Dr Martin Chio, Senior Consultant
Lee Jun Yue, Quality Executive
NSC Director A/ Prof Tan Suat Hoon (middle seated), flanked by JCI surveyors Dr Steven Matarelli (left) and Dr Ramsey Hasan (right), along with NSC staff at the exit conference of the JCI survey.
On 17-18 November 2016, the National Skin Centre (NSC) successfully achieved re-accreditation in its triennial Joint Commission International (JCI) survey (Ambulatory Care Standards), an international stamp of excellent clinical practices in patient care and safety. The survey was conducted by JCI surveyors Dr Ramsey Hasan and Dr Steven Matarelli. Since the last reaccreditation in 2013, staff from all departments have been consistently preparing to meet the more rigorous standards of JCI.
The successful reaccreditation is testimony to the diligence and commitment displayed by the Centre’s staff in ensuring that all aspects of NSC meet and exceed JCI standards. Both surveyors also shared their experiences gathered from other healthcare institutions worldwide and that provided learning opportunities for all staff to continue and seek better quality and safer patient care.
More than 50 staff from different family groups attended the exit conference where Dr Hasan and Dr Matarelli shared their key findings during the two-day visit to NSC. Despite the revised third edition standards set by JCI which saw major differences from its previous editions, NSC was found to have met all standards adequately and satisfactorily. These standards focused on two main areas - Patient-Centredness and Organisation Management, which were developed by professional physicians, nurses and experienced staff in administration, ancillary and allied health.
Dr Matarelli shared, “It is often said that quality is a journey, not a destination. Learning organizations, such as NSC, demonstrate their commitment to this journey each and every day. Our recent survey activities at NSC illustrated that organizations committed to the people they serve and committed to sustainable quality processes are organizations filled with professionals committed to purpose. It was a pleasure to be part of NSC’s unending quality journey.”
In preparation for JCI-reaccreditation, led by Senior Consultant Dr Martin Chio, the committee had reviewed the Centre’s current processes to meet the new Ambulatory Care Standards (3rd Edition) and closed the gaps identified in previous survey findings. The Centre was active in engaging all staff to understand more about JCI requirements. In the months leading up the accreditation, several combined talks were given by respective chapter champions to all staff to familiarise them with the existing and new requirements. JCI keynotes and interactive quizzes were also used to further deepen staff’s understanding in hospital-wide events.
NSC Director A/Prof Tan Suat Hoon lauded the staff for their hard work in the preparation towards meeting the new standards of this JCI accreditation. “The successful reaccreditation shows our commitment towards quality improvement and safety in a mature organisation,” she said.
Being the first ambulatory care centre in South-East Asia to achieve successful accreditation in 2007, NSC continues to strive for high quality, safe and cost-effective patient care.