The state-own hospital has gotten accreditation for three years and is the first in the region to be accredited by the German-Norwegian body.

Making the announcement in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, Health Minister Carvin Malone said DNVL accredits more than 635 hospitals in the United States, and 15 hospitals across Brazil, China, Iceland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Thailand.

While thanking Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr Ronald Georges and his team for their roles in the achievement, Minister Malone expressed the importance of the BVI reaching such a milestone.

He said: “It signifies that as a government, we have chosen to pursue a commitment to excellence in health care that will help us to build more confidence among our population, attract more patients, enhance and promote safe and high-quality care for the people of the BVI.”

“By achieving this distinction, the BVIHSA has demonstrated its ability and commitment to providing health care that has been evaluated against global standards,” Malone added.

7 noteworthy efforts

During the audit of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA), surveyors noted seven practices within the organisation that can be considered best practices across the DNV-GL network of accredited facilities.

These included having a unified in-patient prescription sheet, continuous learning and commitment across the organisation, investment in software to support integrated care pathways, and an excellent record keeping.

Malone said the BVIHSA was also acknowledged for having excellent reporting and analysis of quality indicators in the Dialysis Unit, no expired medicines or packs in the organisation, and a high level of cleanliness within the organisation.

Standards to be maintained through further assessments

To maintain the accreditation, the Health Minister said the BVIHSA will continue to undergo numerous assessments and inspections on an annual basis.

He said the BVIHSA already underwent a formal assessment of compliance for DNV-GL/NIOSH standards earlier this year. This was preceded by a self-assessment and readiness assessment.

“Year two will involve a follow-up DNV-GL assessment, and ISO (International Standards Organisation) 9001 Pre-assessment in February of 2021 to demonstrate continued progress and a review of the organization’s Quality Management System (QMS), specific to the ISO requirements,” the minister explained.

“Finally, in year three, an ISO 9001 certification audit is added to the process to certify the organisation’s quality management system,” he added.

The accreditation is valid from February 20, 2020, to February 20, 2023.