• Set aside space. Ms. Flores says you should have a designated work
area for surveyors. In Ms. Thorbin's clinic, that means they are located
in a secluded area in her wing of the building where they can easily
access bathrooms and a break room.
• Offer snacks. Surveyors may work through lunch, so having grab-and-
go options all day long keeps them happy and well-fed, says Ms.
Thorbin, who offers a light continental breakfast as well as a quick lunch
and afternoon snack to accreditors.
• Involve doctors. Ms. Flores says it's important to show that your
docs are also interested in rules and regulations. "What I find is if the
medical director or doctors are present and interested and meet with
surveyors, that can go a long way," she says. "It shows that they're
interested and they care." OSM
6 3
M A R C H 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
z ALL TOGETHER William Teague, quality improvement analyst, Sheila Coile,
RN, quality improvement supervisor, and Patricia Thorbin, RN, BS, CPHQ, director
of quality improvement at the Watson Clinic work on prepping for accreditation.
Watson
Clinic
E-mail kgapinski@outpatientsurgery.net.
