Ambulatory Health Care Surveyor Spotlight

As an employee of a Joint Commission-accredited organization, I took an active role in several Joint Commission surveys. I have worked in a few outpatient centers as a team lead before I was offered a director position in a GI center. My leadership roles and experience as a nurse and nursing educator have contributed to my desire to teach. At heart, I am an educator and I appreciate that as a Joint Commission surveyor, I can help facilities across the country improve patient care and collaboration. Being a surveyor doesn’t feel like work — it feels more like a gift.

It’s always fun to go into high-performing organizations — those with good leadership and a cohesive team — and help them identify something that can be improved. I love taking such organizations to an even higher level.

I remember that once during a survey of a high-performing GI ASC, I pointed out the manufacturer’s instructions for use for drying an endoscope, which this organization were following. The team understood the finding and we had a very good discussion on the topic. This verbiage was brought up to the manufacturer, and the response was that they would be revising the manufacturer’s instructions for drying endoscopes.

I love how collaborative the cadre of surveyors are with each other. Even when you’re performing a survey by yourself, you are never alone — a Joint Commission resource is just a phone call, email, or text away.

I also enjoy seeing that “aha!” moment that happens when people have learned something new and important, and physicians, facility directors, and staff who say that they have never seen the issue in that way before.

Plus, I really like that not only do I learn new things from the experienced people in the organization, but that I have the opportunity to share best practices from one organization with people working at other organizations.

Working as a Joint Commission surveyor allows me to travel throughout the country and experience places in a way that I might not otherwise do. When in a new city, I always try to find a fun or entertaining local venue to visit. In just 1-1/2 years, I have travelled to 20 states, and I always discover something interesting. I have certainly taken advantage of the amazing opportunity my job offers to see more of the U.S.! And I make it a point to ask the people in the organizations I am surveying for their suggestions on places to visit in the area.

In a nutshell ... our collaborative nature is the single characteristic that distinguishes us from our competitors. Our transparent, collaborative, educational approach means we work together within the organization to achieve high reliability in patient care, not just during the survey but ongoing as a resource to our partners.

We perform surveys in the manner in which we would want to be surveyed ourselves. We respect the survey participants for their knowledge as they respect us for ours. We make sure to acknowledge the contributions and hard work provided by all the staff members at the organization.

The Joint Commission survey is also more detailed than other organizations’ surveys, which means that we help health care organizations reach a higher standard of care. That our surveys are more challenging is widely recognized in the industry, and this can lead to better patient and organizational outcomes.

First, read and familiarize yourself with the standards. You want to understand what the survey is looking for and be able to demonstrate how your organization is meeting the standards.

Next, make good use of relevant resources. Speak to other leaders about their Joint Commission surveys and their experiences. Consider trading places with another organization and conducting a mock survey of their facility while someone from that organization does one in yours.

Try to find a mentor to help with your preparation. For example, you might talk to an infection control specialist at a relevant association or local hospital.

Hiring and onboarding employees is expensive, and Joint Commission accreditation helps increase retention rates, which not only improves morale, but it also reduces costs. The Joint Commission is committed to assuring a culture of safety with our partners.

At one facility, I helped an administrator think outside the box by suggesting that two half-time positions be combined into one full-time job, which helped the organization retain a valued employee. The extra set of eyes the Joint Commission surveyors provide can only benefit facilities in not only identifying known and unknown risks but providing resources for support, best practices, and experiences other organizations have showcased.

As a Joint Commission surveyor, I have been able to help facilities reduce costs. In one case, I pointed out that when renewing a maintenance contract, the contractor should be made aware of the fact that several endoscopes failed early on, and that that should not increase their rates.