Our Accredited In-Office Surgical Suite in Chicago and Northbrook, IL
About the Suite
Patient safety during surgical procedures is a top priority of Dr. Schlechter. When he designed his state-of-the-art Chicago surgical suite, he not only sought to meet the rigorous guidelines of the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities (AAASF), but also made sure it would meet state licensure regulations, despite the fact they are not currently required in Illinois. The reason for this is that Dr. Schlechter has been working for years to pass legislation that would require a state licensure requirement in all states for office-based facilities, to improve patient safety. Patient safety truly is a top priority to him not only for his patients but for any person undergoing a procedure in an office setting. He is now one of a select few authorized to conduct the inspections of facilities seeking AAASF accreditation for their office.
The advantages to the patient of having their procedure in an accredited office based surgical suite is that their procedure is performed in a clean, private, relaxing environment, that has met the same safety standards as a hospital or surgery center. Dr. Schlechter is affiliated with several local hospitals including the North Shore Health System, and Lake Forest and Northwestern hospitals.
Why is the AAASF Accreditation Important to the Patient?
A facility that has received the AAASF distinction, lets the patient know that the facility has been inspected, and continues to be inspected to insure that it meets a high standard of cleanliness, uses quality equipment that is in good working order, has highly trained and qualified staffing, and has demonstrated the ability to respond swiftly and correctly should a situation arise during a procedure. Knowing that the facility at North Shore Aesthetics meets and exceeds these rigorous guidelines gives our patients the confidence that we have taken every precaution to minimize the risks associated with office based surgery.
An additional layer of protection with the AAASF distinction is knowing that this accreditation requires that the physician performing the procedure also has privileges to perform the same procedure in the hospital setting. While the average patient may not see the benefit of this qualification, it is important to realize that many procedures are being performed in office settings because the physicians training is not in the specialty that would allow them to perform these procedures in a hospital setting as well. In these cases they would not be able to obtain AAASF. In the absence of a state licensure requirement, a AAASF distinction is considered, the “Gold Standard” to identify the practice is ensuring patient safety in an outpatient facility.
