The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) offers organizations a foundation on which to build a quality-improvement culture that is integrated with their day-to-day operations and based on the 1095 Strong, quality every day philosophy. The recently introduced learning management system, 1095 Learn, provides online resources as well as access to register for quarterly in-person events.

The Achieving Accreditation conference is an in-person educational event led by experienced AAAHC surveyors and staff that emphasizes the importance of quality practices and readiness throughout the 1,095 days of the accreditation term. The educational conference offers insights on accreditation topics and equips attendees with the tools needed to obtain and maintain AAAHC Accreditation.

“Our goal is to keep quality and patient safety top of mind throughout the 1,095 days of the accreditation cycle,” said Noel Adachi, MBA, CEO of AAAHC. “Through our live conferences, participants can engage in discussions with other organizations seeking to improve the quality and consistency of care they provide by implementing AAAHC’s 1095 Strong, quality every dayphilosophy.”

Day one of the conference lays a solid foundation, teaching attendees about standards that are core to all facilities, including the vital lesson that highly effective organizations start with a set of clearly defined policies and procedures. Attendees then learn about how to implement an effective quality improvement program through practice-setting specific breakout sessions that address how to recognize a good topic for quality improvement, set measurable goals, develop interventions if performance fails to meet goals, and report on QI activities.

Day two centers on other vital accreditation topics. With surgical or primary care peers, attendees review the relevant AAAHC adjunct Accreditation Standards. Participants can enroll in elective sessions that include infection prevention, risk assessment, Life Safety Code requirements for Medicare-certified ASCs, tested solutions for medical home practices, scenario-based emergency management, and more. And there is plenty of time to “Ask the Expert” your facility-specific questions to guide your compliance.

“Achieving Accreditation provides organizations with the foundation to begin working toward achieving or maintaining AAAHC Accreditation,” said Hallie Brewer, senior vice president of Learning and Development. “Organizations seeking to be recognized for excellence in the health care services they provide, or simply looking to brush up their understanding of the AAAHC quality standards, should consider attending to gain access to valuable accreditation tools and resources, and to network with and learn from peers.”

Join AAAHC at an upcoming Achieving Accreditation program:

·         September 20–21 in Arlington, VA

·         December 6–7 in Las Vegas, NV

For additional details and online registration, visit www.aaahc.org/achieving.