Q: How does it feel to be an A+?

A:  Just ask San Carlos de Apoquindo Clinic.  With 97% compliance, the health facility is now recognized as one of the best public and private health facilities in South America.

 

San Carlos de Apoquindo Clinic receives Quality Certification

 The certification, awarded by the Superintendent of Health, acknowledges compliance with high quality standards in patient care.

 As an acknowledgement of the quality of care offered to patients and of the safety of its services, San Carlos de Apoquindo Clinic received recognition granting national accreditation from the Superintendent of Health.  The above picture documents what it means for the team as they celebrated this news.  Notice the smiles!

With 97 percentcompliance, this certification is comparable to those received by the best public and private health facilities.

Alex Valdez, San Carlos Clinic general manager, emphasized that “this certification makes us happy and proud, especially because it recognizes the great human and professional quality of our staff. Furthermore, it is a reflection of our commitment to our patients and their families, and of our vocation to always deliver attentive and caring health care, with the highest standards.”

Meanwhile, San Carlos de Apoquindo Clinic’s medical director, doctor Alonso Rioseco, said that “the certification is a big step for our Clinic. Achieving it with that level of compliance and excellence is the fruit of many years of teamwork and it’s a reward for us all, but at the same time it is a challenge, since we have to go on with this process of continuous improvement, for the well being and safety of our patients and their families”.

Those sentiments were echoed by Dr. Marcela Potin, head of the Clinic’s Quality and Welfare Unit.  She expressed “pride and admiration” for all the staff in San Carlos de Apoquindo. “The certification means that it has been understood that while the certification is an important aim, behind all of that is our core, which is our patients and their families. The challenge now is to keep everything we have done the same, or improving even more.”

National Certification

 The National Certification for Health Providers is a periodic evaluation process developed by the Superintendent of Health -the public health authority- in which institutions undergo an onsite evaluation and confirmation by the certifying agency.

The certification awarded certifies that the institution fulfills the highest levels of quality in every evaluated area, such as respect for the patient’s dignity and rights; process safety; clinic management and quality assurance; access to, timeliness and continuity of health care; and the professional qualifications of physicians, nurses, midwives, medical technologists, pharmaceutical chemists and advanced level technicians, as well as those of the rest of the staff.

This certification has a length of three years, during which period the institution may be audited without warning, with the purpose of ensuring the maintenance of quality.

“For this reason, we have to keep working with the same dedication and focus, so we can always maintain the best level of excellence in welfare and continue delivering the best health care for our patients, with the UC stamp that they already know and appreciate,” said  Valdez.