Medical center review winds up today Published April 4, 2007 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The long-anticipated review of Keesler Medical Center's operations and practices began April 3 and concludes April 5. The 81st Medical Group received official notification from the Joint Commission -- formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations -- early March 27. A six-member team of surveyors from the commission is evaluating the medical center for accreditation for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. Eleven members of the Air Force Inspection Agency are conducting a simultaneous health services inspection. There has been no impact on patient care during the three-day inspection. Lt. Col. Noemi Algarin-Lozano, chief of 81st MDG performance improvement and regulatory compliance, explained the purpose of the Joint Commission inspection, conducted every three years, is to accredit the medical facility. "With accreditation, the public is reassured that Keesler meets or exceeds all medical standards for quality of care," he said. "Additionally, the accreditation is necessary for medical and dental residency training that will return this summer. The compliance chief is confident Keesler Medical Center will do well. "The health services inspection, frequently done at the same time as the Joint Commission, verifies our readiness to execute our military-unique missions," the colonel added. Brig. Gen. (Dr.) James Dougherty, 81st MDG commander, observed, "The entire staff has been diligently preparing for this review for months. Everyone in the group has gone the extra mile to ensure our procedures and practices meet or exceed standards. "Their efforts are even more commendable considering the medical center has been simultaneously rebounding from the damage Hurricane Katrina had inflicted on our operations," the general said. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health-care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, not-for-profit organization, it's the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. To earn and maintain the commission's Gold Seal of Approval, an organization must undergo an on-site survey by a survey team at least every three years. An accreditation decision is normally announced four to six weeks following a survey.