UnityPoint Health - Trinity Ambulance Services Receives Accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services
by UnityPoint Health - Fort Dodge - July 15, 2016
UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional
Medical Center’s Ambulance Service in Fort Dodge has received accreditation from the Commission
on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) for its compliance with national
standards of excellence. Trinity Ambulance
Service is one of only
175 ambulance services in the country to successfully complete the voluntary
review process which included completion of a comprehensive application and
on-site review by national experts in emergency medical services (EMS). With
this achievement, Trinity Ambulance
Service becomes the
fourth ambulance service to be accredited in the state of Iowa.
The
Commission is a non-profit organization which was established to encourage and
promote quality patient care in America’s medical transportation system. The
primary focus of the Commission’s standards is high-quality patient care. This
is accomplished by establishing national standards which not only address the
delivery of patient care, but also the ambulance service’s total operation and
its relationships with other agencies, the general public, and the medical
community. The Commission’s standards often exceed state or local licensing
requirements.
“We are extremely proud of our
Emergency Team for the work they have done to accomplish this high standard for
our ambulance service,” states Mike Dewerff, UnityPoint Health – Fort Dodge
President and CEO. “This accreditation represents our firm commitment to our patients and community and provides reassurance they are receiving
the highest quality of care possible when they call for our ambulance crew. We continuously strive to do our best
and we viewed accreditation as another step toward excellence.”
CAAS accreditation signifies that
Trinity has met the "gold standard" determined by the ambulance
industry to be essential in a modern emergency medical services provider. The
process of accreditation includes a comprehensive self-assessment and an
independent external review of Trinity Ambulance Services. This independent
process provides verification to our residents, city councils, medical
community and others that quality emergency medical care is provided by Trinity
to the community.
“Our staff
has been key to our successful completion of the process. I think it gives the
feeling of prestige and pride to work in an accredited ambulance service,” said
Dr. Dan Cole, Medical Director of Trinity Emergency Services. “Everyone here
played a valuable role in our ability to meet the Commission’s high standards.
We have achieved accreditation but I believe it can only be a stimulus for
continued improvement.”
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