Samaritan earns accreditation from quality control organization

MOSES LAKE — An extensive survey of patient care and quality standards has led to new accreditation for Samaritan Healthcare. The accreditation by an outside firm is part of the hospital’s effort to improve quality, according to hospital officials.

The hospital received accreditation from DNV-GL, a European-based company that evaluates quality and risk management in a number of industries, including healthcare. “The accreditation measures improvements in quality and patient safety, managing infection risk, management certification and training across the entire organization,” according to a press release from the hospital.

“The accreditation measures Samaritan’s ability to meet or exceed patient safety standards,” the press release said. The company uses criteria that measures continuing improvement.

That follows the hospital’s accreditation as a Level III trauma center from the Washington Department of Health.

“The accreditation is not the work of one person or one department,” said Samaritan chief executive office Teresa Sullivan. The accreditation is valid for three years. Normally the process involves visits from the accrediting firm every three years, but DNV-GL sends examiners every year. Samaritan is one of 26 hospitals in Washington to have earned DNV-GL accreditation.

The hospital’s Level III trauma designation makes it one of two hospitals in north central Washington designated as Level III. The other is Confluence Health-Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee. Previously Samaritan had a Level IV designation. The upgraded designation allows Samaritan to treat more complex cases.