On April 18th, 2017, Native American Health Center (NAHC) announced its awarding of accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Accreditation distinguishes this community health center from many other outpatient facilities by providing the highest quality of care to its patients as determined by an independent, external process of evaluation. As a member of the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health, NAHC embodies the high standards of quality care that we strive to promote.
“Accreditation gives NAHC’s members, who are our first priority, peace of mind that they are receiving services from an organization that performs at a certain standard. The reason why we sought this seal of approval (accreditation) is so that we can ensure that we deliver the same, high quality standards of care for our members through our systems, policies and procedures. These systems help keep us all in line for our goal of improving and raising the health status of our community.”
AAAHC requires ambulatory health care organizations seeking accreditation to undergo an extensive self-assessment and on-site survey by AAAHC expert surveyors – physicians, nurses, and administrators who are actively involved in ambulatory health care. The survey is consultative and educational, presenting best practices to help an organization improve its care and services.
In order to earn accreditation, Native American Health Center, as a health care organization, had to demonstrate its ability to meet or exceed nationally-recognized AAAHC standards of health care and sufficiently adhere to its own policies, procedures, processes and their desired patient outcomes.
About AAAHC
The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, founded in 1979, is the leader in ambulatory health care accreditation with more than 5,000 organizations accredited nationwide. AAAHC accredits a variety of organizations including, ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery centers, endoscopy centers, student health centers, military health care clinics, and large medical and dental practices. AAAHC serves as an advocate for the provision of high-quality health care through the development of nationally recognized standards and through its survey and accreditation programs. AAAHC accreditation is recognized as a symbol of quality by third-party payers.