Summer has officially arrived. Heat indexes over 100 degrees, parades, county fairs, watermelon, sweetcorn, RAGBRAI, grilling, swimming and boating. These are just a few of the things that remind me that summer is in full swing. Our two year old granddaughter is loving summer. When the Wright County Fair ended and Ashley tried to explain to her that it was over, she simply stated “no Grandma will take me “. The simple life that a child sees.
As we are preparing for our annual hospital survey we are looking at our documentation to make sure we have done what we said we would do. We are double checking our area for expired products, that the temperature logs are current, that we are following our policies and that they are up to date. This list could go on but my hope is that after being surveyed every year for the last 6 years, we do not need to “prepare” that the correct processes have become hard wired and we do things the right way every day. There is no ending date; the right way, every day, every patient, every time.
For those of you that are new to our organization and maybe a few that have been here a while but still have questions about our accrediting body I have included a few FAQ’s about DNV-GL Healthcare.
Who is DNV GL Healthcare?
DNV GL Healthcare is an operating company of DNV GL – Business Assurance and The DNV GL Group.
DNV GL Healthcare has corporate offices in Houston, Texas and Cincinnati, Ohio. DNV GL is an
international organization with 300 offices in over 100 countries and more than 16,000 employees.
DNV GL was established in 1864 in Oslo, Norway and has had operations in the United States since
1898. The corporate purpose of DNV GL is Safeguarding Life, Property, and the Environment. DNV GL
has a worldwide reputation for quality and integrity in certification, standards development and risk
management in a wide range of industries, including extensive international healthcare experience.
On September 26, 2008 the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved DNV GL
Healthcare by granting it deeming authority for hospitals. Hospitals accredited by DNV GL Healthcare
after that date are deemed to be in compliance with the Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs).
Who manages DNV GL Healthcare?
DNV GL Healthcare is managed by a dedicated group of degreed professionals, each with many years
of experience in their respective field of healthcare management, clinical services, health law, ISO
certification and the physical environment. The accreditation management team has extensive
healthcare operational experience in the US and understands the dynamics of a complex healthcare
organization.
What does NIAHO® stand for?
NIAHO® is the acronym for the National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations.
NIAHO® is the name of the DNV GL’s hospital accreditation program and the accompanying standards
approved by CMS. The NIAHO® standards integrate requirements based on the CMS Conditions of
Participation (CoPs) with the internationally recognized ISO 9001 Standard for the formation and
implementation of a Quality Management System. ISO 9001 is the infrastructure of quality that
infiltrates every aspect of your organization – it enables an organization to reach maximum
effectiveness and efficiency in its processes that leads to improved outcomes, both clinically and
financially. These two sets of standards form the basis of DNV GL’s Integrated Accreditation concept in
NIAHO®.
“Here's to the moments when you realize the simple things are wonderful and enough.”
― Jill Badonsky
