Achieving Joint Commission International Accreditation in War Times: Challenges Towards Excellence

Abstract

This article describes the process of achieving Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation at a 300-bed academic medical center in Beirut, Lebanon, during a period of severe national crisis and namely the 2024 war. The hospital was facing significant staff and resource shortages due to economic instability, and was suffering the destructive aftermath of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and then came the escalation of armed conflict throughout the year 2024. Despite these adversities, Saint George Hospital University Medical Center pursued and successfully achieved JCI accreditation, driven by a longstanding commitment to quality and patient’s safety, serving the community for over 145 years. We describe the strategies employed in an institution with 48 departments, 1600 employees, to overcome resistance, maintain operations, and foster staff engagement under crisis and war conditions, as well as the outcomes and lessons learned through this process towards success.