By Pam Lupo, CO, ABC Surveyor

One of the most rewarding aspects of having been an ABC facility accreditation surveyor for many years is the ability to share what I have learned with my peers. The one thing that has stayed with me the most is the guidance from ABC’s mission statement -- to establish and advocate for the highest patient care and organizational standards in the provision of safe and effective orthotic, prosthetic, and pedorthic services. These words may appear simple, but are really all-encompassing. They stand for so much more.

Historically, the varied landscape and vast range in the quality of facilities at times was extreme. However, during my 15 years as a surveyor, I’ve seen the dedicated individuals in this profession step up to the plate and help transform O&P from an industry to a true healthcare profession dedicated to professionalism, best practices, quality care, education and a vision to meet the needs of our future patients.

Among the biggest areas of improvement have been leadership ‘buy in’, employee development and consistency. As I observed years ago, facility accreditation was something owners often did because it was required in order to bill CMS or other payers. Sadly, owners often felt it was a waste of their time and avoided any involvement in the process. Today’s facility owners and managers, on the other hand, are eager to participate in the survey process, understand opportunities for improvement and are more engaged overall. When I return to some of the same facilities, it’s clear that the positive changes that occur between visits are due in part to the support and encouragement of the facility’s leadership.

Previously, less than 50% of facilities met the standard for staff development and annual performance reviews and that has definitely changed. Facility owners often scoffed at the idea that employees needed a written annual review or failed to understand the potential positive outcomes of providing employee development. But over the years, through education and training from ABC, its surveyors and the profession, there has been a marked improvement in communications between employers and employees which has resulted in consistent performance assessments, staff development and effective goal setting using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Facility leadership is now meeting the Human Resource (HR) Standards more than they ever before and there has been a dramatic increase in employee and business performance through effective employee goal setting.

Facility owners recognize the long-term positive impact that compliance with these standards has on revenue. In the past, the pendulum of focus would often swing back and forth depending on the stage of a facility’s accreditation cycle. Now, both facility owners and staff are engaged in the accreditation process throughout the entire year and the difference it has made in overall compliance, business efficiency and most importantly, patient care, has been tremendous.

I take great pleasure in working with facility owners to improve their processes and procedures and am happy that I am able to share some of my positive observations. I look forward to the continued growth of our profession. Keep up the great work!