The Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital has secured re-accreditation for another three years from the DNV-GL (DET Norske Veritas from Norway and Germanischer Lloyd) from Germany.

The information was recently disclosed by Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley in the recent sitting of the House of Assembly.

Honourable Wheatley said the recent accolade of an Accreditation Certificate is the culmination of years of relentless efforts by the BVI Health Services Authority’s (BVIHSA) dedicated team. The Minister added that the team crafted hundreds of new policies and tirelessly improved key areas that impacted the quality and safety of care delivered by the Authority.

Honourable Wheatley said, “The choice of the DNV programme was deliberate because it aligns with the BVIHSA's steadfast commitment to patient safety and overall quality. DNV-GL is a preeminent accreditation body that employs a developmental, stepwise approach to accreditation; ensuring organisations like the BVIHSA are in pursuit of excellence while adhering to globally recognised standards and best practices.”

The DNV-GL accreditation is widely regarded as the gold standard in healthcare, incorporating NIAHO (National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations) and ISO (International Standards Organization) 9001 standards for healthcare, as well as ISO 15189 for medical laboratories. 

Back in 2020, the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital received its initial accreditation from DNV-GL, a body that accredits over 635 hospitals in the United States of America and 15 hospitals across Brazil, China, Iceland, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, and Thailand.

Honourable Wheatley explained, "Within our region, we stand shoulder to shoulder with distinguished healthcare facilities such as Health City Cayman Islands, Barbados Fertility Centre, Bermuda Hospitals Board, and Doctors Hospital in the Bahamas, all accredited by Joint Commission International.”

The Health Minister added, “Additionally, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados, Bermuda Hospitals Board, and Interhealth Canada (TCI) LTD in the Turks and Caicos Islands hold accreditation from Accreditation Canada. Remarkably, the BVIHSA, the steward of Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital, is one of only three public health systems in the region with internationally accredited status.”

According to Honourable Wheatley, to maintain its accreditation, the BVIHSA went through a meticulous self-assessment, followed by a readiness assessment and a formal assessment of compliance with DNV-GL/NIOSH standards earlier this year. 

In the second year, the Health Service Authority will undergo a follow-up DNV-GL assessment and an ISO 9001 pre-assessment to demonstrate sustained progress.  In the third year, BVIHSA will culminate this journey with an ISO 9001 certification audit to validate the quality of the management system.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development through its subsidiary the BVIHSA remains committed to improving the health and social well-being of the people of the Virgin Islands.