The UNT Student Health and Wellness Center received reaccreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) for another three years.

AAAHC accreditation means that an organization participates in on-going self evaluation, peer review and education to continuously improve its care and services. The organization also commits to a thorough, on-site survey by AAAHC surveyors, who are themselves health care professionals, at least every three years.

“Accreditation shows our commitment to providing the highest levels of quality care to our patients and the same level of conduct in our business practices,” said SHWC Executive Director Herschel Voorhees, DO. “Accreditation by the AAAHC is proof of this commitment and signifies that we have met the rigorous standards of a nationally recognized third party.”

Some of the things the SHWC did in order to receive reaccreditation included:

• Conducting studies of clinical operations to ensure high quality of care, identifying areas for improvement and implementing plans for improvement of those areas
• Updating policies and procedures to reflect changes in standards
• Improving communication with patients throughout the clinic and pharmacy, including text message capabilities
• Adding a new layer to the Peer Review process to connect it to quality management planning
• Participating in external benchmark surveys to better analyze processes
• Updating the pharmacy computer system to improve patient safety and increase efficiency when students purchase OTC products
• Verifying accessibility and inclusivity accommodations, including high contrast computer screens and updated verbiage on clinic forms
• Changing emergency exit signs and other signage throughout the clinic

Getting reaccredited also ensures the SHWC’s operations are in order and will comply with commercial insurance regulations once it starts accepting various insurance plans within the next year.

For more information on the Student Health and Wellness Center and its services, visit http://studentaffairs.unt.edu/student-health-and-wellness-center.

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Contact: Ray Willhoft, 940-565-2464, raymond.willhoft@unt.edu