University Health Services One of Only Four in Ohio to Receive Accreditation

Lori Christopher, a nurse practitioner at the DeWeese Health Center, checks out the throat of a student during a medical checkup. Photo by Bob Christy

DeWeese Health Center recently became one of only four university health centers in Ohio to earn accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). This places the health center in an elite category of 144 college health centers nationwide, says Mary Reeves, the director of health services at Kent State.

The accreditation means that the health service passed a series of rigorous and nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care. Specific areas that were evaluated (which met or exceeded established standards) include the following:

• quality of care provided;
• health education and wellness services;
• facilities and environment;
• clinical records;
• professional improvement; and
• pharmaceutical services.

In 2004, the health center saw more than 9,000 patients out of a Kent Campus population of about 24,000 students. With an annual patient visit rate of four, that means that University Health Services provided medical and other health-related services more than 36,000 times in the past year.  

X-ray technician Linnea Ray takes an image of a student's ankle at the DeWeese Health Center. Photo by Bob Christy

DeWeese Health Center offers medical services including primary care, physical therapy, a pharmacy and women’s health services. In addition, Psychological Services provides outpatient psychological and counseling services. The offices of College Health Behavior and Student Health Promotion offer various outreach and educational programs designed to address relevant health issues in the campus community. The accreditation process involves an extensive self-assessment and an on-site review of the facility and its services by an expert surveyor. It is this self-analysis, peer review and consultation that ultimately helps an organization improve its care and services, according to the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.

“This is an important milestone in the continuing growth and success of University Health Services,” Reeves says. “We have had an unwavering commitment to providing the highest levels of quality care to our students. Accreditation by AAAHC is proof of this commitment, and signifies that we have met the rigorous standards of a nationally recognized association.”

For more information about University Health Services, visit http://www.uhs.kent.edu.