by Stephanie Murdock
- What is the NAOHP program certification? In essence, it is a compliance measure of how well your program stacks up against industry standards. There are 6 main areas of focus:
- Administration and organization
- Operational framework
- Staffing resources
- Clinical services/Quality
- Service lines
- Sales and Marketing
2. Why did you decide to explore program certification?
Our goal was to become a recognizable franchise/single brand with consistent deliverables and a constant mode of operations. We have multiple locations, but each shares clients that need to count on the same level of service as well as the same outcomes. It is important to have standardized philosophies, practices, and clinical standards. Even if you don’t have multiple locations, variances can still occur amongst staff and providers within the same physical location. In addition to improved efficiency in operations, the process lays out metrics by which we can continually monitor our performance. We wanted to be able to achieve the certification to demonstrate to our clients that we take the business of occupational medicine and our responsibility to them and their workforce seriously.
3. How did you present this to the administration for approval?
Fortunately, I was the decision-maker, but as a steward of my system’s resources, it was important to present the value of standardization work required as part of this certification process. Creating pathways and then measuring those effects leads to delivering the same outcome at all points of service. By removing variability, the program and staff can become more efficient, reducing or avoiding unnecessary expenses.
The certification process gives you a roadmap to standardization.
4. What key staff were involved in the process? Teams were formed based on the section to be addressed; I assigned each section a lead. Then the teams performed a gap analysis; what did we have in place versus what we needed?
The teams were a mix of clinical and business office staff. They worked together to identify priorities. What I didn’t expect was the team building and the process enhanced. It also helped align the staff with the purposes and priorities of the department. It served to revitalize a renewed sense of customer service.
5. What is the effect of missed doses, rebound, or withdrawal?
We signed the original agreement in March of 2015, and because we used the process to really dig deep into operations and standardize all aspects of our practice, we worked on the project for a year and achieved full certification in May 2016. We were recertified in May 2019 and are now in the process of our second recertification due in May 2022. For programs that have all the components, the timeline is reasonably achieved in much less time than we used. The recertification process, which requires review and updates to existing policies and processes, was achieved in roughly 6 weeks.
6. What were the primary benefits or value realized throughout and after the certification process?
For us, we used it to dig into all aspects of operations, allowing us to identify areas to optimize performance and deliver consistency to our clients and patients across our framework. We increased our focus on metrics and quality measures, the results of which we used to communicate value to our clients, which separates us from our competitors. The process encouraged us to create a business playbook showing staff and clients what they can expect from us; and if we do deviate, we can more effectively identify why… ‘What does our policy say.’ As previously mentioned, the process sparked creativity and teamwork. Not to mention, the certification stamp resides proudly on all our marketing and communication materials. I strongly recommend this certification for all programs, regardless of program maturity or size. Yes, this certification itself is a great boost to sales and marketing efforts, but the benefits to operations and the strength of the program far exceeded any of my expectations. It is work we rely on every day.
