POTSDAM -- Canton-Potsdam Hospital has successfully completed reaccreditation by DNV GL – Healthcare.

By earning accreditation, CPH has demonstrated it meets or exceeds patient safety standards set forth by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

DNV GL’s accreditation program is the only one to integrate the ISO 9001 Quality Management System with the Medicare Conditions of Participation.

“The DNV GL program is consistent with our long-term commitment to quality and patient safety,” says David B. Acker, CPH president.

“Major industries around the world are already familiar with the standards used by DNV GL: these standards applied to healthcare bring rigor and accountability not seen before in hospital quality ratings. The ability to integrate ISO 9001 quality disciplines with our clinical and financial processes is a major step forward.”

“It’s a much more holistic system” said Sue Hodgson, Vice-President of Quality and Performance Improvement at CPH. “DNV is very thorough and it doesn’t feel like an inspection. We see collaboration. The DNV program helps us find opportunities throughout the organization to improve every day. This is a welcomed change. We now look upon accreditation as a strategic business tool and as a mechanism to empower our staff.”

CPH has three years from the date of its accreditation to achieve compliance with ISO 9001, the world’s most-trusted quality management system used by performance-driven organizations around the world to advance their quality and sustainability objectives.

DNV GL’s accreditation program, called NIAHO (Integrated Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations), involves annual hospital surveys -- instead of every three years -- and encourages hospitals to openly share information across departments and to discover improvements in clinical workflows and safety protocols.