IRON MOUNTAIN — The hospice program at Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson has passed a significant measure toward accreditation, hospital officials said.

The program underwent a three-day initial survey by The Joint Commission, an Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois-based enterprise that is designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as an approved accreditor for home health and hospice agencies.

MMC-D recently learned it earned a passing grade to receive preliminary deemed accreditation for the hospice program, officials stated in a news release this week.

“A Joint Commission Initial Survey is more stringent than the typical annual surveys,” said Trenton Rankin, chief nursing officer at Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson. “If you receive any high-level citations, the survey stops and you have to start the whole process over again. We have been operating our hospice initiative for nearly two years while waiting for the initial survey. I am so proud of our team for passing with flying colors!”

According to the American Cancer Society, hospice care focuses on a person’s quality of life, to make it the best possible during the last few months, weeks or days. Hospice treats the person and the symptoms of the disease or condition, rather than the disease itself. A team of health care professionals work together to manage symptoms, distress and spiritual issues. Hospice care is family-centered and most often given in the home.

While the Dickinson hospital has provided care in the community for more than 70 years, it only added hospice services in the past couple years, the news release noted. For a period of time, OSF St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group in Escanaba coordinated some hospice care in Dickinson County.

“Our team works very hard preparing and developing high-level processes to ensure that when The Joint Commission arrives, it will be just another day at work,” said Tina Zarcone, Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson Home Health and Hospice administrator. “Our hard work paid off! We are awaiting the formal notification from The Joint Commission fully deeming and qualifying our service as an official hospice program. We are so proud to offer these much-needed services in our community.”

In its report, The Joint Commission commended the MMC-D Home Health/Hospice team, saying “Thank you for your commitment to the Hospice initiative and staying focused on the patients and your communities.”