HOLLAND – Dec. 5, 2011 - Holland Hospital and its community locations in Holland, Zeeland, and Saugatuck have received ISO 9001:2008 certification, following an intensive, two-year quality initiative. Holland Hospital joins only a few other hospitals in Michigan that have met the stringent International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guidelines.
“ISO 9001:2008 is a proven Quality Management System (QMS) that outlines business practices for achieving and improving quality. It is used throughout the world in all types of industries,” explains Rob Schwartz, Holland Hospital Director of Quality. “Many of the ISO 9001:2008 principles were already in place at Holland Hospital. But by implementing a formal QMS that conforms to ISO 9001:2008 standards, Holland Hospital can achieve better efficiencies, improved internal communication and increase patient satisfaction.”
Schwartz says the common thread among all ISO 9001:2008 certified hospitals is the commitment to systematically improve quality. The benefits of going through the certification process include enhancing the hospital’s ability to proactively prevent problems, better define patient and provider needs and expectations, and increase overall patient satisfaction.
The ISO, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is the world's largest developer and publisher of international standards with branch organizations in 163 countries. Holland Hospital received ISO 9001:2008 certification from DNV Healthcare, an international firm that specializes in quality review of health care organizations.
Holland Hospital serves the health care needs of the greater Holland area and surrounding communities throughout Ottawa and Allegan counties. The Hospital has received national recognition as a top-performing hospital, and has been listed for six consecutive years as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters.
For more information about Holland Hospital’s quality initiatives, please visit the Quality page on the hospital’s web site: hollandhospital.org
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Holland Hospital . . . nationally recognized for quality patient care.