Stony Brook University Student Health Services While we continue to add new services for students, we aren’t resting on the status quo: The department recently received accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Services (AAAHS) after a rigorous and thorough review of our facilities and services.
“[This is] “This is not required, but we are doing this to raise standards,” said Marisa Visciani, vice chancellor for health, wellness and preventive services in Student Affairs.
Visciani explained that the rigorous accreditation system looks at a variety of things, including quality standards and student satisfaction, and looks at the services provided to students. “They look at every aspect of our operations from a medical standpoint, our policies, how we practice, how well we practice,” she said. “They also look at our environment of care — are the environments safe and clean? Everything.”
While Visciani was integral to the accreditation, she explained that the driving force behind the investigation was Karen Divas, interim director of patient services and operations for Student Health Services. Every three years, AAAHS sends out updated operational standards that must be met to receive accreditation, and the committee begins compiling all of the information. However, Divas said that while accreditation renewal only happens every three years, Student Health Services needs to follow all of the protocols and have those documents in place before working toward reaccreditation.
“We need to be proactive on a regular basis to make sure we’re doing everything we need to do in a timely manner,” Divas said, which includes conducting at least one training session per quarter, two of which are CPR training.
According to AAAHS, accreditation ensures an ongoing dedication to quality patient care, something both Visciani and Divas feel is important to the Stony Brook University community. “Accreditation means for students and their parents or legal guardians that there is a place on campus where they can get access to really high-quality care that is accessible to them,” Divas said.
But Divas noted that this isn’t just about accreditation: Regular inspections of Student Health Services’ processes can help staff spot potential gaps, issues or outdated procedures.
“If we find areas where we can improve, whether that be from a clinical standpoint or a business standpoint, we can investigate, measure and provide a formal report and recommendations,” Divas said, explaining that once the recommendations are implemented, they continually commission new studies to ensure the department is achieving the level of results it aspires to.
“It’s all about process improvement, continuous improvement. We’re always striving to improve,” Bisciani said. “Our students deserve quality care. They deserve the kind of care they or anyone would want to receive. That’s our responsibility, that’s our mission.”
In addition to a range of services for both mental and physical health, Student Health Services focuses on:
- Outside Prescriptions: Student Health Services will fill prescriptions from doctors without students having to leave campus.
- Testing: Students who need blood work done can schedule a test through Student Health Services on campus, without having to find a third-party lab.
- Telehealth: Outside of regular business hours, Student Health Services is offering telehealth appointments. Timely Care This is to ensure students receive immediate care.