AAAHC Accredits Two USOSM Partner Practices Certification Final...
Healthcare Tech Outlook

AAAHC Accredits Two USOSM Partner Practices Certification Final Step in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centers of Excellence Program

IRVING, TEXAS : The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) has accredited two U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM) partner practices. They are Southwest Virginia Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Roanoke, Virginia; and Esmail Oral, Facial, and Dental Implant Surgery of Bellingham, Washington. A testament to clinical excellence and a noteworthy achievement in-and-of-itself, these accreditations also signify the practices as Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centers of Excellence.

“We announced the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centers of Excellence program in July 2023, and it is the first program of its kind in the OMS specialty,” said USOSM President and CEO Richard Hall. “We created this program to recognize USOSM partner practices that consistently deliver superior patient care and clinical excellence, to encourage those characteristics in other practices, and to spur additional practice growth.”

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As defined by the National Library of Medicine, centers of excellence are specialized programs within health care institutions that supply exceptionally high concentrations of expertise and related resources – such as leadership, best practices, research and training.

“Centers of excellence signify exceptional quality, particularly when it comes to patient care, and that has always been a top priority for us,” continued Hall. “We’re extremely proud of Southwest Virginia Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Esmail Oral, Facial, and Dental Implant Surgery for achieving AAAHC accreditation and the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centers of Excellence distinction. It is a testament to their unwavering dedication to clinical excellence.”

The recognized leader in ambulatory health care accreditation, the AAAHC proudly serves as an advocate for high-quality health care and patient safety by engaging a wide range of ambulatory health care experts to develop, review, and revise standards; as well as, assessing organizations against these standards and their own policies and procedures; and creating tools to support continuous quality improvement.

The AAAHC has accredited more than 6,700 organizations since being founded in 1979, and only a fraction of those have been oral and maxillofacial surgery practices. To receive accreditation, organizations must meet the AAAHC’s nationally recognized standards of quality.

“Meeting the stringent requirements by the AAAHC is the final step in receiving the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centers of Excellence designation. As our third-party, accrediting partner, the AAAHC provides additional oversight for the program and helps ensure the highest levels of quality control,” said USOSM Chief Clinical Officer Vincent J. Perciaccante, DDS, FACS.

“To qualify for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centers of Excellence program, USOSM partner practices must first apply to and receive approval from our clinical governance board,” continued Perciaccante. “They also have to meet all eligibility criteria, pass internal inspections and meet the accreditation requirements from the AAAHC.”

Eligibility requirement categories include leadership, best practices, support or training for a specific area, and expertise. Each requirement has key performance indicators, which center on clinical excellence, patient experience, standardization/leveraging of best practices and assets, financial stability/performance, and guidance and governance.

“Clinical excellence means more than just excellent outcomes,” adds Perciaccante. “It’s also about patient-centered care, patient safety, performance improvement, interdisciplinary education, excellence in communication and always maintaining the highest standards in ethics and professionalism. It is extremely important to all of us that each USOSM partner practice embodies these standards. The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centers of Excellence program helps ensure that. It’s just one of our many quality assurance programs.”

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