Running a clinical institution can prove to be an elusive and challenging task for all the individuals mandated with it, as they have to ensure that there is a consistent harmony between the Ambulatory Surgery Center management and the patients who show up for cosmetic and other surgeries, for example, services to breast augmentation, facelifts, etc. This paper, therefore, seeks to throw light on the functions of the Non-clinical Department as to adhering to JACHO (Joint Commission) and OSHA rules to avoid the spreading of diseases and keeping the facility clean.
Following JACHO (Joint Commission) and OSHA rules in housekeeping is a vital necessity in the work of Non-clinic department managers. According to Empowerbpo (2010), JCAHO’s philosophy is to “set relevant standards in patient assessment and care patients’ rights, clinical ethics, organizational leadership, human resources management, and information management to achieve good outcomes” and “OSHA’s mission is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths. “JCAHO and OSHA complement each other. They do not mutually exclude each other.” (Cherian, 2011). The Non-clinical department’s major obligation is to follow strictly JACHO (Joint Commission) and OSHA rules in housekeeping to maintain due cleanness level of all the Ambulatory Surgery Center facilities. The housekeeping includes the necessity to develop proper use of all cleaning procedures at the medical center and control of changing all linens and scrubs in their due time. The other obligation of department managers is also to ensure that there are no outside clothes which can be the source of contamination in the operation rooms or other important facilities and all treatment rooms are kept sanitary. To maintain due to cleanness level, everyone in the Non-clinic team is specifically trained in the cleanup of biohazards, and disinfectants are used to reduce the survival of certain bacterial spores; contaminated or damaged equipment also requires proper disinfection and cleaning. Additionally, the Non-clinical department manager’s obligation is to control that all employees adhere to all policies and complete training and workshops required to have a continuous understanding of the changes in procedures. Certification of all the personnel is also a standard requirement in order to follow through with department policies. Surprise visits to check how strictly the JACHO (Joint Commission) and OSHA rules are adhered to can be made at any time. The Non-clinic department must hire only an accredited cleaning, and Linen service to adhere to strict contamination rules.
The Non-clinical Department is responsible for the day-to-day operations in providing services related to organizational operations such as maintenance, dietary, security, etc. Basically, the Non-clinical Department manager controls over all keys of all departments, prepares inventory for furniture and equipment, reports and checks all maintenance work, supervises of quality of maintenance and facility cleanness control. The Department manager goes out to the various sites at times to inspect the hospital facilities to make sure the staff is doing their services and that they are held accountable for their actions at all times. This includes central supply, building repairmen, and maintenance personnel (staff should be well fed, with meal times being specified and provided timely so that the work shifts are not interrupted). The important point for the manager is also to note that all employees are given adequate tools of the trade like gloves, syringes and bandages so that they are able to be productive. Additionally, the Non-clinical department manager should be cost conscious and ensure that there is no wastage of materials and financial assets. Additionally, the Non-clinical Department provides assistance to the patients in referring to such important establishments as Administrative Services, Informational Services/Computer Coding Billing, Therapeutic Services, Support Services and Counseling to patients. The Non-clinical Department also has to ensure that there is an effective communication channel within the organization (Varavikova et. al, 2009). It is responsible for public relations affairs, it also strives to maintain a good rapport with the public. Media briefings if needed are handled by this department and at the same time, customer complaints are handled by a special office set aside for the task of redressing aggrieved patients. The Department other important obligation is to have facilities for coping with emergencies, like stand-by generators in the unfortunate event of a power blackout, occasioned by natural disasters, terroristic acts or any other emergencies(Griffin, 2010). This is very important as the patients with complications who are on support systems have to be connected to machines with a power source at all times. Ultimately, the role of the Non-clinical Department is to ensure that the hospital staff is accorded a decent working platform and patients get value for their money.
After all things were concluded, it is necessary to sum up that it is not possible to deny the fact that clinical management in the Ambulatory Surgery Center is a very diverse activity that requires a lot of input both physically, emotionally and financially, if a health institution is to get the best out of members of staff and at the same time provide unprecedented quality services to patients.
References
Cherian, T ( 2011). Osha Manuals. Web.
Empowerbpo. (2010). JCAHO Compliance Training (Joint Commission). Web.
Griffin, D. (2010). Hospitals: What They Are and How they Work. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Varavikova, E., & Tulchinsky, T. H. (2009). The New Public Health. London : Academic Press.