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MDG feels 'Excellent' after inspection
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Nine months ago, the 30th Medical Group started to prepare for scrutiny and their hard work paid off.
From July 21- 25, 12 members of the Air Force Inspection Agency, as well as three members from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, embedded themselves in the 30th MDG, grading them on everything from protocol to cleanliness.
Their conclusion? The Vandenberg clinic received an "Excellent" rating.
"Nine months ago we started preparing everything from paperwork, reviewing medical records and the way our clinic operated compared to AFIA and AAAHC standards," said Lt. Col. Mario Silva, 30th MDG chief of medical services. "Based on those instructions, we needed to make sure what was written was being done."
One tool the 30th MDG used was an Air Force self-inspection program called the Medical Facility Management and Billing System.
"MedFacs tracks everything those two inspection components are checking for," said Colonel Silva. "It identifies weaknesses within the 30th MDG and moves them from red to green."
The other tool was unadulterated elbow grease.
"We had about a 3-feet high and 50-feet long collection of boxes full of binders that have evidence stating that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing," said 1st Lt. Hiram Ortiz, 30th MDG group practice manager. "These inspections are like a puzzle and all the pieces have to fit."
On top of self-inspections and a cornucopia of binders, the members of the 30th MDG conducted a floor-to-ceiling clean up two weeks before the inspection.
"Two weeks before the inspections we [the members of the 30th MDG] scrubbed the building making sure that the building looked pristine, inside and out," said Colonel Silva.
It was this teamwork that earned the 30th MDG an excellent on the AFIA inspection.
"The key to our excellent rating is that we worked together as a team," said Colonel Silva. "Everybody was very enthusiastic and we knew a month before that we were at least at a satisfactory level it was just a matter of how high we could achieve."
On top of an "Excellent" rating by Air Force inspectors, the 30th MDG have high hopes for AAAHC, the civilian inspectors.
"Its very important that the Vandenberg clinic meet the qualifications on the civilian sector as well," said Colonel Silva. "We provide a lot of different supports and we want our patrons to know that we meet the standard and do it appropriately."
The results of the AAAHC inspection are not in yet, but the medical services chief is optimistic.
"I am very proud of everyone in the 30th MDG and as long as we keep customer service and the mission in mind, we will do well," Colonel Silva said.