The Thielen Student Health Center has been accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, making it part of the only outpatient facility in Ames to hold the distinction.

“Commitment to quality is very important in health care,” said James Nelson, director of the center.

Thielen was accredited in July for the second time by the association, which accredits more than 1,800 walk-in medical facilities. Before July 2001, the center did not have the association’s stamp of approval.

Nelson said he made a commitment to becoming accredited when he was hired five years ago.

“We felt it extremely important to become, and continue to be, accredited,” Nelson said.

The maximum length of time for accreditation is three years, said Penni McKinley, quality improvement coordinator for the health center. It is more difficult to become accredited after the initial inspections, she said, because after the first accreditation process, the accreditation association will make recommendations of changes to be made and expects them to be changed for re-accreditation.

Walk-in clinics apply for accreditation voluntarily in order to measure the quality of their services and performance against national standards, according to the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Web site. The process is twofold: Self-assessment by the clinic and a review by peers.

“These expert surveyors stay at the facility for two full days conducting a review,” McKinley said.

The areas looked at during the assessment and review are:

* patients’ rights,

* quality of care,

* quality of management and improvement,

* clinical records,

* surgical and related services,

* anesthesia services,

* environmental safety,

* governance,

* administration and

* professional development.

McKinley said the accreditation association was so impressed with the health center that it asked her to join its staff.

“I will be conducting an informational class to my peers,” McKinley said.

McKinley took about 60 to 70 percent of her time last year in preparation for the assessment and review leading up to the accreditation, she said.

“Every employee worked hard to make this happen,” McKinley said. “The Thielen Student Health Center always has an interest in quality and improvement. We are constantly looking for ways that we can do better. We are not satisfied on things being fixed once, that is why we run checks on areas that have been improved on.”