OCH Earns Top Quality Certification

STARKVILLE, Miss. — OCH Regional Medical Center has become the first hospital in this area and one of only seven in the entire state to earn the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System certification. This prestigious recognition was awarded to the Medical Center based on an audit conducted last fall and shows that OCH is in compliance with ISO’s rigorous quality standards.

A world-renowned quality management system, ISO is a non-governmental organization based in Switzerland that develops and establishes standards, rules and guidelines to ensure that products, processes and services are consistently used according to their purposes. Experts agree the ISO framework is perfectly suited to the complex, variable world of healthcare delivery and provides for continual performance improvement.

“Receiving ISO certification illustrates an organization-wide commitment to providing high-quality healthcare and excellence in patient safety,” said OCH Administrator/CEO Richard Hilton. “We strive to provide a healthcare environment that carries out our mission of delivering the highest quality care to our patients, and this certification demonstrates that we are achieving that goal,” he added.

According to OCH Accreditation Manager Schella Baker, the Medical Center has a quality management committee led by directors, managers, physicians and bedside staff who oversee quality outcomes. “ISO is customer-focused. Think of a bulls-eye, and the patient is in the middle with everything else revolving around them,” she explained. “We’re not focused on staff or finances, we’re focused on patients. When that happens, we meet our goals and patients get the very best care!”

“This is not something OCH has been able to achieve overnight. Receiving this certification took three years of demonstrating continual improvement in every department throughout our facility,” Baker continued.

OCH Chief Nursing Officer Martha Fulcher, DNP, MSN, RNC, added that this certification elevates OCH’s quality of care to the next level. “Not only does ISO certification show our commitment to quality patient care and safety, but it also makes it apparent to everyone that our patients are our top priority. Every policy and procedure we have in place is designed with the ultimate goal of providing the very best care in the safest possible environment,” said Fulcher.

ISO certification is valid through November 2015, during which time OCH will be reviewed annually. In addition to earning ISO certification, OCH maintains accreditation from internationally-recognized DNV Healthcare, which requires that rigorous standards be met pertaining to organizational quality and safety.