DNV GL Receives Deeming Authority to Accredit Psychiatric Hospitals

The Decision by CMS Will Provide More Options for Such Facilities

DNV GL Healthcare, the nation’s fastest-growing hospital accrediting organization, has expanded its operations to include certifying psychiatric inpatient facilities to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) granted deeming authority for psychiatric hospitals to DNV GL on July 30, 2020 for a 4-year approval period. 

In order to satisfy the requirements and expectations of CMS, the review process is quite extensive and rigorous. It involves review of each hospital’s policies and procedures; standards and relationship to the hospital’s Conditions of Participation; survey process activities; a corporate on-site review of survey reports and findings, accreditation decisions and actions.   

“Prior to this point, CMS had only approved one other accreditation organization for psychiatric hospitals.  With our new authority to accredit, this now provides the nation’s more than 600 psychiatric facilities with another option for accreditation. It’s one we feel can help them improve their operations and quality of care on an ongoing basis,” said Patrick Horine, CEO of DNV GL Healthcare.

Based on the ISO 9001 quality management system, DNV GL’s accreditation process for hospitals focuses on continuous quality improvement. DNV GL accreditation surveys also occur annually as opposed to every three years, keeping hospital management vigilant for ways to improve their operations. Moreover, the DNV GL approach toward corrective actions is open-ended rather than prescriptive, allowing hospitals to pursue a path toward accreditation that meshes with their own values and culture.

A recent report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to congress concluded that DNV GL’s surveys were significantly more likely to match CMS standards than any other accrediting organization in the nation.

Hundreds of hospitals across the United States have switched to DNV GL Healthcare over the past decade, making it the nation’s fastest-growing accrediting body. The organization accredits more than 600 hospitals nationwide.

“We want to identify innovative practices and approaches to address aspects that improve quality, efficiency and enhance patient care,” says Gary Davis, DNV GL - Business Assurance Regional Certification Manager for The Americas. “Our success is attributable to the unique approach we take with our hospital customers to use the quality management system to their advantage.”