Augusta Health receives new quality-based accreditation

Augusta Health has completed its new accreditation process from DNV GL-Healthcare.

By earning accreditation, Augusta Health has demonstrated it meets or exceeds patient safety standards set forth by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. DNV GL’s accreditation program is the only one to integrate the ISO 9001 Quality Management System with the Medicare Conditions of Participation.

“The DNV GL program is consistent with our long-term commitment to quality and patient safety,” says William J. Doherty, MD, FACHE, Chief Medical Officer at Augusta Health. “The ability to integrate ISO 9001 quality standards with our clinical and financial processes is a major step forward.”

Augusta Health has three years from the date of its accreditation to achieve compliance with ISO 9001, the world’s most trusted quality management system used by performance-driven organizations around the world to advance their quality and sustainability objectives.

“We have taken an entirely different approach to accreditation, and hospitals are really responding,” says DNV GL – Healthcare CEO Patrick Horine. “Since accreditation is a must-have credential for just about every hospital in this country, why not make it more valuable, and get more out of it? That’s where ISO 9001 comes into play, and turns the typical get-your-ticket-punched accreditation exercise into a quality transformation.”

DNV GL’s accreditation program, called NIAHO® (Integrated Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations), involves annual hospital surveys – instead of every three years – and encourages hospitals to openly share information across departments and to discover improvements in clinical workflows and safety protocols.

Augusta Health is an independent, community-owned, not-for-profit hospital whose mission is to promote the health and well-being of its community through access to excellent care. Over the years, Augusta Health has been recognized by many external rating organizations:  100 Top Hospitals in America, HealthGrades’ America’s 50 Best Hospitals, and most recently by US News and World Report as a Best Regional Hospital, 2019-2020.

For more information about Augusta Health, its programs or its services, please visit the website, www.augustahealth.com.