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New management team does well in its AAAHC survey

Ambulatory Safety Monitor, September 22, 2005

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The new administrator and nurse managers at Surgicare of South Austin in Texas had never been through an Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) survey in their leadership positions. But with plenty of preparation, Luan Kirk, RN, Surgicare's administrator, reports a successful outcome. "The survey went very well because we started prepping for it a year in advance," she says.

Not only were the team leaders new to their jobs, but most were also new to the organization, having come from other surgery centers in the area.

What's the magic answer?

There was no magic involved, just a lot of preparation, Kirk says. One of the first things the team did was obtain the AAAHC's handbook of standards.

Every month the team hosted managers' meetings, during which members divided the handbook among the administrator and nurse managers, giving each person the chapters that directly applied to his or her area of work.

In those meetings, the managers compiled notes about each chapter and kept track of where corresponding policies were located. By knowing exactly where all the policies were, it was easy to show surveyors where to find them, Kirk says. "Mostly, the policies were all kept in one binder, but if they weren't, they were kept in one room we called the 'surveyor conference room,' " she says.

Fine-tune the good stuff

The two AAAHC surveyors who visited the center offered helpful and encouraging comments for the organization's quality improvement and risk management programs, Kirk says. For example, the surveyors suggested streamlining the studies by using an outline format in place of a narrative format.

In addition to helpful hints about their quality improvement and risk management studies, surveyors toured the facility and observed a surgery.

Assure staff that survey day isn't stressful

Staff at Surgicare said they were nervous before survey day, but AAAHC surveyors put them at ease right away and relieved their tensions, Kirk says. "The surveyors showed staff that they came to educate us and provide ideas to help us improve what we do," she says.

For example, surveyors may mention something they've seen in other facilities that may work in the present one. It's helpful to hear what other facilities do so best practices can be implemented.

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