Optim Medical Center-Tattnall Recertified to ISO 9001 Quality Management System by DNV
On March 19 Optim Medical Center-Tattnall was awarded by DNV full certification to the ISO 9001 Quality Management System. The hospital was first certified to ISO 9001 in 2019.
' Optim Medical Center- Tattnall’s mission is to provide the safest and most effective healthcare services possible,' says Lora Duncan, System Chief Nursing and Clinical Operations Officer. 'Achieving recertification to ISO 9001 reaffirms that commitment. The process is rigorous and earning it again reflects the dedication of our entire team to continuous improvement in everything we do.'
DNV certification stands for Det Norske Veritas. Translated from Norwegian, it means 'Norwegian Truth' or 'Norwegian Guarantee'. Founded in 1864, it is an international, independent, and accredited organization that sets standards for quality, safety, and performance, particularly for maritime, offshore, energy, and industrial sectors. ISO 9001 is the most widely accepted quality management system in use around the world and is quickly gaining acceptance among US healthcare providers as a foundation for their quality and patient safety programs. ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized standard for quality management systems. It was not created specifically for healthcare — it originated in manufacturing and business operations. The core idea is straightforward: document what you do, do what you document, measure whether it's working, and fix what isn't. Repeat continuously. When a hospital integrates ISO 9001 into its accreditation (as DNV requires), it means the hospital has adopted that same discipline of continuous, documented, measurable improve ment — but applied to patient care, safety protocols, staffing processes, and operations.
'Optim Medical Center- Tattnall has worked hard to achieve this certification, and they have done so with unwavering commitment from their top leadership to make their hospital the best it can be,' says Kelly Proctor, President of DNV Healthcare USA Inc. 'ISO 9001 certification isn't just an award or trophy for something you've done, it's public evidence that you are at the top of your game with an obvious plan in place to make excellence an everyday objective.'
ISO 9001 brings science to the art of caregiving; it helps to standardize processes around things that are proven to work, by the people doing the work, thus empowering frontline workers while creating an environment of predictability for the entire organization. The ultimate impact of ISO 9001 within hospitals is the reduction or elimination of variation, so that critical work processes are done consistently and the 'best ideas' aren't held by one person or one department but are ingrained in the organization itself.
Businesses that implement ISO 9001 do so for both the internal and external benefits. Internally it helps staff create clear and consistent processes of patient care and ensure that progress is constantly being made toward specific quality objectives. Externally, it tells the public, as well as insurers and regulatory agencies, that the hospital is not only talking about quality, but is pursuing it with discipline and transparency. 'ISO 9001 recertification is a milestone we don't take lightly,' says Ms. Duncan. 'It means our team shows up every day committed to the same standard of excellence and that consistency is what our patients and community deserve.'
