New Mexico State University has the only accredited college health center in the state of New Mexico. The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care recently renewed national re-accreditation for NMSU's Campus Health Center. NMSU joins more than 1,200 college health centers across the country seeking national health care accreditation.
"We believe our students, faculty and staff deserve the best," said Lori McKee, executive director of Health and Wellness. "When you see our certificate of accreditation, it means we as an organization care enough about our patients to strive for the highest level of care possible."
The AAAHC is a private, nonprofit organization, which accredits more than 5,000 organizations including student and community health centers, surgery centers and managed care operations.
"National health care accreditation is a benchmark for quality within the college health and ambulatory care networks," said Benjamin Diven, the center's medical director.
Experienced health care professionals visited NMSU's Campus Health Center in January this year and measured its services against nationally recognized standards of care. The re-accreditation of NMSU's center means it continues to meet the high standards demanded by the AAAHC, demonstrating a strong commitment to maintaining patient safety and patient privacy as well as remaining in compliance with all federal, state and local laws.
"This accreditation is a true reflection of the qualified staff at the Campus Health Center and our commitment to constantly improve the services for students and staff of NMSU," McKee said.
NMSU's Campus Health Center has maintained its accreditation through the AAAHC since 1996. Prior to that, the health center was accredited through the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, dating back to 1988. The current accreditation will be revisited in 2016.
"Preparedness for accreditation is not a once every three year event," said McKee. "It is an on-going standard that we work at everyday."