WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark Corp. said its MinuteClinic subsidiary has become the first retail clinic to be reaccredited and earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for consecutive evaluation periods by demonstrating compliance with the commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety.

The accreditation applies to MinuteClinic walk-in health clinics in select CVS/pharmacy stores in 25 states and the District of Columbia. In September 2006, MinuteClinic was the first retail clinic in the United States to achieve Joint Commission accreditation, the company said.

"This recognition reaffirms our strong commitment to clinical quality and safety that is at the core of everything we do throughout the MinuteClinic organization," Andrew Sussman, president of MinuteClinic, said in a statement. "With more than 6 million patient visits and patient satisfaction ratings that exceed 95%, we have consistently demonstrated our ability to serve patients and deliver the highest level of care in the more than 40 metropolitan markets we serve throughout the country."

The Joint Commission conducted unannounced, on-site evaluations of MinuteClinic sites nationwide during the third quarter of 2009, CVS Caremark said. The accreditation award recognizes MinuteClinic’s dedication to meeting the commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis, according to the company.

"Accreditation by The Joint Commission sets MinuteClinic apart," commented Michael Kulczycki, executive director of the Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program for the Joint Commission. "Organizations awarded this Gold Seal of Approval dedicate themselves to continuous operational improvement."

All MinuteClinic patient assessments and treatments follow nationally established clinical practice guidelines from the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics that are embedded in MinuteClinic’s electronic medical records system, according to CVS Caremark.

The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, the company said.