Steve Brodbeck
Hospital Compliance Leader, Tenet Health Systems
Steve Brodbeck has worked at Tenet Healthcare Corporation for nearly 27 years. For 20 of those years, Steve was a lab manager. Today, as their hospital compliance leader, Steve remains very close to lab issues and operations. Steve also is a member of Joint Commission’s Laboratory Advisory Council, which provides input to Joint Commission leadership on a variety of issue related to its lab accreditation program.
What makes Joint Commission lab accreditation better?
"Their Tracer methodology – it allows you to evaluate your lab throughout a patient’s stay in the facility. It looks at everything that touches the patient—your quality and safety systems, the critical interfaces between the lab and hospital, potential problem areas, and outcomes. The Tracer really gives you the tools and ability to make your organization better which translates to increased patient safety and improved clinical outcomes."
Other reasons a lab should consider the Joint Commission?
"The Joint Commission employs all of their lab surveyors. Because of that, each surveyor conducts a large number of surveys in any given year. To me, that allows them to bring "more to the table." If something is going on in your lab, and you need to get it back on track, they know better how to help. Other accreditors might be very good clinicians, but unless they are professional surveyors, you won’t get as good of a survey in my opinion."
How can a lab benefit from Joint Commission accreditation?
"With the Joint Commission, you can tie your hospital and lab together – especially with the Tracer methodology. You benefit by having continuity and consistency between who’s accrediting your hospital and your lab."