The American Association of Accreditation for Ambulatory Surgery Facilities was established in 1980 to improve healthcare in outpatient facilities.
Here are five things to know about AAAASF.
1. AAAASF accredits thousands of facilities around the world.
2. The accreditation association accredits both office-based and outpatient facilities. AAAASF's accreditation programs cover several specialties, including surgical, procedural and oral maxillofacial. The organization also accredits Medicare and international programs.
3. AAAASF requires surgeons to be board certified and to hold admitting privileges, while also mandating the use of anesthesia professionals.
4. Theresa Griffin-Rossi is AAAASF's executive director. David C. Watts, MD, is the president of the executive committee.
5. AAAASF collects case data from individuals, integrating it into one of the largest healthcare data repositories in the nation through its peer review program. The program is performed semi-annually since 1999. Its peer review program attempts to improve patient outcomes by leveraging the collective data.