Katahdin Valley Health Center
achieves AAAHC accreditation
PATTEN — Katahdin Valley Health Center has achieved accreditation for each of its five centers from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC).
Contributed photo
ACCREDITED — Durward Humphrey, CEO of Katahdin Valley Health Center, and Debra Wilkins, clinical coordinator, proudly display the health center’s official AAAHC Accreditation certificate.
Accreditation distinguishes federally qualified health centers from many other outpatient facilities by providing the highest quality of care to its patients as determined by an independent, external process of evaluation.
Debra Wilkins, Clinical Coordinator, stated, “Accreditation was a natural progression from our Patient Centered Medical Home recognition. Accreditation challenged us to find better ways to serve our patients and achieve positive outcomes for those patients.”
Status as an accredited organization means Katahdin Valley Health Center has met nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care set by AAAHC. More than 5,000 ambulatory health care organizations across the United States are accredited by AAAHC.
Not all ambulatory health care organizations seek accreditation, not all that undergo the rigorous on-site survey process are granted accreditation. Durward Humphrey, CEO stated “Thanks to Deb Wilkins’ leadership and dedication to this achievement Katahdin Valley Health Center shares this distinction with 182 other Federally Qualified Health Centers nationwide and is first health center in Maine to earn this recognition through AAAHC.
“AAAHC Accreditation confirms that as an organization we care enough about our patients to strive for the highest level of patient care,” Humphrey continued. “Going through the process confirmed that our care is exceptional. In the ever changing world of medicine, it is our responsibility to strive to continuously improve the quality of care we provide and meet the needs of our patients.”
Katahdin Valley Health Centers have provided quality services to the Katahdin Region since 1974, beginning with Patten. Since the opening of the Patten site, Katahdin Valley Health Center expanded to include a center in Island Falls in 1997, Millinocket and Houlton in 2005 and most recently Ashland in February 2014.
