Hanover Hospital Director is Officer on International Foundation Board

Joe Bellino, Director of Safety & Security at Hanover Hospital, was recently installed as Vice President/Treasurer of the International Association for Healthcare Security and the Safety (IAHSS) Foundation Board, on which he served as Secretary for the past two years.

Comprising members from all over the United States and nine countries worldwide, the Association’s purpose is to foster and promote the welfare of the public through education and scientific research and development of healthcare security and safety management and administration.

With representation on the IAHSS Board and access to the networking resources it offers, our hospital has the opportunity to develop and implement the highest and newest standards of safety and security at Hanover Hospital, then to teach others.   Hanover Hospital also has the distinction of being the first hospital in the nation to be awarded the Program of Distinction, Level 1 Accreditation, by the IAHSS.

According to Joe, the IAHSS is actively involved in many public relations activities, and networks with organizations including Homeland Security, the National Fire Protection Association, JCAHO (partnering with education programs), OSHA, the Center for Medicaid Services (CMS), and has established a permanent alliance regarding violence in department standards with the Emergency Nurses Association.  They are also working on establishing a permanent relationship with the ECRI Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to discover medical procedures, devices, drugs, and processes to enable hospitals to improve patient care.

                                                                                                                             

“The Association has been totally reorganized and restructured in the past few years to professionalize the industry,” said Joe.  “I’m thankful for the opportunity to be part of it.”