The Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) has been awarded reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) for its compliance with national standards of excellence. CAAS was established to encourage and promote quality patient care at medical transportation services across the country. About 1% of ambulance services in the United States have successfully completed the voluntary review process which included completion of a comprehensive application and on-site review by national experts in emergency medical services (EMS). RAA is one 190 ambulance services to be accredited in the U.S. and only one of two ambulance services accredited by CAAS in Virginia.
RAA was awarded reaccreditation for three years; the maximum extension allowed by CAAS. The primary focus of the Commission’s standards is high-quality patient care. In order for agencies to meet CAAS’ strict national standards, organizations must exhibit excellence in not only patient care, but also through the operation’s relationships with other agencies, the general public, and the medical community. The Commission’s standards often exceed state or local licensing requirements.
“As our agency approaches its 30th anniversary serving the City of Richmond, we are thrilled to again be recognized for our strong commitment to our patients and our community,” said RAA CEO Chip Decker. “This validates the hard work of our dedicated staff and the methods we use to deliver high quality EMS and patient-centered care to the residents of Richmond.”
Based initially on the efforts of the American Ambulance Association, the independent Commission established a comprehensive series of standards for the ambulance service industry. The CAAS accreditation is considered the “gold standard” for ambulance agencies. RAA is one of only 32 agencies in the country accredited by CAAS and the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED).
