Sansum Clinic’s GI Ambulatory Surgery Center has received accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Inc. (AAAHC) a leader in the field accrediting more than 6,100 organizations.

The achievement is the highest third-party recognition a surgery center can achieve and is considered the gold standard for the industry. It distinguishes Sansum’s Gastroenterology Department from a number of other outpatient facilities through its adherence to rigorous standards of care and safety.

Status as an accredited organization means Sansum Clinic has met nationally recognized standards, participates in peer-review and education to consistently improve care and services, and committed to a thorough, on-site survey every three years by AAAHC staff who are healthcare professionals.

The milestone also means the center has met all conditions for Medicare patients to receive coverage.

“Continuous improvement is part of the mindset that allowed us to accomplish this accreditation and it is something that we strive to integrate into our daily activities long after the on-site survey is completed,” said Dr. Marjorie Newman, Sansum Clinic medical director.

“Our intent within the center and across the clinic is to adopt policies and procedures that fuel advancement and long-lasting quality care,” Dr. Newman said.

The AAAHC helps the center find new ways to improve care as well as increase efficiency and reduce costs.

For nearly 40 years, accreditation has been the highest form of public recognition that a healthcare organization could receive for the care it offers. The concept started with hospitals but now with the AAAHC, nearly all types of ambulatory healthcare providers can receive this distinction.

Sansum Clinic’s GI Ambulatory Surgery Center is at 317 W. Pueblo St. Santa Barbara. The center is staffed by board-certified gastroenterologists alongside an experienced team that uses the latest techniques and technologies for diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostic and preventive procedures such as upper endoscopy and colonoscopy are performed.

For more information on the center, visit www.sansumclinic.org/medical-services/medical-service/details/gastroenterology or call the Gastroenterology Department, 805-898-3050. More about Sansum Clinic is at www.sansumclinic.org.