Surgery Center
Accreditation
The SoGab Surgery Center is named after Dr. Pratt’s daughters, to whom the center is dedicated. This Ambulatory Surgery Center is Accredited and Certified by Medicare and deemed by the State of Washington Department of Health.
Medicare Certification is the “gold standard’ for Ambulatory Surgery Centers in the U.S. and serves as a benchmark against which all other forms of outpatient surgery center certifications are compared.
With Medicare Certification, the federal government (Center for Medical Services, or CMS) imposes the safety standards that exceed the minimum requirements of all of the certifying agencies. Certification consists of multiple layers of regulations that are enforced through unannounced inspections and reviews, thus, the highest level of quality and safety are assured for all patients undergoing surgery at SoGab Surgery Center.
Since Safety is the #1 priority at SoGab Surgery Center, it should be no surprise that the most rigid standards of safety are applied to the policies and procedures, physical plant, equipment and surgical staff members.
Medicare Certification is required at all hospitals and major surgery centers including:
- Overlake Hospital Medical Center
- Evergreen Hospital Medical Center
- Valley Medical Center
- Providence Medical Center
- Swedish Hospital
- Evergreen Surgery Center
- Overlake Surgery Center
Why Is Certification Important?
In the state of Washington, major surgical procedures are allowed to be carried out in facilities other than hospitals and “Accredited” Surgery Centers. Therefore, complex cosmetic procedures can be performed by any M.D. who has completed a single year of a non-surgical internship, in non-certified facilities such as a procedure room in that physician’s office. Currently, office surgery facilities are not required to be licensed to perform surgery if the procedure is performed under mild IV Sedation or Twilight Anesthesia.
In Washington State, ambulatory surgery center accreditation can be performed by:
- Medicare/Washington State Department of Health
- The Joint Commission
- AOA – American Osteopathic Association
- AAAHC – Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care
- AAAASF – American Association for Accreditation of Surgical Facilities
Prior to having surgery, Dr. Pratt thinks that it is prudent for the patient to research the surgical facility and make sure that it is an “Accredited Facility”, receiving accreditation from one of the 5 organizations noted above. Remember, Medicare Certification is the gold standard.
Anesthesia
All anesthesia providers at the SoGab Surgery Center are all fully board certified Anesthesiologists or Nurse Anesthetists and are carefully selected by Dr. Pratt. All procedures carried out under general anesthesia or deep sedation will be attended to by an anesthesia provider, allowing Dr. Pratt to fully concentrate on your procedure.
