52nd MDG Airmen receive 'Excellent' for AAAHC

  • Published
  • By Col. JP Fancher
  • 52nd Dental Squadron commander
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, GERMANY --  The Air Force Inspection Agency's Health Services Inspection and the civilian Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care completed a combined comprehensive review of the 52nd Medical Group May 11. The HSI team awarded a score of "Excellent," and AAAHC reported no findings. 

The combined inspections looked at 112 HSI elements and 24 AAAHC standards in a rigorous three-day review of leadership, expeditionary medical operations and in-garrison medical operations that included every aspect of daily operations in all of the clinics and functions throughout the medical group. Specific areas included leadership functions, in-patient and out-patient care, medical service management, bioenvironmental engineering surveillance programs, behavioral health, dentistry, flight medicine, nursing, public health programs and senior enlisted management programs. 

While the HSI team did a comprehensive inspection that included all aspects of daily healthcare and unique military functions, the AAAHC team validated that the organization meets civilian standards of healthcare. 

Scoring well was no easy task because the inspectors looked for evidence of sustained performance over a two-year period rather than a short track record of improvement just before the inspection. Preparation for the inspection began the day after the last inspection -- two and a half years ago, with preparation really in high gear one year ago. 

Personnel at all levels of the organization were tasked to review and document their functions while constantly looking for ways to improve their business practices. This has been a particularly difficult time for the medical group to be inspected because the process of transition from a hospital to a clinic had to be factored into every function. Not only did the track record have to look good, but there were constant questions about the future and how we are making plans to continue to serve our wing in a new era of healthcare delivery.