The Sun Journal published an article (May 22) about fewer Maine hospitals seeking national quality and patient safety reviews. We believe there is value to our patients for us to be accredited.

Franklin Memorial Hospital is among the 28 of Maine’s 41 hospitals that have national accreditation through the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization. This accreditation provides our patients assurance that our services meet the standards established by the premier accrediting organization in the country. Many states recognize the JCAHO accreditation as the standard of excellence and it qualifies hospitals for federal participation in Medicare and Medicaid.

However, the state of Maine takes a different path. While many states accept JCAHO accreditation as evidence of quality and eligibility to be licensed, Maine chooses to duplicate the JCAHO review by requiring its own licensure review. Taxpayers and hospitals pay the huge cost of this duplication. Readers can compare the two review processes at www.jcaho.com and www.maine.gov/bms/LicensingandCertification.htm. The comparison shows that JCAHO accreditation is exceptional for protecting the public interest.

Maine would gain advantages if government evaluated its licensure program and moved to acceptance of JCAHO accreditation for licensure. Quality and patient safety of Maine hospitals would be measured against the performance of hospitals throughout the nation. The standards of the premier accrediting group in the nation developed by renowned experts would be applicable. With a sluggish Maine economy, taxpayers and hospitals would not waste money on duplicative efforts.

Richard Batt, president, Franklin Memorial Hospital, Farmington