11/17/09
The Westerly Hospital is participating in a new quality-based accreditation program from DNV Healthcare. DNV Healthcare inspected the hospital in October, 2009, and as a result, The Westerly Hospital has received a full accreditation for a three year term.
DNV’s National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (NIAHOSM) is the first new federal and State-approved accreditation program in more than 30 years, and offers The Westerly Hospital the opportunity to simultaneously satisfy its Medicare and State accreditation requirements and implement the ISO 9001 Quality Management System. No other accreditation program uses the ISO 9001 standard.
“We are honored to receive this accreditation,” said Margaret Austin, Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. “This is more than a new accreditation program, it’s a catalyst for our ongoing commitment to patient safety and clinical quality. With NIAHOSM we can achieve full ISO compliance and satisfy our annual accreditation requirements at the same time, benefiting both our patients, and our community.”
ISO 9001 is recognized by businesses around the world as the benchmark for continual quality improvement. Hospitals have recently begun to embrace ISO as a way to identify and focus on the most successful approaches to patient care, billing and other critical aspects of running a modern hospital, according to Austin.
“Accreditation directly reflects the quality of hospital care,” said Austin. “While undergoing the accreditation process, a hospital makes critical decisions, for example, about how it treats diseases, stores medications, allocates nurse staffing, and conducts billing and reimbursement. Accreditation impacts the way hospitals operate.”
By law, hospitals must be accredited by a Medicare-approved accreditation program in order to be reimbursed for care provided to patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Without it, most hospitals would only be able to provide care for a small fraction of the community they now serve. The State of Rhode Island also requires accreditation for licensure as a hospital.
According to Austin, the new DNV NIAHOSM program is not only a new option, it is an entirely new approach to accreditation as well as a new approach to improving service. DNV will survey The Westerly Hospital every year and this regular contact will help to promote a culture of continuous improvement. The DNV NIAHOSM program focuses not only on auditing the hospital’s processes but on finding better ways to do things in every department.
“The DNV NIAHOSM program is a whole new experience using accreditation as a proactive business and clinical quality tool. It’s a very welcomed change and is definitely a positive step for The Westerly Hospital,” said Austin.
DNV NIAHOSM was approved by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services on September. 26, 2008.
DNV Accreditation – Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean when we say that we are “accredited”?
• In order to bill patients who have Medicare and Medicaid, the hospital has to be an approved provider with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
• To be approved by CMS, the hospital has to be either reviewed by a State Agency under the direction of CMS or it can seek accreditation from one of the CMS approved (deemed) accreditation organizations: DNV Healthcare, Inc and the American Osteopathic Association are deemed accreditation organizations.
• CMS has strict criteria to be met and the oversight of the deemed accreditation organizations.
• In addition to accreditation being required for Medicare and Medicaid, there are other insurers that also require the hospital to maintain accreditation.
• To our patients, accreditation provides you the confidence that the hospital you seek your care from is approved to handle your care needs in accordance to specific requirements.
What has changed in The Westerly Hospital’s accreditation?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) currently delegates inspection of hospital services to several organizations: DNV (Det Norske Veritas) Healthcare Inc., the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), State Health Departments and the American Osteopathic Association. The Westerly Hospital was accredited October 21, 2009 by DNV Healthcare Inc., which streamlines the hospital survey process by consolidating its surveyor (DNV) with its National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (NIAHO) program. NIAHO standards integrate the ISO 9001 Quality Management System standards with the CMS Hospital Conditions of Participation.
DNV Healthcare Inc. is a 144-year-old company based in Norway. It received its authority from CMS in late September, and now is conducting hospital surveys in the United States.
Why does it matter to The Westerly Hospital?
The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards are the foundation of TWH’s Quality Management System. These standards ensure we are taking all necessary steps to deliver safe and effective healthcare services to our patients. The NIAHO standards are the vehicle we use to demonstrate that TWH complies with the Conditions of Participation required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Why does it matter to our patients?
Meeting the Conditions of Participation is important because those conditions are what the federal government considers important to do, in order to assure safe healthcare.
What are the benefits of accreditation with DNV Healthcare, Inc. (DNVHC)?
• DNVHC/NIAHO brings a new approach to the accreditation process that will hold the hospital accountable but also drive innovative and best practices to improve our processes.
• DNVHC/NIAHO presents a set of standards that addresses the criteria imposed by CMS as well as the international standard of ISO 9001 quality management system requirements. We are being held accountable to meeting a much higher standard. ISO 9001 is a common standard that is required to be met in other industries to recognize quality products and services provided to consumers. As you may be aware, your employer may very well be required to meet these same requirements.
• Providing efficient, safe, quality healthcare to those we serve is our primary objective and DNV Healthcare, Inc. serves this objective well through their requirements and the means by which the surveys are conducted.
What difference will patients and families see at The Westerly Hospital?
They should not see any difference. They should see ongoing, high quality patient care and The Westerly Hospital’s employees that are committed to continual improvement. The Westerly Hospital is currently achieving compliance with the ISO 9001 standards, which augments the quality of care that is already in place. TWH can now be surveyed by one organization (DNV) for two different sets of standards: for the CMS standards and the NIAHO standards. That makes preparation more consistent and efficient for the hospital.
Will this make the hospital services more expensive?
No, it should actually do the opposite. ISO focuses on efficiency of both clinical and non-clinical processes, so if TWH can improve efficiency in non-clinical areas as well as patient-care areas, that should make our healthcare delivery system more affordable.
How often will an audit take place?
DNVHC/NIAHO requires annual surveys, not just once every three years. This will hold us accountable for consistently meeting requirements while streamlining our process to be more effective in meeting the needs of our patients. This will help us improve the quality of services we provide as well as reduce costs.