Madigan Army Medical Center's Clinical Engineering Branch recently became the first in its field throughout the Department of Defense to earn the International Organization for Standardization's 9001 Quality Management Systems Certification.
The branch, which falls under the Logistics Division's Equipment Management Branch, embarked upon an almost year-long journey in September 2014 to achieve the exacting standard of quality management that the ISO-9001 certification demands, reworking all of their local clinical engineering standards to include how they are developed, investigated and processed. The International Organization for Standardization is the world's largest developer of voluntary international standards to ensure quality, safety and efficiency, according to the ISO website.
"The (Clinical Engineering Branch) is now more responsive, efficient, and produces higher quality and safer maintenance outcomes for the departments and clinics of Madigan and in turn our patients. They have embraced the concepts of a High Reliability Organization and this coveted certification displays that for all to see," said Lt. Col. Douglas Galuszka, the Madigan Logistics Division chief.
The ISO:9001 certification is not specific to logistics; instead, it is a quality management standard which can apply to any system, said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Linne, the chief of the Equipment Management Branch. In the Clinical Engineering Branch, the ISO certification helps them ensure that what they do every day is done better: maintaining the equipment used for the treatment and diagnosis of patients, to include repairs, preventive maintenance, safety inspections, and calibration.
The certification "demonstrates a high level of patient care," said Linne. "If we don't do our jobs right, the provider may not be able to diagnose high blood pressure. If the x-ray's not calibrated properly, it could lead to additional x-ray procedures, which is more radiation absorbed by the patient."
To better ensure consistently high quality work, the Clinical Engineering Branch developed standard operating procedures, computer databases, and a training program for staff to ensure their familiarization with the new systems. They document all of their processes and plans for improvement, conduct evaluations and root cause analysis when mistakes are made, and conduct monthly management meetings focused on ISO standards -- all with a focus on continuous improvement and leadership development. To date, 80 percent of the bio-medical technicians in the branch have earned individual ISO certifications.
Following the ISO standard helps to improve consistency within the branch because they have defined processes, said Linne.
He said that some of the staff members who contributed heavily to earning the ISO certification include Chief Warrant Officer 2 Richard Forrest, Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Vise, Sgt. Keith Tanzie, Spc. Tony Jensen, Hank Johnson and Misty McFarlane.
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