Gannett: Cornell University Health Services has been awarded a full three year re-accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Inc. (AAAHC) for achieving nationally recognized standards for quality health care set by the Chicago-based accrediting organization.
Accreditation is a voluntary, comprehensive evaluation of Gannett's operation against standard benchmarks of quality. The Wall Street Journal in March said that "fewer than 10 percent of college health centers" go through any formal accreditation process.
"We're pleased and proud to receive this recognition," said Janet Corson-Rikert, M.D., executive director of Gannett. "We value accreditation and believe that it helps us to maintain our commitment to quality and the continual enhancement of the services we provide to the Cornell community. Our patients are the ultimate benefactors from our participation in the accreditation program."
In order to achieve accreditation, Gannett underwent an extensive on-site survey of its facilities and services. The accrediting team, composed of a university health service physician and an ambulatory care facility administrator, evaluated all aspects of patient care. It called Gannett a "model university health service" and assigned it the top rating in each of the 22 areas surveyed.
According to Nianne Van Fleet, associate director for nursing and clinical services and coordinator of the accreditation effort, preparation for reaccreditation involved an expansion of Gannett's Quality Improvement Program. "The process involved virtually every member of our staff and resulted in clear, visible and rewarding improvements in many aspects of our operation," Van Fleet said. Gannett's programs and services are guided by 37 ongoing quality improvement projects involving 12 departments. The sophistication, intensity and creativity of these projects has increased significantly over the past five years and now includes a range of studies addressing documentation of care, outcome and cost.
Patients also were involved in the process through individual interviews, focus groups and participation in the National College Health Assessment survey, as well as in user satisfaction surveys that Gannett conducts five times each year. The accreditation review team was impressed that the quality of Gannett's services is reflected in the average user satisfaction rating of 4.6 on a 5-point scale.
Not all ambulatory health care organizations seek accreditation and not all who undergo an on-site survey receive favorable decisions. In a letter to Gannett, the AAAHC president said: "The dedication and effort necessary to achieve accreditation is substantial. Gannett is to be commended for this accomplishment."
The AAAHC, a private, nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization, conducts its accreditation program on a national basis and has accredited more than 1,750 ambulatory health care organizations, including single and multi-specialty group practices, ambulatory and office-based surgery centers, college and university health services, health maintenance organizations and other managed care systems, dental group practices, community health centers and occupational health centers.
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