David Grant USAF Medical Center reaches new heights

Photo By Heide Couch | Medical personnel gather together for a group photo, Oct. 30, 2018, Travis Air Force Base, Calif. David Grant U.S. Air Force Medical Center celebrated its 30th Anniversary with cake and testimonials from past and present patients. DGMC is the Air Force's flagship treatment facility, in the United States, providing a full spectrum of health care and patient-centered treatment to a prime service area throughout eight western states. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Heide Couch)  

TRAVIS AFB, CA, UNITED STATES

01.28.2020

Story by Senior Airman Amy Younger 

60th Air Mobility Wing

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. – David Grant USAF Medical Center is stepping into the new decade with a renewed Joint Commission accreditation.
Joint Commission accreditation is voluntary and reserved for health care organizations across the globe that meet the highest quality and patient care requisites.
“Accreditation by the Joint Commission is considered a gold standard for hospitals, and is one way military and civilian health care systems can compare themselves using industry-set standards and best practices,” said Col. Kristen Beals, 60th Medical Group commander. “We are evaluated on the processes that we have established across both inpatient and outpatient clinical areas that provide safe and high quality care for our patients.”
Health care facilities must undergo an on-site evaluation to earn The Gold Seal of Approval accreditation from the Joint Commission.
The DGMC’s no-notice evaluation included four days of Joint Commission officials inspecting the hospital. Commission officials evaluated DGMC staff members and processes to ensure they met nearly 2,000 standards and criteria.
The accreditation came with another major milestone on its heels – the launch of MHS GENESIS. The new electronic health record, initially rolled out to four additional Department of Defense installations in the Pacific Northwest, consolidates and modernizes the legacy medical record systems. Completing both significant events simultaneously hasn’t been accomplished by another military treatment facility to date, said Tricia Vadney, DGMC’s clinical quality and compliance chief.
“David Grant Medical Center was surveyed the week prior to implementation of MHS GENESIS,” Vadney said. “The hospital proved they could successfully undergo a major accreditation survey and prepare for the transition to a new electronic health record.”
The new electronic health record proved to be instrumental in correcting shortcomings identified with the legacy system during the Joint Commission Survey.
“The benefit of being surveyed is the identification of opportunities to strengthen our processes and policies,” Vadney said. “As part of the accreditation, all deficiencies were corrected within 60 calendar days.”
DGMC was also re-certified for Primary Care Medical Home – an ancillary certification verifying an organization provides disease-specific services – for its outpatient primary care clinics: Internal Medicine, Family Medicine Residency Clinic, Pediatrics, Family Health and Flight Medicine.
“All the positive improvements are implemented to provide the best care possible.” Beals said.

• Date Taken: 01.28.2020
• Date Posted: 01.28.2020 16:36
• Story ID: 360733
• Location: TRAVIS AFB, CA, US