January 29, 2020 | AAAHC certified
4 minute read
There are many things that make Facial Plastic Surgery Associates special and unique. Being AAAHC certified is one of the important features of our practice.
Facial Plastic Surgery Associates and our In-office Surgical Suite is fully accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc (AAAHC). The award means that our office and operating room have met stringent nationally recognized standards for quality care and safety set by the Chicago-based accrediting organization.
Why is this important to patients? AAAHC certification helps provide patients with an additional level of confidence that any procedure they have done in our certified surgical suite is done with the same level of care and patient safety as a hospital out-patient surgical center. It tells patients that we place their safety and quality care first.
What types of procedures do we do in our AAAHC certified surgical suite? We can perform a wide variety of surgical and non-surgical procedures in our operating room. A great example of a minimally invasive procedure that we do in our suite is EmbraceRF, composed of FaceTite, AccuTite and Morpheus 8. One of our facial plastic surgeons performs one or any combination of these procedures in the suite. We are the only private practice in Houston that not only has a facial plastic surgeon perform the procedure, but also goes this extra step for the comfort and safety of patients. It allows us to provide the patients with additional monitoring and to have local anesthesia if desired. At FPSA, we can also perform facelift and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) under local anesthesia if patients prefer in our suite. We do not do general anesthesia at FPSA, but many patients prefer local or “twilight” anesthesia because the recovery time is faster.
“We’re pleased and proud to have achieved accreditation year after year,” says Dr. Russell Kridel. “We feel that our patients are the ultimate benefactors from our participation in the accreditation program and that it is important that they know how passionate we feel about delivering the highest quality of care.”
In order to achieve accreditation, we underwent an extensive voluntary on-site survey of our facilities, services and operating room. All aspects of patient care were evaluated by the physician site inspector. The survey findings resulted in a favorable decision for accreditation.
Not all ambulatory health care organizations, and very few doctors’ offices and operating rooms seek accreditation, and not all who undergo an on-site survey receive favorable decisions. Office accreditation is voluntary in Texas, but we want to assure our patients the best in care and standards. In a letter for Facial Plastic Surgery Associates, the AAHC President wrote, “the dedication and effort necessary to achieve accreditation is substantial. Facial Plastic Surgery Associates is to be commended for this accomplishment.”
We are so proud to have continued to receive the maximum accreditation from such a reputable organization. AAAHC is a private non-governmental, not-for-profit organization. It receives professional guidance and financial support from organizations such as the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, American Academy of Dermatology, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association to name just a few.
Accreditation demands a high level of commitment and effort. It challenges us always to find better way to serve our patients. It reminds us constantly that our first and most important responsibility is to see that patients receive the best care possible. And that we place patient safety first in all our in-office operating room procedures.
