Ambulatory Healthcare Services (AHS), a part of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), has become the first organization across the world to achieve the ‘network accreditation’ from Joint Commission International (JCI).

In a recent move, the accreditation, which was hitherto granted to individual healthcare facilities, is now offered to entire healthcare networks.

The announcement came at a press conference held at Eastern Mangroves Hotel and Spa, Abu Dhabi, in the presence of senior officials from AHS including Rashid Saif Al Qubaisi, CEO, Dr Omar Naseeb Al Jabri, Chief Medical Officer, and Dr Azhar Ali, Director of Quality, as well as Dr Ashraf Ismail, Managing Director, JCI Middle East and Shadia Al Zaatari, Assistant Director, Joint Commission International, Middle East.

The first-of-its-kind endorsement was achieved for AHS’ compliance with JCI Ambulatory Standards (April 2010 edition) across 20 of its healthcare centers, five disease prevention and screening centers and three mobile clinic solutions.

His Excellency E Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, MD and Chairman, SEHA, said: “This is in keeping with our mission to continually improve customer care to recognized international standards and with our vision to provide world-class healthcare to our customers and communities served. We are very proud of this accomplishment and would like to congratulate our employees at Ambulatory Health Services whose hard work and dedication to excellence have helped achieve this honor. One of our goals is to have all of SEHA’s facilities earn this distinguished seal of accomplishment.”

The accreditation process, which was completed over a period of two weeks required 18 months of preparation and was focused on the assessment of key service areas according to JCI standards. In addition to entailing personnel training, review of policies and procedures, the process included the development of key teams in each of the network divisions and the AHS headquarters. AHS facilities were also assessed through a mock survey implemented by JCI consultants from the US.

In the culminating stage of the evaluation, a team of five surveyors from JCI conducted a random intensive assessment of 20 of the 25 centers under AHS. As part of the exercise, surveyors interviewed senior management and front-line staff at the centers to gauge the implementation of JCI standards.

Rashid Saif Al Qubaisi, CEO, AHS, said: “AHS has come a long way in ensuring optimum ambulatory services in line with global best practices. A historic achievement for both AHS and the UAE, the JCI accreditation reflects the UAE leadership’s vision to provide quality, world-class healthcare to the community of Abu Dhabi. This achievement represents a dramatic turning point and is the most important initiative undertaken by the AHS since becoming a part the Abu Dhabi Company for Health Services (SEHA) almost four years ago.”

Al Qubaisi added that Abu Dhabi is witnessing significant shifts in various economic and social sectors, guided by the vision of the UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The strategy has helped make Abu Dhabi the focus of major international institutions and global media.

He said: “AHS seeks to leverage this milestone achievement to become a major player in this industry. In addition to promoting harmony and coordination in performance, we will continue to set clearly defined and measurable goals for the future. It is the responsibility of leading entities in the healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi to enhance the level of health services provided to the public, through the provision of super-quality treatment on par with international best practices. It is, therefore, important that all stakeholders work together to achieve this overarching objective and contribute to creating sustainable solutions.”

The international arm of the independent, non-profit organization, The Joint Commission (TJC), JCI was established in 1994 to assist international health care organizations, public health agencies, ministries and others to improve the quality and safety of patient care in more than 80 countries. JCI has been accrediting health care organizations since 1999, and has certified approximately 450 public and private health care organizations in 50 countries.

In June 2011, JCI received a four-year accreditation by the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua). Accreditation by ISQua provides assurance that the standards, training and processes used by JCI to survey the performance of health care organizations meet the highest international benchmarks for accreditation entities.
AHS is a unique outpatient care concept from SEHA that aims to offer easy access to primary and specialist patient care, including comprehensive laboratory and modern diagnostic facilities. AHS is responsible for operating school health services, disease prevention and screening centers, mobile clinic solutions and ambulatory care centers across Abu Dhabi.

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