Cornerstone Medical Center achieves its DNV and CAP accreditation

Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. (February 28, 2017) – Cornerstone Medical Center (CMC) is proud to announce the successful completion of the accreditation process from Det Norske Veritas Germanischer Lloyd (DNV GL) - Healthcare. By earning accreditation, CMC has demonstrated it meets or exceeds patient safety standards (Conditions of Participation) set forth by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. DNV GL’s accreditation program is the only one to integrate the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 Quality Management System with the Medicare Conditions of Participation.

“Having accomplished the DNV accreditation process, I feel more confident in the quality of care we are able to provide the patients we serve,” explained Melissa Smeltzer, RN, MSN, FNP-C, Chief Nursing & Quality Officer. “Our team worked tirelessly to make sure we were successful in this endeavor and I am so proud of the work that they have done.”

CMC has three years from the date of its accreditation to achieve compliance with ISO 9001, the most trusted quality management system used by performance-driven organizations around the world to advance their quality and sustainability objectives.

“We have taken an entirely different approach to accreditation, and hospitals are really responding,” says DNV GL - Healthcare CEO Patrick Horine. “Since accreditation is a must-have credential for just about every hospital in this country, why not make it more valuable, and get more out of it? That’s where ISO 9001 comes into play, and turns the typical get-your-ticket-punched accreditation exercise into a quality transformation.”

DNV GL’s accreditation program, called the National Integrated Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (NIAHO®), involves annual hospital surveys – instead of every three years – and encourages hospitals to openly share information across departments and to discover improvements in clinical workflows and safety protocols.

In addition to the successful completion of the DNV accreditation, CMC has also been accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for the hospital’s main laboratory and blood gas laboratory. The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program accredits the entire spectrum of laboratory test disciplines with the most scientifically rigorous requirements and symbolizes the “Gold” standard of compliance for laboratories.

“The work that has been accomplished by our team in the last nine months is nothing short of amazing and is a true testament of our staff’s dedication to this hospital and the health of our community,” said Jessica Long, MHA, CEO. “I am incredibly humbled by their hard work and with these two accomplishments, proud to say that we are taking great strides toward fulfilling our mission of improving the health of the community, one person at a time.”