NCSI Farewells an integral member of the Mater Pathology Team
Nearing a century of providing an exceptional health service, Mater Pathology has been a vital lifeline for many people across Queensland and Northern NSW. Privately owned by the Sisters of Mercy, Mater Pathology offers a full diagnostic and consultative service. Operating out of the head office building in South Brisbane and many other collection centres across the Brisbane area, Mater Pathology has the capacity to manage more than 800 beds, which are filled by private tertiary referrals all year round. The pathology unit is also an integral and essential part of the Mater Health Services.
Elevating the standard
Mater Pathology is dedicated to providing a quality level of service that satisfies the needs of their clients and has therefore taken the appropriate steps to demonstrate this through certification. Mater Pathology is currently certified to the following standards:
- ISO 15189: 2007 (accredited)
- ISO 9001: 2008 (certified)
- cGMP: 2000 (licensed)
Managing the lifeline
The team at Mater Pathology are committed to providing a quality and compassionate service to those patients who are experiencing a difficult time in their life. The structure of this organisation ultimately assists in this commitment. As Suzanne Hinds, Senior Scientist for Mater in the field of Microbiology explains, the operational structure of the business sets them apart from the competitors in that “the complexity of the hospital work and demands for rapid test turnaround flowing from the high proportion of intensive care and emergency beds require strict adherence to business processes to maintain customer satisfaction.”
Due to the complex nature of the health system, Mater Pathology not only needed a director but, as Suzanne tells us, a director capable of providing “leadership for not only patient management but also the business aspects of the practice.” John Hinds, who joined the Mater Health Services as Assistant Director of Pathology 20 years ago, and has been Director for the last 8 years, was able to provide this.
Connecting the central line to Management Systems Certification
Establishing effective business procedures can be a challenging task, especially for a business such as Mater Pathology. However, through a partnership with certification body NCS International, Mater Pathology many years ago set a solid foundation for achieving this, through the dedication of John Hinds.
Having already partnered with NATA for several years, when it came time for John to consider third party auditing for ISO 9001 Management Systems, connecting with NCS International was the logical choice.
“Market success in the highly competitive private pathology market requires an error free, customer- focussed service. Operating in compliance with the ISO 9001 standard provides a business rigor that helps attain these goals” explains Suzanne.
Certification to ISO 9001 also helped “focus the attention of all the staff to not only the professional pathology service but also the business processes on which the success of professional services depends.”
Acknowledging the work of an exceptional person
Over the years staff members at both Mater Pathology and NCS International have enjoyed and learnt from the personal and professional relationship that has grown from the certification partnership.
Above: State Office Manager – QLD, Eddy Tu presented John Hinds with a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of NCS International. Eddy thanked John for his dedication to business excellence and the leadership that he has shown in the implementation and ongoing maintenance of the Quality Management System. NCS International would like to wish John the best for the future and also congratulate him on all that he has achieved in his career with Mater Pathology.
Useful Information:
For more information on Mater Pathology visit: www.mater.org.au/Home/Services/Pathology.aspx
To find out more information on ISO 9001:2008 click here
To Request A Quote for ISO 9001:2008 click here or call NCSI on 1300 856 554
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