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Travis hospital rates high in inspection

18 Aug 2011 | Jim Spellman

A Health Services Inspection conducted by the Headquarters Air Force Inspection Agency, Directorate of Medical Operations has left the medical staff at David Grant Medical Center in high spirits. In addition to successfully passing a no-notice inspection, the 60th Medical Group also received full accreditation from the Joint Commission during the week-long inspection.

DGMC scored an overall military treatment facility rating of 89 percent out of a possible 100 from the HSI. It matches a previous "Excellent" rating the medical center received after an advance notice inspection was conducted in December 2008. As a result of this years' unannounced visit, DGMC -- which is now officially the largest Air Force medical center in the nation -- will not see another major AFIA inspection for four years.

"This is simply an awesome day and you all have done wonderful," stated Col. (Dr.) Brian P. Hayes, 60th Medical Group commander. "I will tell you to start with, 'Operation Restore the Holidays' is in full effect!" Dr. Hayes exclaimed as the standing room only audience in the DGMC auditorium exploded into cheers and applause. "We are 'The Best' at getting better," said Dr. Hayes.

The nine-member team performed a rigorous, comprehensive inspection July 18-22 of DGMC's operational support functions in three major categories, 16 areas, 105 elements and 13 focus elements, measuring 1,657 criteria as directed by the Air Force Surgeon General office.

"You want to talk about being scrubbed? We have been scrubbed," stated Hayes. "These inspection teams purposely look for problems, but they could not find any programmatic failures or critical discrepancies," Hayes explained. "They also report not seeing any repeat findings from our last inspection."

The three major categories reviewed during the HSI included Expeditionary Medical Operations, which was rated "Excellent"; In-Garrison Medical Operations, also rated "Excellent" and Leadership, which was rated "Outstanding." Exemplary programs include Contract Management, Blood Borne Pathogens, Family Advocacy, Patient Safety and the Simulation Center.

The HSI assesses the functioning and execution of Air Force Medical Service programs and processes at the local level in order to provide senior leadership with accurate data upon which to base policy decisions. HSIs also assess the ability of Air Force medical units to fulfill their peacetime and wartime missions, including provision of medical care and support of the host wing mission in accordance with Air Force Instruction 90-201, Inspector General Activities.

The HSI is timed to coincide with an accreditation survey by the Joint Commission, a pre-eminent national accrediting organization. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Since 1951, the Joint Commission has maintained state-of-the-art standards that focus on improving the quality and safety of care provided by health care organizations. The Joint Commission's comprehensive accreditation process evaluates an organization's compliance with these standards and other accreditation requirements.

Although the HSI and JC survey are separate entities, the combined visit improves efficiency by eliminating the need for separate visits by each team. Both inspections fulfill Department of Defense and Air Force requirements for inpatient facilities across the Military Health Service and are similar to the unit compliance inspections the 60th Air Mobility Wing periodically undergoes.

DGMC's latest accreditation results are a matter of public record and accessible on the internet via the Joint Commission's Quality Check® website, located at http://www.qualitycheck.org/qualityreport.aspx?hcoid=9824.

"Most public and private hospitals in the U.S. are Joint Commission-accredited, since this is acknowledged as the gold standard for external validation that patient care services are effectively managed and professionally administered," explained Lt. Col. Doreen F. Wilder, 60 MDG hospital administrator. "At DGMC, this is also important for our graduate medical education, officer and enlisted specialty training programs, since such training is most often conducted in accredited healthcare organizations."

According to Wilder, the Joint Commission's accreditation carries the recognition that DGMC adheres to the same standards in providing safe patient care that other accredited institutions across the U.S. adhere to. It also communicates to the medical community nationwide that DGMC physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and technical and support staffs meet or exceed standards associated with their roles in patient care.

Col. (Dr.) Crescencio "Chris" Torres, Team Chief and Director of Medical Operations for Headquarters, Air Force Inspection Agency echoed the sentiment in his results narrative of the HSI report.

"Colonel Brian Hayes and his executive team lead the Air Force's largest medical center, the flagship of Air Force medicine. They have placed a high priority on delivering courteous, safe and top quality healthcare to 476,367 Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs eligible beneficiaries," Torres stated.

Torres' report noted the DGMC executive team has conducted multiple Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century projects and initiatives that have enhanced their graduate medical education program and the health services they provide to their beneficiaries. DGMC also underwent a $110 million modernization project with phase I completed and phase II planning underway. Newer enhanced services include the hemodialysis unit, the Joint Oncology Radiation Center, the Hematology Oncology Infusion Center, Cardiothoracic service and intensive care units.

"This no-notice inspection validates the outstanding leadership and teamwork that exists at DGMC," Torres concluded. "Throughout this inspection, the Health Services Inspectors were impressed by the high morale and high level of professionalism displayed by the DGMC staff. Col. Hayes and his executive staff have firmly placed DGMC in a strong position for future success."