Qualicor Europe (previously NIAZ) - Update from our Member

Niaz becomes Qualicor Europe, with a Passion for People Powered Quality

The Netherlands Institute for Accreditation in Healthcare (NIAZ) has been a trusted partner for surveys and accreditation in healthcare for over 20 years. Many healthcare organizations have secured their quality of care with our accreditations. Our Qmentum Global accreditations give a direct insight into how safety is organized throughout the organization. Right now, during the enormous pressure that COVID-19 puts on the healthcare sector, this proves its value. 

Over the last two years, we did a lot of research and spoke to many healthcare administrators around the world. We wanted to know what the accreditation of the future would look like. How we can add value to continues improvement in the quality of care. It was fantastic to see the intrinsic motivation to continuously improve. And they all agree an external view keeps you on your toes. And makes the potential improvement visible. They also told us they want to change external evaluation from being an obligation to being a desire.

Dr. Joke Boonstra, member of the Executive Board of the Erasmus MC, an academic hospital that has been accredited by us since 2008, in Rotterdam told us: "I think we should move away from assessing the standards literally, and we need move towards surveys that assess based on what the standards are supposed to achieve. We need surveys that are in line with the intention of the standards".

For healthcare professionals, it is essential that accreditation fits in their daily reality: How do I provide better care every day? How do we as a team grow our ability to learn and improve? Surveys that are no longer perceived as an obligation but that healthcare professionals want because they help them improve the quality and safety of care. 

Due to this change in focus, and the new working methods that support this focus, the word Accreditation in the name NIAZ does no longer fit the bill. That is why NIAZ became Qualicor Europe on October 1st: Quality, with a passion for healthcare. With a new message: continue to improve! Or in Dutch: word steeds beter!

To support this change in focus, Qualicor Europe is offering new services with Qualicor Europe Assessments and Qualicor Europe Academy. With these new services, we aim to support healthcare professionals to increase their ability to continuously improve. Because people make the difference! No project-based approach, but focused surveys embedded in their own quality and safety management. 

Are you curious about our change? Go to www.wordsteedsbeter.eu. Do you want to know what Qualicor Europe can do for your organization? Feel free to contact me. I would like to discuss the possibilities for your continues improvement.

Dr. Ellen Joan van Vliet, CEO Qualicor Europe, vanVliet@qualicor.eu