UNC Hospitals Accreditation Affected After Problems Found

A national accrediting agency has placed UNC Hospitals on "preliminary denial of accreditation status" after finding problems during a recent review.

UNC Health Care confirmed the decision by the Joint Commission in a statement Friday but didn't detail the problems. It said the status would remain in effect until another survey is completed.

The hospital system says it "has developed plans to address each area cited for improvement," and added that the plans have already been implemented.

UNC Health Care spokesman Phil Bridges said there is "no finding of any immediate threats to patient health and safety."

The News & Observer cited an internal UNC System document identifying problems in areas including suicide prevention and medication management.

The independent, not-for-profit Joint Commission accredits or certifies thousands of health organizations nationwide.