Mankato Clinic Receives AAAHC Accreditation

The Mankato Clinic and its eight sites have once again received accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). The accreditation is for three years and included an extensive on-site, peer-based survey of Mankato Clinic facilities and services on October 5-6, 2006.

In 2003, the Mankato Clinic received a three-year accreditation, AAAHC’s highest accreditation award given, for the first time.

“Status as an accredited organization means the Mankato Clinic has passed a series of rigorous and nationally recognized standards for quality health care and highlights the Mankato Clinic’s commitment to providing the highest quality services in the region,” says Bryan Nermoe, Mankato Clinic Chief Operating Officer.

According to Nermoe, the Mankato Clinic has received increased recognition over the last year as quality and cost of health care have come to the forefront. “Earlier this year, Blue Cross Blue Shield introduced a new insurance product, Blue Precision, aimed at directing consumers to low-cost/high quality health care providers, placing Mankato Clinic as Mankato’s only tier-one multi-specialty health care provider,” says Nermoe.

Additionally, as part of Minnesota Community Measurement’s 2006 Report on Quality, the Mankato Clinic scored at or above the state average in 8 of the 12 measurement areas. Compared with Mayo Health System, the Mankato Clinic ranked higher 81 percent of the time.

Nermoe says this level of recognition is important as the Clinic continues to enhance its quality management program. “Recognition by outside organizations provides us with confirmation and confidence that we are continuing our 90-year legacy of recruiting the right people with the right credentials. It also tells us that we’re focusing resources in areas that best serve our patients,” says Nermoe.

Most recently, the Mankato Clinic has joined the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) – a statewide quality collaborative that provides the Clinic with information and resources to grow specific quality improvement initiatives.

Nermoe points out that quality care is also significantly reflected through patient satisfaction. “Earlier this year, of over 2,700 patients surveyed, 97 percent said they would recommend the Mankato Clinic to someone else,” says Nermoe.

AAAHC is a national leader in accreditation and has developed a solid reputation as an advocate for high-quality healthcare over a span of almost 30 years. Accreditation is a voluntary process through which an organization is able to measure the quality of its services and performance against nationally recognized standards. The accreditation process involves self assessment by the organization, as well as a thorough review by AAAHC’s expert surveyors, who themselves have extensive experience in the ambulatory health care environment.

The Mankato Clinic, started in 1916, offers eight sites in six communities with over 100 physicians and practitioners.

Below are some examples of what AAAHC looks for when surveying an organization:

Patient Rights

• Are patients treated with respect, consideration and dignity?
• Are patients provided with complete information concerning their diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and prognosis and given the opportunity to participate in decisions involving their health care?
• Are patients given information regarding their rights and responsibilities, services available to them at the organization, provisions for after-hours and emergency care, fees, payment policies and credentialing of health care professionals.

Governance

• Is there a process for identifying, analyzing, reporting and preparing an action plan for adverse incidents?
• Does the organization have an appropriate procedure for validating the qualifications of individuals who provide health care services?
• Does the organization have an appropriate procedure for determining what types of procedures a health care professional may provide?

Administration

• Does the organization maintain an appropriate and secure health information system?
• Are there appropriate personnel policies?
• Does the organization do periodic patient satisfaction surveys?

Quality of Care Provided

• Are patients contacted in a timely manner regarding significant problems and/or abnormal lab findings?
• Are there mechanisms in place to ensure the transfer of patients when appropriate?

Quality Management and Improvement

• Does the organization have procedures in place for reviewing their quality of care?
• Does the organization have an appropriate quality improvement program?
• Does the organization have a risk management program designed to protect the life and welfare of its patients and employees?

Clinical Records and Health Information

• Does the organization have an organized system for collecting, processing, maintaining and storing patient records?
• Are the presence or absence of allergies and untoward reactions towards drugs and other materials recorded in a uniform location in patient charts?
• Are patient records transferred to the new health care professional when a patient is transferred?

Professional Improvement

• Does the organization encourage employee participation in seminars, workshops and other educational activities that are relevant to its missions and objectives?
• Does the organization continuously monitor the maintenance of licensure and/or certification of professional personnel?

Facilities and Environment

• Does the organization comply with all state and local building codes and regulations?
• Does the organization have the necessary personnel, equipment, and procedures to handle medical and other emergencies that may arise?
• Is the space allotted for a particular function or service adequate for the functions performed therein?

Anesthesia Services

• Are the anesthesia services provided by the organization adequately supervised by one or more physician or dentist qualified by the governing body?
• Does the organization receive the informed consent of the patient for the nature of the anesthesia planned?
• Does the organization administered have the appropriate resuscitative equipment for patients receiving anesthesia?

Surgical and Related Services

• Are the surgical procedures performed in the facility limited to those procedures approved by the governing body?
• Are surgical procedures performed by health care professionals that are licensed to perform such procedures and have been granted privileges by the governing body?
• Does the organization have a safe environment for treating surgical patients, including adequate safeguards to protect from cross-infection?

Third-party payers, state and federal governmental agencies, and several professional liability insurance carriers recognize AAAHC as a valuable indicator of an organization’s quality. The Mankato Clinic and Mankato Surgery Center are the only Mankato health care providers accredited by AAAHC