Plastic Surgeons of Alaska today announced it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Office-Based Surgery Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval®is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective care.
Plastic Surgeons of Alaska underwent a rigorous, onsite survey on October 4th, 2018. During the review, compliance with office-based surgery standards related to several areas, including coordination of care, patient education and training, proper monitoring of patients during procedures that involve deep sedation or anesthesia, and postoperative care plans was evaluated. Onsite observations and interviews also were conducted.
Established in 2001, The Joint Commission’s Office-Based Surgery Accreditation Program serves as a quality oversight tool for surgical practices with four or less practitioners. An estimated 350 organizations currently maintain Office-Based Surgery Accreditation from The Joint Commission, awarded for a three-year period.
“As patients across the United States increasingly receive care in an office-based setting, Joint Commission accreditation provides office-based surgery organizations with processes contributing to improvements in patient care across a variety of areas,” said Pearl Darling, MBA, executive director, Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program. “We commend Plastic Surgeons of Alaska and its staff for achieving this pinnacle demonstrating a commitment to patient safety and quality. Your passion, dedication and tenacity can ultimately improve patient care. Thank you for your commitment to patient safety and entrusting The Joint Commission to assist you.”
“Plastic Surgeons of Alaska is pleased to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation,” added Daniel Suver, MD, medical director at Plastic Surgeons of Alaska. “Staff from across the organization continue to work together to develop and implement approaches and strategies that have the potential to improve care for the patients in our community.”
The Joint Commission’s office-based surgery standards are a subset of its ambulatory care standards and are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, quality improvement measurement experts, and patients. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help organizations measure, assess and improve performance.