2 USOSM Partner Practices Earn AAAHC Accreditation and Centers of Excellence Designation

North Sound Oral & Facial Surgery is located in Anacortes, Washington, and provides a full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) services to patients in the North Sound region. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Michael L. Bobo, DDS, MD, FACS is an OMS practice with two locations – one in Murray, Kentucky, and one in Union City, Tennessee.

“Our patients are and have always been our top priority,” said Dr. Brar. “Achieving the AAAHC accreditation and the USOSM Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centers of Excellence designation is just a reflection of that. We’re honored to continue providing our patients with the highest quality care – it’s our job and our passion – and programs such as these enable us to continue doing that on an even deeper level, and we’re grateful for that.”

To receive accreditation, organizations must meet the AAAHC’s nationally recognized standards of quality. Since 1979, the AAAHC has accredited more than 6,700 organizations, but only a fraction of those have been OMS practices. A tremendous accomplishment in and of itself, the accreditation also signifies an additional achievement: the USOSM Oral and Maxillofacial Centers of Excellence designation.

“Our goal is to enable patients who live in this region to receive local, high quality, safe and comprehensive OMS care,” said Dr. Bobo. “Becoming AAAHC certified and receiving the USOSM Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centers of Excellence designation is an extension of that. We’re grateful for the opportunity and proud of the achievement. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to bring a project like this to fruition, and I’m grateful to everyone involved in completing it.”

As defined by the National Library of Medicine, centers of excellence are specialized programs within health care institutions that supply exceptionally high concentrations of expertise and related resources – such as leadership, best practices, research and training.

“The USOSM Oral and Maxillofacial Centers of Excellence program is the first of its kind, created to recognize USOSM partner practices who consistently deliver superior patient care and clinical excellence, to encourage those characteristics in others, and to spur additional practice growth,” said USOSM CEO Doug Drew. “We’re extremely proud of North Sound Oral & Facial Surgery and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Michael L. Bobo, DDS, MD, FACS. This is a tremendous achievement and a reflection of their dedication to exceptional patient care and everything that goes along with maintaining true clinical excellence.”

To qualify, USOSM partner practices must apply to and receive approval from the clinical governance board, meet all eligibility criteria, pass internal inspections and meet the accreditation requirements from the AAAHC. Eligibility requirement categories include leadership, best practices, support or training for a specific area, and expertise.

Practices that achieve the USOSM Oral and Maxillofacial Centers of Excellence designation are focused on clinical excellence. This encompasses excellent outcomes, as well as patient-centered care, patient safety, performance improvement, interdisciplinary education, maintaining the highest standards in ethics and professionalism, and more.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, USOSM is a management services organization spanning 31 states, with 120+ practices and 220+ locations.

“It’s extremely important to us that each USOSM partner practice embodies these standards, and this program helps ensure that,” added USOSM Chief Clinical Officer Vincent J. Perciaccante, DDS, FACS. “Meeting the stringent AAAHC requirements is the last step in receiving our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centers of Excellence designation. The AAAHC is the recognized leader in ambulatory health care accreditation and our third-party, accrediting partner. The AAAHC provides additional oversight for our program and helps ensure the highest levels of quality control.”

AAAHC Announces New Board Leadership & Directors for 2025–2028 Term

In a separate announcement, AAAHC introduced its newly appointed Board Officers and elected Directors, who will guide the organization’s accreditation strategy and quality-improvement initiatives. Reflecting a wide range of clinical, administrative, and governance experience, the newly named leaders will support AAAHC’s work in accreditation, quality improvement, and standards development across outpatient health care settings. Their terms began November 17, 2025.

New Board Leadership

The newly appointed officers bring backgrounds in anesthesiology, gastroenterology, behavioral health, and nursing, each contributing longstanding experience with ambulatory care and AAAHC governance.

• Steven Butz, MD – Board Chair

• Lawrence Kim, MD – Board Chair-Elect

• Joy Himmel, Psy.D, LCPC, NCC, RN, FACHA – Immediate Past Board Chair

• Valerie Kiefer, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC – Secretary/Treasurer

Newly Elected Directors

Five directors have been elected to three-year terms ending in 2028. Their collective expertise spans oral and maxillofacial surgery, quality management, community health leadership, and anesthesia services.

• M. Edmund Braly, DDS, FACS

• Jan Brown, RN, BSHM, CPHQ

• Ira Cheifetz, DMD

• Temple O. Robinson, MD

• Arnaldo Valedon, MD, MBA

According to AAAHC President and CEO Noel Adachi, MBA, the new board represents “the leadership, expertise, and passion” central to the organization’s mission. Their work will help strengthen accreditation standards, support continuous readiness throughout the 1,095-day accreditation cycle, and advance AAAHC’s commitment to safe, high-quality, patient-centered ambulatory care nationwide.

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