University Hospitals Sets New Standard: First U.S. Health System with ISO 9001-Certified Corporate Headquarters and First in Ohio with all Hospitals Certified

CLEVELAND - University Hospitals has achieved ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification across all hospitals and its corporate headquarters. ISO 9001 is the world's most widely recognized quality management standard.

With this historic accomplishment, UH is the first health system in the nation to achieve ISO 9001 certification for its corporate headquarters, and the first system in the state to have all hospitals - and its headquarters - ISO 9001 certified.

"Our caregivers' commitment to operational excellence have helped make this achievement possible, and we are grateful for their partnership as we raise the standard for healthcare in Ohio and across the United States," said UH CEO, Cliff A. Megerian, MD, FACS, and Jane and Henry Meyer Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair. "This certification is not merely a plaque - it is evidence that UH honors the covenant with our patients, and operates with discipline, consistency, and measurable accountability. It standardizes best practices, reduces variation, strengthens management oversight, and empowers frontline teams to improve care every day."

Surveyors employ a variety of assessment methods for organizations to achieve certification, including staff interviews, medical record reviews, organizational document reviews, building and offsite visits, and patient interviews and feedback. Certification demonstrates to patients, insurers, regulators and current and future employees that UH operates with transparency, rigor and measurable improvement.

"This milestone aligns directly with our Zero Harm Pledge and our culture of Living and Leading with Love," explained UH Chief Quality and Clinical Transformation Officer, Peter J. Pronovost, MD, PhD, FCCM, Veale Distinguished Chair in Leadership and Clinical Transformation. "It ensures that high-quality care is predictable, reliable, and consistently delivered - reflecting our commitment to the patients and communities we serve. We look forward to building on this achievement together, continuing to advance quality, safety, and operational excellence across our system."

More than a certificate, ISO 9001 transforms how work gets done by standardizing what works, reducing variation, strengthening accountability, empowering frontline teams, and making excellence a daily habit.

"University Hospitals' achievement represents an exceptional level of organizational maturity," said Alex Imperial, Global Managing Director, Healthcare, DNV Life Sciences. "The institutional commitment demonstrated by UH is a direct reflection of the people behind it-teams delivering at an elite level every day. Achieving ISO 9001 certification across both corporate headquarters and every hospital is not symbolic; it demonstrates a systemwide commitment to consistency, accountability, and continuous improvement, supported by deeply embedded processes that enable reliable, high-quality outcomes at scale."