5 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 9
Y
es,
accredi-
tation
surveys
are all
but guaranteed to
cause you some
degree of stress. But a
sense of overwhelming
dread shouldn't
accompany a survey-
or's visit to your facility. In fact, accreditors are working hard to ensure
facilities see the survey process as collaborative rather than combat-
ive. Still got doubts about surveyors' motives? We talked to 4 of your
fellow facility leaders who said the accreditation process provided key
insights that led directly to changes they were more than happy to
make.
1. DEA controlled substances audit
When you keep meticulous real-time records of all the medications
you dispense, certain things may seem redundant. That's what William
Greene, Jr., MD, the medical director of Lakeshore Surgical Center in
Gainesville, Ga., thought when a surveyor suggested that his ASC con-
duct a biannual audit of all the controlled substances on hand that day.
"We have complicated records where we note every single medica-
tion that was given — who gave it, how much was given, the patient's
name," says Dr. Greene. "With all of the info we regularly collected, I
Jared Bilski | Senior Associate Editor
Learn to Love Your Accreditation Surveyor
Embrace those dings as opportunities for improvement.
• COLLABORATIVE PROCESS Accreditation agencies want facilities to
view surveys as collaboration opportunities rather than dreaded events.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR