At the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), we believe it’s important to never stop learning or improving. That’s why we connect with partners across the nation to learn from each other and share promising practices. It’s our way of staying proactive and collaborative as we continue to promote health and wellness for all Arizonans.
Through a recent partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, we are working toward increased transparency, accountability, and quality improvement. Virginia Health Department officials agreed to conduct surveys of health care facilities in Arizona, and vice versa, with the goal of providing an independent review of our compliance with regulations set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
In February, the Virginia Department of Health surveyed the Arizona State Hospital (ASH). In return, the ADHS Licensing Division surveyed two ambulatory surgical centers in Virginia on their behalf in May. Each health department pays their own travel costs and they provide the peer surveys at no cost. The facilities were unaware of this arrangement, and were not informed of the date of the survey.
The Virginia Department of Health’s survey team toured ASH and performed the following as part of a standard CMS compliance survey:
- Reviewed ASH documents (including policies, procedures, plans, and protocols)
- Interviewed ASH employees
- Reviewed patient medical records
- Reviewed personnel records, including training and credentialing records of medical staff members
The team from Virginia also performed an in-depth review of:
- Patient complaints and grievances
- Events leading to patient seclusion or restraint
- Reporting of adverse events
- Medication administration records
- Patient rights
The surveyors recommended two minor improvements to enhance patient safety and experience, which have already been implemented by the Hospital.
Coordinating with the State of Virginia provided a valuable, independent assessment of ASH operations and further validated the findings of previous surveys conducted by The Joint Commission, the Arizona Department of Occupational Health and Safety (ADOSH), and the ADHS Bureau of Medical Facilities Licensing. The inspection report verified ADHS’ Licensing Division’s findings during its past surveys of ASH. The Virginia Department of Health team found that ASH far exceeded CMS standards.
We are grateful for the opportunity to have ADHS’ performance as a regulatory body be assessed and calibrated by an outside entity, but more than that, we’re proud that the state of Arizona continues to provide a well-run, safe environment for patients in need of intensive psychiatric care. Our team also enjoyed having the opportunity to visit Virginia to provide our support and insights by surveying two ambulatory surgical surgical centers on behalf of their team.
To better reflect our commitment to transparency, ADHS recently added new information to the ASH public dashboard. The dashboard now includes demographic data for those individuals who have received treatment in the ASH Civil or Forensic Hospitals during the current State Fiscal Year, including: age, gender, race/ethnicity, primary language, county of origin, and length of stay. This information will be updated daily. We hope it provides additional insight to stakeholders interested in operations at ASH and the role it serves in the state’s system of care. These updates are just a few of the many ways ASH continually works to ensure quality patient care and public transparency for Arizonans.
The public can view the Virginia Department of Health’s peer evaluation on AZ Care Check.
