While celebrating its 76th anniversary this month, the St Joseph Mercy Hospital on Tuesday revealed that the hospital has achieved standardisation by way of an ISO 9001:2015 certification.
This marks an astounding accomplishment for the medical institution as it continues to improve its services to serve the population.
This certification was acquired through Global Compliance Service Guyana Inc., a Guyanese-owned-and- operated business, the only accredited ISO certification body with a resident office in Guyana. It comprises Guyanese professionals who are qualified ISO Management Systems Trainers and Auditors.
CEO of GCS, Candelle Bostwick, congratulated the hospital on its certification while stating what it entails for customers.
Members of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Board and Quality Management Team
“The ISO 9001 standard is one that is based on providing accurate, reliable and consistent quality of service to the customers, and in this case, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital – their scope includes the delivery of patient care services. And that says it’s all of the service provided by this health care institution, and also the Mercy Resident Care Centre”, Bostwick explained.
She added, “What the certification means to St Joseph Mercy Hospital and its Mercy Resident Care Service is that customers can now expect or continue to expect improved quality in delivery of their services, and they have a system to ensure that the customers’ requirements are met.”
The CEO of GCS went on to highlight that with the advancement of Guyana’s oil & gas sector in full swing, and international investors swarming the country’s shores, the level of health care services those investors are accustomed to and can rely on will be expected.
CEO of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Enock Gaskin, stated that the hospital is committed to the standardisation and documentation of what they do, therefore being able to acquire certification amid a global pandemic.
“As the country grapples with the effects of the pandemic, the significance of today’s occasion takes on new meaning. Our processes and procedures had to be strengthened to accommodate the COVID-19 disease reality, a circumstance that is not the norm. I dare say we are here because we were able to satisfactorily surmount that hurdle.”
Meanwhile, Carlton Joao, Chairman of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, revelled in the fact that the hospital would have received standardisation, and made note of the fact that a cultural change was necessary in acquiring such.
“Deep in this was 76 years of culture. It’s very difficult to change after you’ve been doing things for a very long time, and I want to first of all acknowledge the efforts made by everyone in this hospital, every member of staff who’ve had to change their thought process, their way of thinking.”
76 years ago, in September 1945, St Joseph Mercy Hospital opened its doors to patient care along with a school of nursing. What began mainly as a maternity hospital and a small surgical unit has since expanded over the past seven decades to include pediatrics, orthopedics, neurosurgery, gastroenterology laparoscopic surgery, cosmetic surgery, industrial medicine, audiometry tests, hemodialysis, cardiology services and linkages to international insurances through MOUs, supporting oil and gas medical needs.
The St. Joseph Mercy Hospital has invested heavily to meet the demands of the industry by pursuing ISO9001:2015 certification among other initiatives. The hospital continues to develop its range of products and services to meet the continued needs of patients accessing quality care at the institution.
Additionally, their Quality Department continues to pursue their policy: “to consistently meet and exceed the expectations of our customers. Ensuring that all staff are informed and trained on the Quality Management System is our highest priority, so that it can be implemented.”
Companies certified to the ISO 9001:2015 standard are said to have established a Quality Management System which provides a framework for the delivery of consistent quality products and services, as defined within its scope of certification.
ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for a Quality Management System (QMS) that was developed and published by the ISO.
This certification provides a model for companies of all types and sizes to improve internal systems, build quality management systems, and operate effectively at different levels, including the ability to focus on customer requirements and constantly find ways to become resilient and sustainable.
The Balwant Singh Hospital in 2019 became the first health institution to be ISO-certified.
In addition to their certification, the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital boasts 100% COVID-19 vaccination among staff members.
This was said to be achieved by way of educating the staffers from the initial stages of the pandemic and vaccination drives.
