The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care recently reaccredited the John C. Longest Student Health Center on campus.
“The accreditation process is usually a year-long process that takes many hours of commitment to fulfill,” medical office supervisor Stanthia Oakley said.
“This year’s accreditation started last May and the health center was accredited last October. The surveyors come on site and they compare our records and operations to their official standards,” Oakley said.
Dr. Robert Collins, director of Longest Student Health Center, said money is a big part of the accreditation process.
“Typically it takes up to $7,000 to get all the necessary resources for the accreditation. This amount includes the transportation for the surveyors that will conduct the actual process and other vital resources,” Collins said.
The evaluation was conducted over two days in which surveyors graded the health center in different categories. Surveyors then determined the health center’s status on a scale of partial, non-partial and substantial. The health center received substantial in all areas during this accreditation period.
“Accreditation is not a requirement, but it is more like an honor to be accredited. Being accredited shows that the health center has a commitment to excellence and patients should rest assured that they will receive the best services possible. Accreditation lasts for three years and at the end of that time an organization can reapply,” Collins said.
The AAAHC accredits ambulatory and office-based centers, single and multi-specialty group practices, college health centers, dental group practices, community health centers, occupational health centers and managed care organizations. The AAAHC accredits over 1,900 ambulatory health care organizations across the United States.
“Accreditation is a voluntary process through which an organization is able to measure the quality of its services and performance against nationally recognized standards,” the AAAHC said.
The Longest Center is one of two accredited student health centers in the state, with Southern Miss being the other. The Mississippi State health center has been accredited since 1992.