| |
NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ -
San Ramon, CA, United States, 2008/12/09 - Validare, Inc. is proud to announce that Urologic Surgical Consultants, PC, has been accredited by The Joint Commission and marks the 200th Office-Based Surgery (OBS) client in the nation that Validare has guided through the accreditation process.
|
| |
Office-Based Surgery (provided in a physicians’ office rather than in the hospital or an ambulatory surgery center) has increased in popularity in recent years as anesthesia and surgical techniques have advanced. However, surgery still comes with risks. Ensuring that patient safety standards are in place and adhered to is one thing a patient should look for when evaluating health care procedures. Achieving accreditation is an important indicator that demonstrates the commitment an OBS provider places on patient safety. Instituting safety protocols helps organize the office and all activities and procedures. “Accreditation by a national agency distinguishes an OBS,” comments Linda Ramputi, RN, Vice President of Accreditation Services for Validare. “At Validare, we support living the accredited lifestyle every day and are passionate about helping physician offices maintain high standards of patient care.”
Urologic Surgical Consultants, PC, is a leading urology practice located in Staten Island, New York. Drs. Mark Plawker and Joel Sherman and the staff learned on October 24th that their facility met all of the requirements and safety standards set by the Joint Commission, a national accreditation organization that also oversees accreditation of hospitals. In the State of New York, accreditation recently became especially important when legislation passed that mandates that all OBS providers using moderate or higher levels of sedation be accredited as an OBS provider no later than July 14, 2009.
This important designation is valid for three years before re-accreditation is necessary. “Obviously, our patients come first and we are proud of our long term commitment to patient safety. But throughout the accreditation preparation process, we had to re-think our processes and procedures and raise the bar even higher. Without Validare, establishing the internal steps to put the standards and documentation in place would have been a much more time consuming job,” acknowledges Dr. Plawker. “Validare understands the regulations inside and out and was a great support for our office.”
Accreditation can bring additional benefits to the OBS provider such as peer recognition from referring physicians. An accredited OBS can also gain special status with health plans, some of which reimburse accredited OBS provider with special contracted rates.
The accreditation preparation and application process can take upwards of four months to complete. Validare CEO, Rock Rockett, PhD, understands the importance of starting early. “We have worked with over 300 OBS providers across the country. We’re very proud of our achievements and remain committed to our advocacy of patient safety. By continuing to guide OBS providers through the accreditation process, we can help insure that consistent standards are being met and everybody wins – from patients to doctors to health plans who very often link the two.”
About Validare
Validare (validare.com) is the industry leader in accreditation consulting for office-based surgery (OBS) providers. With offices in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, Validare provides patient safety advocacy and assistance to physicians and their offices in preparation for and maintaining OBS accreditation. Recognized as a valuable partner to both OBS offices and health plans, Validare’s clients provides health plans with access to qualified OBS providers who provide an alternative to costly outpatient procedures performed in the hospital setting. For more information about Validare, call 888-934-4321.
|
kmcentee[.]kmcenteeassoc.com 
