NDC - Joined By The Challenge
Issue 06/FY10 me+SH Magazine
United we stand, and in the case of the National Dental Centre (NDC), it meant a Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation after months of hard work by its committee and staff.
The successful attemot at JCI accreditation was affirmation that the centre is operating at a high level of safety for its patients. NDC is also the first dental centre in Asia to achieve the mark in January 2010. Preparing for the survey took close to two years and every process relating to patient care was scrutinised. It was clear that all staff took personal ownership on the quality of their work, a vital factor during the demanding preparations that included extensive staff communications and training.
The result - an excellent 98.9% of the measureable elements met! On the sterling results, Dr Ken Tan, Chairman of the Accreditation Steering Committee remarked, "Setting the goal, strategy and assembling a good tean was key to the whole exercise." He added, "Senior management and clinical board were extremely supportive and this greatly facilitated the process. Credit for our success really belongs to every one of our staff for their efforts."
It's not a common sight - to see someone who is usually cool and composed moved to tears. But there were tears of pride in the eyes of the centre director, Dr Kwa Chong Teck, when the survey team delivered the good news on the final day - tears of pride in the centre's staff. Accolades aside, the accreditation has left real, positive changes to care delivery in NDCS. The motto, "Patients. At the Hearts of All We Do" has gained new relevance and emphasis in daily work. Interaction opportunities from the many communications and training platforms inadvertently strengthened bonds and promoted understanding amongst staff.
The post - JCI NDCS is more resilient and confident when facing challenges, an x-factor that will be critical in its next big project to move onto Electronic Dental Records.
Congratulations to NDC!
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