AAAASFI Presentation System for International Accreditation
Last Tuesday July 13th, we received the visit of the Vice President of the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities International (AAAASFI), Mr. Jeff Pearcy, at Riande Continental hotel, in Panama City, for the launching of their program ´Patient Safety through Accreditation¨. The event was attended by numerous dental clinics, diagnostic centers and ambulatory surgery clinics, to learn more about this world known accreditation system and on the importance of international accreditation programs for medical tourism purposes.
AAAASFI has developed a global program of inspection and accreditation for surgery and dental clinics. All accredited clinics must pass inspection for all standards in the following categories:
GENERAL ENVIRONMENT; OPERATING ROOM ENVIRONMENT, POLICY AND PROCEDURES; RECOVERY ROOM ENVIRONMENT, POLICY AND PROCEDURE; GENERAL SAFETY IN THE FACILITY; BLOOD AND MEDICATIONS; MEDICAL RECORDS; QUALITY ASSESSMENT/QUALITY IMPROVEMENT; PERSONNEL; and ANESTHESIA
The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. was established in 1980 to develop an accreditation program to standardize and improve the quality of medical and surgical care in ambulatory surgery facilities while assuring the public of high standards for patient care and safety in an accredited facility. It is the mission of the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. (AAAASF) to develop and implement standards of excellence to ensure the highest quality of patient care through an accreditation program that serves both the medical community and the public interest by establishing a means for measuring medical competence and providing an external source for evaluating patient safety in the ambulatory surgery setting.
The event was organized and coordinated by the Medical Tourism Association of Panama, which among their main objetives is the continuous upgrade of the Quality of our local Health providers. Government officials, such as the Deputy (Diputado) Dr.Hugo Moreno, President of the Health Commission of our National Assembly, was present at the event, and even explained the effects and importance of complying to international standards, as their Anteproyecto de Ley on Medical Tourism states. One of the new Medical Tourism Law objectives is to offer incentives for local health providers that undergo international certification investments, which they can deduct from their income tax expenses.
To learn more about AAAASFI, you can contact their representative offices in Costa Rica;
Oficina de Representación
AAAASFI, Costa Rica
oscarmolina@ice.co.cr
lornavargas@ice.co.cr
Tel: (506)2271-0627 / (506 )8828-6157
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