The basics:

• Hackensack Meridian is 1st US health system to earn Joint Commission AI certification
• Recognition covers clinical care, health system operations
• HMH framework includes AI governance, privacy, monitoring
• Staff receive role-specific AI training and general AI literacy

Hackensack Meridian Health is the first health system in the U.S. certified by The Joint Commission for responsible use of artificial intelligence across clinical patient care and operations.

In a press release announcing the honor, HMH touted the certification as a sign that the system “has the safeguards, monitoring processes, education, and accountability structures in place to support the safe, transparent and effective use of this emerging technology.”

HMH Chief Executive Officer Robert Garrett shared, “AI has the potential to help clinicians detect diseases earlier, personalize treatment for every patient, improve the efficiency of our hospitals, and reduce administrative work that contributes to burnout. Most importantly, it enables physicians, nurses and team members to spend more time caring for patients.”

He added, “At Hackensack Meridian Health, we are committed to integrating AI responsibly and safely across our health network to advance the way we deliver care.”

A ‘responsible approach’

Headquartered in Illinois, the nonprofit Joint Commission accredits more than 22,000 healthcare organizations nationwide. It also offers voluntary certifications for specific programs, including behavioral health, advanced disease care and home care.

The Joint Commission launched the responsible use of AI in healthcare certification in June. The offering came about nine months after the organization collaborated with the Coalition for Health AI to develop guidance on the topic.

New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network, HMH said it developed an AI framework that includes:

• Formal governance
• Data security and privacy protections
• Rigorous evaluation
• Continuous monitoring to ensure quality, safety and performance

HMH also said it provides ongoing role-specific AI training, as well as general AI literacy, to staff and providers.

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“The promise of artificial intelligence is not to replace the human side of medicine, but to strengthen it,” HMH Chief Digital and Information Officer Joel Klein said. “We’re leveraging this technology to give our providers time to focus on what matters most – the patients they serve. …[W]e’re empowering our clinicians with better tools while preserving the trust and personal connections that remain at the heart of every patient experience.”

The Joint Commission evaluated HMH across several standards, including:

• Governance and oversight for the responsible use of AI
• Safeguards to protect patient privacy and healthcare data
• Processes to identify, assess and reduce risks and bias in AI tools
• Monitoring to help ensure AI tools perform safely and effectively
• Transparency and education to help patients understand how AI may be used in their care
• Staff training to support the safe, responsible use of AI technologies

The Joint Commission Chief Nursing Executive Ken Grubbs remarked, “AI continues to rapidly transform the healthcare industry, helping healthcare organizations improve clinical decision-making, enhance operational efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and support patient care.”

He continued, “Organizations must ensure the use of AI is guided by strong governance, rigorous oversight, and an unwavering focus on patient safety. Joint Commission commends HMH for demonstrating a responsible approach to AI adoption while advancing innovation in patient care.”

HMH already holds more than two dozen specialized certifications from the Joint Commission, including ones in health equity, perinatal care, stroke, palliative care and sustainable health care.