October 2007

TaleMed Awarded Certification for Health Care Staffing From the Joint Commission

Cincinnati, Ohio, October 1, 2007 — TaleMed has achieved the Gold Seal of Approval™ for Health Care Staffing Services from The Joint Commission.

TaleMed underwent an on-site review of its compliance with national standards addressing how staffing firms determine the qualifications and competency of their staff, how they place their staff, and how they monitor staff's performance.

"Health care organizations that contract with TaleMed can look to this certification as an assurance that TaleMed demonstrates a commitment to providing and continuously improving quality services," says Michele Sacco, M.S., executive director, Health Care Staffing Services Certification, Joint Commission.

The ongoing shortages of nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals have forced health care organizations to increasingly fill positions with temporary workers through contractual arrangements with staffing firms. The Joint Commission's certification program, launched in October 2004, offers an independent, comprehensive evaluation of a staffing firm's abilities to provide competent staffing services.

"Certification recognizes TaleMed's dedication to providing Registered Nurses that are qualified to provide safe, high-quality care to patients," says Elizabeth Tracy, CEO "We're proud to receive the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™."

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, the Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about the Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.