From the beginning, The Columbus Organization has been committed to providing services at the highest level of quality and compliance. We have a Quality Assurance Department dedicating employees and processes to improving quality and outcomes for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and the resources in the community that support them.

Internal Quality Processes

Quality Assurance Department:

The Columbus Organization’s Quality Assurance department, led by Melissa Richards, Ph.D., LBA, BCBA-D, has recently added two additional Quality Enhancement Coordinators (QECs) that will expand the team to a total of ten QEC’s across the states where we provide care coordination.

The QECs review the Individualized Service Plans (ISPs) and Person-Centered Plans (PCPs), that are created by the Care Coordinators and the individuals they support to verify that the plans represent best practices, meet state standards, and satisfy the needs of the individual. Reviewing these plans as well as tracking outcomes against numerous metrics on the ISP scorecards for each state allows The Columbus Organization to proactively determine which Care Coordinators are doing an exceptional job and which Care Coordinators need additional mentoring. As a result of these reviews, The Columbus Organization identifies specific areas that will be enhanced through additional training for the care coordinators to improve quality of service to the individuals.

The Columbus Organization maintains a hierarchy of councils to oversee these quality efforts.  The Executive Quality & Compliance Committee (EQCC), which consists of six members of The Columbus Organization executive team, provides oversight of, and direction to, the company’s Quality & Compliance Program, and reviews monitoring reports/corrective actions every month. Reporting to the EQCC, the Compliance and Quality Council (CQC) comprises the Operational State Care Coordination management who have direct oversight of the provision of Care Coordination services.  The CQC ensures that the company provides day-to-day operational oversight of and direction to all employees on the company’s Quality & Compliance Program.

Satisfaction Surveys:

The Columbus Organization regularly sends out Satisfaction Surveys to understand, from the individual’s perspective, if they are living a satisfied and meaningful life or if there are areas that could benefit from changes or enhancements to services.  A series of questions ask about the person’s satisfaction with the service provided by their support coordinator.  A second set of questions in the surveys ask about outcomes related to choosing personal goals, safety, participation in meaningful activities in the community, choosing whether and where to work, and choosing where and with whom to live. The surveys help to understand whether the individual is satisfied with the support being provided and is living a meaningful life, as seen through their own eyes. 

In addition to the internal processes, The Columbus Organization is validated from two outside entities. The Columbus Organization is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, as a Quality Improvement Organization (QIO)-like entity.

QIO Certification:

The Columbus Organization is certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, as a Quality Improvement Organization (QIO)-like entity.

Working on behalf of CMS, QIO-like entities are independent, objective organizations that improve health care delivery, safety, and efficiency through a combination of collaborating with provider organizations, delivering targeted technical assistance, and providing direct intervention with Medicare beneficiaries and the healthcare community. QIOs work directly with health care providers to ensure the most current, clinically-proven techniques and practices deliver safe, high-quality care.

CMS granted our company the QIO-like entity certification based on our success providing peer reviews, mortality reviews, systems reviews, technical assistance and training. 

CARF™ Accreditation:

The Columbus Organization is committed to delivering high quality services to our persons served. We are equally committed to maintaining a high level of quality standards for business practice.

We are proud to demonstrate this commitment by achieving CARF accreditation for our care coordination program(s).

The Columbus Organization has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for more than a decade. As a CARF organization, we share its mission, vision and values. 

What is CARF accreditation?

When considering a care coordination provider, how do you evaluate the different available options? Where do you look to determine which providers may offer the highest quality services? The answer is CARF International.

CARF International is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services providers in the areas of Aging Services, Behavioral Health, Child and Youth Services, Durable Medical Equipment, Employment and Community Services, Medical Rehabilitation, Opioid Treatment Programs, and Vision Rehabilitation Services.

Programs and services that are CARF accredited have demonstrated their conformance to internationally recognized standards for service delivery. They have demonstrated their commitment to continuous quality improvement and a consumer-driven focus.

Person-centered services

Persons served play an active and vital role in the CARF accreditation process, from helping to develop the international performance standards to giving input on the quality of services they receive. Through accreditation, providers demonstrate their belief that all people have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, have access to needed services that achieve optimum outcomes, and are empowered to exercise informed choice. The Columbus Organization is pleased to join CARF in this mission.

For more information about CARF International, the standards, or the accreditation process, visit www.carf.org.

National Association of Case Management:

The Columbus Organization is a Charter Member of NACM. In this role, The Columbus Organization co-sponsored the 25th Annual Case Management Conference in October of 2019. NACM is the ONLY not-for-profit national voice for Case Managers and Service Coordinators. Members of NACM are part of a network of practicing professionals who are advocates for community-based case management systems. These valued members share ideas and work to minimize bureaucratic barriers, practice high ethical standards, support career growth, and promote the vitality and professional image of case management and service coordination.