By Phuong Binh Le, MD, PhD, FISQua — Country Director, AACI Vietnam (AACI announcement)
In fast-growing health systems, people sometimes say we must choose between speed and quality. Our work in Vietnam over the last year shows we can move fast and stay safe if we run accreditation like an everyday operating system, not a one-off inspection. This progress came from everyone pulling in the same direction. We built on the operations already in place, aligned them with AACI standards, trained teams, put changes into daily practice, and kept supervision and clear evidence. The entire program stayed anchored to the AACI standards, and teams worked with real commitment under the guidance and on‑site support of the AACI Vietnam team.
This pace was not a shortcut. We built on the operations already in place, aligned them with the AACI standards, trained teams, put changes into daily practice, and kept supervision with clear evidence. The entire program stayed anchored to the AACI standards, and teams worked with real commitment under the guidance and on-site support of the AACI Vietnam team.
Context and credibility
AACI (American Accreditation Commission International) is an international accreditor that is recognized by the ISQua External Evaluation Association (IEEA). This recognition covers the accrediting organization, the standards, and the surveyor training program. That gives facilities extra confidence when they choose the AACI pathway.
See: ISQua External Evaluation Association (IEEA) and the AACI homepage.
Who we worked with in Vietnam
We supported almost twenty facilities in major cities. They include five types: general hospitals, specialty hospitals, multi-specialty clinics, specialty clinics, and dental clinics. Each site started at a different level, but the shared aim was simple: make international standards work in daily practice and measure progress clearly.
In this year, one general hospital achieved accreditation under the AACI Accreditation Standard for Healthcare Organizations (Version 6.0). In the dental group, a network of three clinics passed the Initial Survey under the AACI Accreditation Standard for Dental Organizations (Version 2.1). The other sites kept moving through their planned readiness milestones.
Prerequisites. To move at this pace, four things were in place: (1) committed leadership with a monthly executive cadence; (2) a minimum resource pack — one project lead, one data lead, and protected training time; (3) a baseline SOP set to standardize first, then localize by exception; and (4) an agreed audit/tracer method with clear evidence standards.
Three practical levers
- A one-page leadership compact and monthly check-ins
We stopped treating accreditation as a side project for the quality office. The CEO, CMO, and Nursing Director signed a one-page compact and met every month to remove roadblocks. This made progress unavoidable. Decisions on staff, equipment, and training lined up early, and unit managers felt trusted to close actions without waiting for a big visit.
- Standardize first, localize only when needed
Many programs start by rewriting hundreds of documents at each site. We flipped that. We put a short, common set of AACI-aligned policies and SOPs in place on day one. Teams changed only what truly needed local details. This cut cognitive load, made training simpler, and kept everyone using the same playbook.
- Measure what matters, and use it
We tracked just a few process measures: hand hygiene, complete time-out before procedures, biological‑indicator pass rates in sterilization, and one patient‑experience question (“Would you recommend us?”). Weekly or monthly run charts showed trends and helped turn standards into habits. Short tracer audits that follow the patient helped us spot issues, fix them fast, and check that the fix sticks.
What we adjusted along the way
- Less paperwork, more practice: we kept the number of required SOPs small and spent more time where care happens — wards, dental chairs, and decontamination rooms.
- Data discipline: we used clear, standard templates and a monthly reporting rhythm so teams stayed focused without drowning in KPIs.
- Learning that fits the work: instead of long classes, we used 10 – 15 minute micro‑learning and on‑the‑job coaching.
Early wins that kept teams motivated
These “early wins” do not mean it was easy — they came from standardized inputs, steady measurement, and on-the-job coaching.
- The minimal SOP package was finished in weeks, not quarters.
- Hand hygiene improved steadily over the first six months.
- Accreditation progress sent a clear signal to insurers and corporate partners, which helped leaders keep attention on the work.
If you want to try this in your system
- Link accreditation to purchasing and contracts so that reliable processes matter, not just having a certificate.
- Build shared “readiness” tools through professional bodies — template SOPs, tracer checklists, and micro‑learning libraries — so each site doesn’t start from zero.
- Use a focused dashboard with a few safety indicators at facility level to keep management focus.
There is no quick fix and no one-size-fits-all. Each facility must adapt to its context, but evidence standards and tight alignment to the AACI standards do not change.
Closing and an open invite
Accreditation is not a finish line. It is a way to run safer, more trusted organizations every day. From Vietnam’s experience, three levers — leadership commitment, standardize first, and measuring what matters — helped us move faster without losing quality. If you want to adapt these ideas, resources from WHO Patient Safety and the ISQua community blog are helpful starting points. As a Fellow of ISQua, I’m happy to share a small “readiness bundle” (minimal SOPs, tracer forms, and run‑chart templates) you can tailor to your context.
Disclosure
The author serves as Country Director for AACI Vietnam. Views are personal.
Author bio
Phuong Binh Le, MD, PhD, FISQua, is Country Director for AACI Vietnam. Over the past year, his team supported nearly twenty facilities — general hospitals, specialty hospitals, multi‑specialty clinics, specialty clinics, and dental clinics — to adopt AACI standards. One general hospital achieved accreditation under the AACI Accreditation Standard for Healthcare Organizations (Version 6.0), and a three‑clinic dental network passed the Initial Survey under the AACI Accreditation Standard for Dental Organizations (Version 2.1).
