AAAHC Press Release

MilfordMD Earns Three-Year Quality of Care Accreditation from AAAHC

Milford, PA – Thursday, May 19, 2016

Pocono Medical Care’s MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center in Milford, Penn., just got word that it was awarded a three-year term of accreditation from a premier and respected third-party accrediting organization, the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).

To patients, this means MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center adheres to high quality of care and safety standards.

Cosmetic surgeon and MilfordMD Medical Director, Dr. Richard Buckley, says this nod from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) regarding the safety and quality of the MilfordMD cosmetic practice is a big deal—especially in an age when preventable medical errors are in the news.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a study in its May 3 edition that suggests medical errors make up the third leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease and cancer. “We avoid medical errors as doctors, nurses and other staff by taking the right safety precautions. One important precaution in cosmetic surgery, where many procedures are done in outpatient facilities or in physicians’ offices, is to be accredited by a quality third-party organization. AAAHC is the oldest credible accrediting agency in our field,” Dr. Buckley says.

“We avoid medical errors as doctors, nurses and other staff by taking the right safety precautions. One important precaution in cosmetic surgery is to be accredited by AAAHC, the oldest most credible accrediting organization in our field.”

AAAHC is a private, non-pro t organization that has been helping ambulatory healthcare organizations to improve quality of patient care since 1979. AAAHC holds these outpatient centers, including physician office operating rooms, to high quality standards, measures performance and reviews facilities for quality. “AAAHC accreditation means that the 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,” according to AAAHC.

Patients are often surprised by the scope of standards that AAAHC looks for, according to Dr. Buckley. It’s not only whether a facility is safe and clean, but also how the doctor and staff treat their patients. Are patients treated with respect and dignity? Are they educated about their rights, treatment, options in emergency care, fees and more? AAAHC standards that accredited practices must uphold also include governance, which
includes such things as the process for identifying, analyzing, reporting and preparing an action plan for adverse incidents. How does the practice con rm staff and other associated provider qualifications? And do the practice’s providers provide care based on their training, experience and licensing?

“That’s a big issue in cosmetic medicine,” Dr. Buckley says. “Some spas, for example, might have people who aren’t qualified in performing cosmetic procedures. Even if those procedures are noninvasive, it doesn’t mean that bad things can’t happen. Patients should seek out providers who are qualified to do specific cosmetic treatments, based on the provider’s training, experience and licensing.”

AAAHC also looks at whether a practice maintains appropriate and secure patient health information and conducts patient satisfaction surveys, as well as if the practice is continuously trying to improve its care with quality reviews and more. “Of course, there is a great deal of scrutiny on a practice’s infection control practices and whether providers and their staffs adhere to strict safety guidelines,” Dr. Buckley says. There’s much more involved in earning this accreditation, Dr. Buckley says. That includes such things as physician supervision of anesthesia. MilfordMD takes patient safety to a new level by avoiding general anesthesia and using local tumescent anesthesia.

About MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center:

The MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center offers state-of-the-art highly specialized procedures in laser and cosmetic surgery including fractional laser resurfacing and aesthetic skin care. Milford Pennsylvania’s MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center is sought out by patients from around the world for expertise and innovation in cosmetic treatments.

All procedures are performed by Richard E. Buckley, MD and Marina Buckley, MD. In addition to its extensive laser surgery capabilities, MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center offers physician designed skin care products for home use.