DCH Receives Prestigious Accreditation With ACHC

Decatur County Hospital recently received notification that its Sleep Lab has been accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). ACHC is a not-for-profit organization that has stood as a symbol of quality and excellence since 1986. ACHC is ISO 9001:2008 certified and has CMS Deeming Authority for Home Health, Hospice and DMEPOS.

Due to new regulations for Medicare and Medicaid recipients, all facilities performing sleep studies must be accredited.  Therefore, if you are a Medicare or Medicaid patient, your sleep study will only be covered if completed in a hospital that has an accredited sleep lab, such as Decatur County Hospital.

An onsite inspection took place on February 10, and showed that DCH complies with all ACHC standards. Due to the positive results, accreditation was granted for three years.

“With a sleep study, we can diagnose sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, insomnia, sleepwalking and other severe medical conditions,” said Andi Masters, RN, BSN, DCH’s Chief of Outpatient Services.

A sleep study is conducted by attaching monitors to a patient while they sleep. These monitors take a record of vital signs and movements made during the patient’s overnight stay in the hospital. Once the sleep study is complete, the data is analyzed, present conditions are diagnosed, and a treatment plan is created.

“If you suffer from headaches in the morning, snoring, frequent drowsiness or insomnia, you should talk to your doctor about the possible need for a sleep study. Your physician will be able to refer you to Decatur County Hospital so your study can be done locally,” said Masters.

To receive ACHC accreditation, DCH staff worked with the accreditation team to tour the sleep lab, interview staff and patients, review policies and procedures, and evaluate future performance improvement activities. They also observed a sleep study procedure in real time.

“This accreditation shows our patients and community members that DCH has a continued commitment to provide the most high-quality and specialized services close to home,” said Michael Johnston, DCH Chief Operating Officer.

For more information about DCH’s Sleep Lab, call 641-446-2323.

Pictured: Phil Heid, a Registered Sleep Technician with Practical Sleep Services, sets up for a sleep study in one of DCH’s patient rooms.