute-care hospital located in Hammond and Dyer, Ind., received accreditation after surveyors measured the facility against a benchmark of hundreds of recognized standards relating to each area and function of the facility.

"We are pleased to have earned accreditation by HFAP," added Gene Diamond, president and CEO of Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers. "Our facility seeks voluntary accreditation because we are committed to providing our patients with the highest quality of care, and being accredited by HFAP challenges us to attain that high level of care."