DLSUMC on EMS
EMS requires a lot from all levels of the Organization, from the top management to the process owners themselves. In this article, we will review what are expected from the process owners.
Live by the Quality Policy.
Translate it into ways that are related to your own processes.
Study the contents of the Quality Manual.
All the basic requirements are in there.
Have an Action Plan.
Guided by the Quality Policy and the Action Plan of the top management, set objectives and targets for your department. Begin with the end in mind. Never make any School Year a run of the mill.
If you are confused as to what format to use, please inquire from the TQM Dept. Do not allow technicalities to hinder you from meeting your desired end.
Ensure that your Table of Organization is in place and is understood by everybody.
This will eliminate confusion as to the line of command and communication.
Ensure the competence of staff.
Pre-entry requirements should be made known to and met by concerned staff. Make sure that they have the copies of their job descriptions. Ensure that further needs are identified and staff development programs are in place.
Document all your major processes.
It is understood that the process owners have studied their major processes and that what they are documenting are the effective system. It is unfortunate if one is just documenting their inconsistencies. It is more unfortunate however if up to this date, the department still failed to have documented procedures in place.
Too much documentation - when documents are repetitive; when there is no integration.
Too little –when there is lack of procedure in critical processes. With this, there is a tendency for personnel to work according to his personal preferences. There is a risk for process variation.
The right amount of documentation - The procedure established should ensure the quality output desired. It should be documented in such a way that two trained employees will perform the same task in approximately the same way. Again, process consistency is the goal.
Don’t stop with the papers.
Make sure that all personnel within the Department know and understand their respective operations or work processes. It will help if Process Flow Diagrams are posted in strategic locations. Make sure that everybody understands the criticality of his function and that any negligence, errors or mediocrity on his part can affect the output of the other processes.
All Depts. must have their Quality Improvement Studies. (formerly known as QA Studies).
This has been a long standing program to ensure continual improvement. It can be Departmental or Cross-functional. The important thing is everybody should do his share if we want to come up with significant improvements.
Make 5S a way of life.
This is another long standing program that does not only focus on good housekeeping but on productivity as well.
Commit to the Customer Relations Program.
This is on the core of our QMS. Gather clients’ feedback.
Concerned personnel should participate in the implementation of designed Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG)/ Clinical Pathways.
Conduct and document regular departmental meetings.
Convening regularly proves that the Department keeps the direction of operation on tract and that venues for discussing issues concerning quality are set.
Control your records.
- Update your Index of Quality Records (I.Q.R.F.).
- Make sure that all staff know the significance of quality records and why they should be consistently and completely filled up, kept and protected.
- All externally generated documents/ reference manuals being used in the Department, which have significant effect on their output should be identified and registered at the D.C.C.
Master the applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Make sure that they are consistently complied with.
Ensure process control.
Make certain that all of your processes are carried out under controlled conditions to minimize variability in the product or services provided. Ensure quality of materials being used, skills of the staff performing the work, maintenance of equipment, degree of adherence to work instructions, etc.
Measure departmental performance and analyze generated data.
Show documented evidence that the goals of the department are being met.
Participate in audit programs.
Audit activities are performed to make certain that our quality activities meet requirements. They gauge the effectiveness of our QMS.
Be alert. Implement corrective and preventive actions.
Make certain that the services we provide conform to quality standards. Immediately investigate the causes of any non-conformities. Address root causes to eliminate problem and prevent its recurrence. Prevention is better than cure. Detect and eliminate potential problems. These actions will help ensure continual improvement.
