November 15, 2010

WorkingWell Receives ISO Certification

A client of Morse & Company, WorkingWell a division of The Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, has received International Organization Standardization Certification -- the first and only occupational health provider in the world to do so. 

Read the press release from WorkingWell to learn more about the accomplishment. Great job, WorkingWell



Dale Kramer and Tim Ross pose with the ISO Certification.
Michigan City, IN -- WorkingWell Occupational Healthcare, a division of The Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, is the first occupational  health provider in the world to receive ISO 9001:2008 Certification. WorkingWell provides occupational healthcare services for all types of workers, including professional, industrial, police force and firefighters. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer and publisher of international standards, with a network of national standards instituted in 162 countries. The entire system is coordinated by the Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO develops a set of standards and requires that they be applied to all key processes of the business. For over 63 years, ISO has been one of the leaders in quality certifications for the steel and manufacturing industries.

ISO certification also has many benefits in the health care industry. The quality management system provides a foundation of best practices, resulting in the highest quality health care, improved outcomes and reduced errors for patients. ISO 9001:2008 ensures the effectiveness of all documented processes, and the commitment to their use for every patient. By following ISO standards for quality management, health care is demonstrating a proactive approach that prevents errors and increases patient safety and satisfaction.

"Through the achievement of ISO 9001 Certification, Working Well has made a serious commitment to a high quality standard of excellence and intends to exceed the expectations of their customers and the community," said Chris Vanni, Regional Manager of Performance Improvement, Sisters of St. Francis Health Services.

Any business interested in ISO Certification must go through a rigorous audit of their entire quality management system. Quality goals are set, and when they are met, new goals are determined for a continuously improving quality system. The audit at WorkingWell was conducted by Dale Kramer of Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc.  “WorkingWell is the top of the line! Overall, a nice system—very classy and sophisticated.” said Mr. Kramer. “The best I have ever seen.”

WorkingWell has five locations that serve Northwest Indiana, Southwest Michigan and Southeast Chicago area employers, offering services ranging from wellness, education and rehabilitation. WorkingWell also has two locations in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.

The Sisters of St. Francis Health Services is a network of 8 hospitals on 12 campuses throughout Indiana and northeast Illinois.