July 2007

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) recently received a perfect score and three-year re-accreditation from the Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ). This is the third consecutive full three-year accreditation for PAMF, IMQ's highest award.

"It's very rare not to have even one minor corrective action cited by the surveyors," said Tomas Moran, senior director of quality and planning. "This achievement is really a credit to every PAMF employee and physician. It reflects their dedication to quality and excellence.

"Both surveyors went out of their way to praise our organization, not only for the fact that we met all the requirements, but for what they perceived as a culture of quality and pride that is woven into everything we do."

Among many things, the surveyors cited PAMF's Community Health Resource Center at the Palo Alto campus and the Safety Notification and Follow-Up (SNAFU) Committee, which investigates and responds quickly to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug safety warnings, medical product recalls and other patient safety incidents that may require notifying patients or health care providers, as model programs and services every medical clinic should emulate.

At PAMF's Redwood City Center, the surveyors noted the enforcement of a quiet zone denoted with yellow tape on the floor. When employees are in this zone, they are not to be disturbed as they check and deliver the appropriate medications to patients.

"This survey was really a validation of PAMF's commitment to doing the absolute best for our patients and maintaining a nurturing and supporting work environment for all our employees," said Moran. "We truly have a culture that allows our employees to be innovative and develop best practices in patient care."

IMQ is a not-for-profit organization recognized by the state of California to ensure that outpatient surgery centers, medical groups and other organizations meet certain quality standards. The three-year accreditation was awarded after a two-day survey conducted at PAMF in April by outside physicians.