DNV Healthcare psychiatric hospital accreditation program

DNV Healthcare introduces a hospital accreditation program for stand-alone Psychiatric Hospitals, part of our dedication to helping hospitals improve quality, patient safety and healthcare delivery. DNV understands the important role Psychiatric Hospitals play in caring for the underserved and underinsured population. We are honored to provide behavioral healthcare facilities the same option provided to their hospital partners - a choice in their accreditation.

Psychiatric Hospital Accreditation Program Components

DNV’s philosophy is to assist Psychiatric Hospitals through compliance with the NIAHO^® Hospital Accreditation Program and Appendix B standards, encouraging a safe and therapeutic milieu which allows patients to be treated safely and effectively. Below are several components of our psychiatric hospital accreditation program. 

• Psychiatric Hospitals are accredited for a three year period, subject to annual survey to verify continuing compliance with NIAHO^® and Appendix B requirements. 
• All surveyors have a healthcare background and specialize in one of three areas: clinical care, physical environment, or quality management. 
• Our surveyors employ a variety of methods for assessment, including staff interviews, medical record review, organizational document review, building and offsite visits, as well as patient interviews and feedback. 
• During surveys, DNV wants to see the improvements that have been made as a result of the annual survey process. 
• After each survey there is a detailed report which is easy to follow and describes, with objective evidence, where your organization is not in compliance with the standard. This helps hospitals create a corrective action plan to improve their process and prevent that variance from occurring again. 

• Our NIAHO^® standards have incorporated ISO 9001 principles to minimize risk and hard wire great processes. The ISO 9001 perspective is the key to sustainable continued improvement efforts. 
• DNV conducts a survey every year instead of every three years. The annual survey model keeps hospitals moving forward on the path of continued improvement. Hospitals are no longer stuck in a cycle of addressing the same issue every three years. This collaborative approach is crucial in continuing to improve and be a quality improvement hospital. 
• DNV prides itself in the ability to relate to frontline staff and leadership, thus putting them at ease. Learning happens when staff are comfortable and not intimidated by the process. We focus on achieving this aspect at every survey.
• NIAHO^® and Appendix B standards are provided free of charge online. All standards updates are free of charge as well.
• DNV has a client drop box feature where questions regarding the standards can be asked directly to our specialists and surveyors. This process ensures a full and timely understanding of the standards.