Organisation

The Board of Commissioners is the statutory organ that oversees the Executive Board and the general progress of affairs. The Board of Commissioners supports the Executive Board with council and is therefore informed by the Executive Board on a regular basis. To the most important responsibilities belong the following.

• The appointment and dismissal of the Executive Board.
• Approval of the long term strategy and policies, the annual plans and budgets.
• Approval of the annual reports.
• Approval of regulations decided on by the Executive Board, amongst which the system of accreditation.
• Deciding on the Regulation of the College of Appeal.
• Appointment of the external auditor (accountant).

The Executive Board is charged with the formal governance and management of the organisation. The Executive Board is overseen by the Board of Commissioners that supports the Executive Board with council. Presently the Executive Board consists of one functionary, Chief Executive René Peters. To the most important responsibilities belong the following.

• The overall administration and management of the organisation.
• Deciding on the long term strategy and policies, the annual plans and budgets.
• Deciding on the system of accreditation, amongst which the quality standards and the accreditation procedure.
• Deciding on the accreditation status of healthcare organisations.

   

NIAZ currently also has a General Manager, Hélène Beaard. To the most important responsibilities belong the following.

• The operational management of the accreditation program.
• The acquisition of healthcare organisations to participate in the program.
• International affairs (ISQua).

The College of Quality Certificates is the statutory organ charged with judging whether the health care organisation qualifies for being granted an accreditation status. This judgment is based on the finding of the survey teams or reports from the healthcare organisations themselves. If the decision is negative or if the College decides that a postponement of the decision is in order it advises the Executive Board, which is ultimately responsible. The formal responsibilities are the following.

• Advising the Executive Board on the granting of the accreditation status to the healthcare organisations that participate in the accreditation program.
• Advising the Executive Board on the temporary of indefinite suspension of the accreditation status.

The College of Quality Certificates has a Regulation decided on by the Executive Board. Click here for consulting the Regulation.

An organisation that does not agree with a decision taken by NIAZ may appeal to the College of Appeal. This body also deals with other complaints a surveyed organisation might have.

The College of Appeal has a Regulation decided on by the Board of Commissioners. This organ also appoints the chairman of the Board of Commissioners. Click here for consulting the Regulation.

The operational organisation - performing the development of standards and carrying out the surveys - rests with the staff in collaboration with an extensive pool of surveyors. NIAZ uses a system of peer review, meaning that surveying is done by people who themselves are actually working in the healthcare field. People who are knowledgeable about what it is really about in healthcare and who know to distinguish between the vital few and the trivial many. The surveyors are experienced senior health care workers (senior management, medical specialists, nurses, other professions), who have had an additional training as a surveyor. NIAZ has strict rules for surveyors not having (had) ties with the institution they survey. This way NIAZ combines maximum expertise with objectivity. Medio 2010 NIAZ has 250+ trained surveyors, about 50 of whom are from Belgium (Flanders) and 5 from Surinam.