October 31, 2023 |
Photo – North Platte Valley Medical Center – Bigfoot99 file photo
The North Platte Valley Medical Center has taken a step closer to achieving the status of becoming a critical access hospital by receiving a quality-based accreditation.
Earlier this month, North Platte Valley Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Jeff Mincy announced that the facility had received accreditation from DNV, an internationally recognized accreditor from Norway. DNV stands for Det Norske Veritas, or The Norwegian Truth.
Mincy said the DNV certification is necessary for the North Platte Valley Medical Center to receive payment from the federal government for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries.
Mincy said the Medicare accreditation is required to apply for Medicaid certification in the future.
The hospital CEO said his facility could have been accredited through one of two private organizations. Mincy said the two companies provide “deemed status” certification that demonstrates that an organization exceeds expectations for a particular area of expertise.
Mincy said most hospitals choose to go through The Joint Commission. Mincy said he chose DNV because of their two decades of experience and collaborative methods.
An ISO 9001 certification indicates a medical facility consistently provides quality services and meets regulatory requirements.
Mincy said he wanted to show that the North Platte Valley Medical Center isn’t simply checking the boxes to get paid by Medicare, but is in active pursuit of quality care. Mincy said hospital staff felt that DNV was working to ensure the medical center met that standard.
Mincy said he appreciates how DNV works with the hospital to correct problems found during inspections. Mincy said the accreditation company is helping the North Platte Valley Medical Center break new ground as the first critical access hospital in Carbon County.
A critical access hospital is a small facility that caters to people in rural areas.
Mincy said with the DNV accreditation in hand, the hospital can now apply for a Medicare identification number. Mincy said Medicare certification will allow the hospital to begin to receive months of back pay from the federal government and insurance providers.
Mincy said the hospital has over $2.5 million in unpaid Medicare claims.
Mincy said the North Platte Valley Medical Center was designed from the start to be a critical access hospital. Mincy said the current DNV accreditation is for a traditional hospital. He said DNV will return in three to four months and reevaluate the facility for critical access compliance.
Mincy said the current accreditation will provide the hospital with a stream of revenue from Medicare.
The hospital CEO said obtaining critical access hospital status will allow the facility to receive higher payments from the federal government.
Mincy said he is confident that the North Platte Valley Medical Center will receive critical access status after the next DNV inspection in three or four months.
