Alverno Home Medical Equipment earns ACHC accreditation

OLYMPIA FIELDS, IL – January 6, 2011 | Alverno Home Medical Equipment is proud to announce that it has received accreditation from The Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). The ACHC is a national, non-profit organization that provides accreditation programs for various providers, including home health and hospice agencies, home infusion companies, home care aides, specialty pharmacies, and home medical equipment suppliers like Alverno. The ACHC was developed to help these companies improve business operations and quality of patient care.

Gaining accreditation is a voluntary activity that establishes Alverno Home Medical Equipment’s commitment to uphold the high standards that have been put in place by the industry's regulatory bodies. Accreditation is not easy to attain. Health providers endure a rigorous review of 96 different qualifying standards and criteria. Alverno Home Medical Equipment submitted reviews of the following business practices:

• Documented internal policies and procedures
• A checklist of best practices
• Reviews of training and fiscal management records
• Quality improvement measures and corrective actions
• Customer satisfaction rates and improvement measures

ACHC then performed on-site visits to validate each standard, and interviewed Alverno’s staff members to research levels of training, product management, and health and safety standards. ACHC also reviewed customer satisfaction rates using a variety of methods, including contacting customers directly. Once ACHC had considered the entire body of evidence, they determined that Alverno Home Medical Equipment had indeed met the standards to become ACHC Accredited.

About Alverno Home Medical Equipment:
Alverno Home Medical Equipment specializes in the distribution of Durable Medical Equipment (DME). It primarily provides wheelchairs, in-home oxygen, and sleep therapy products. Alverno Home Medical Equipment is a unit of St. James Hospital and Health Centers.

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Media contact:
Michael Shepherd
708-756-1000, ext. 3455
Michael.Shepherd@franciscanalliance.org