OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- Advanced Plastic Surgery Center in Yonkers, N.Y., today became the 100th office-based surgery practice to be accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
The practice, which specializes in aesthetic surgery, was awarded office-based surgery (OBS) accreditation following a thorough onsite evaluation. Advanced Plastic Surgery Center was evaluated on its compliance with approximately 150 standards that address key patient safety and quality issues.
OBS standards emphasize attention to those issues that most directly impact patients and cover essential areas such as patient care, patient safety, staffing, customer service, improving care and improving health, and responsible leadership. JCAHO launched the office-based surgery program in January 2001.
"We are pleased to have Advanced Plastic Surgery Center as the 100th office-based surgery practice under our accreditation umbrella," says Michael Kulczycki, executive director, Ambulatory Care and Office-Based Surgery Accreditation Program, JCAHO. "The rapid success of this program demonstrates that physicians with office-based surgery practices and the public value consensus performance expectations for organizations that are providing more complex and higher-risk procedures in outpatient settings."
"Advanced Plastic Surgery Center sought Joint Commission accreditation because achieving it is recognized nationally as a commitment to quality. And, more importantly, it helps us to develop and maintain systems that lead to improved care for our patients," says Scott E. Newman, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon and director
of Advanced Plastic Surgery Center.
As the nation's leading evaluator of safety and quality in healthcare organizations, JCAHO has nearly 30 years' experience in promoting safe, high-quality care for patients seeking care at more than 40 types of outpatient settings. The office-based surgery standards were established specifically for small surgical practices with up to four licensed independent practitioners. Practices eligible for accreditation include oral surgeons' offices, endoscopy suites, orthopedic surgery practices, plastic surgery practices, podiatric surgery practices and laser eye surgery clinics.
The office-based surgery standards were developed in consultation with practitioners, relevant professional trade organizations and consumer advocacy groups.
For information about office-based surgery accreditation, contact Michael Kulczycki, executive director, Ambulatory Care and Office-Based Surgery Accreditation Program, at (630) 792.5290 or mkulczycki@jcaho.org; or Mike Dye, associate director, Ambulatory Care and Office-Based Surgery Accreditation Program, at (630) 792.5259 or mdye@jcaho.org between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST, weekdays.
Source: JCAHO