Inspectors are the backbone of JACIE; without them, there is no accreditation process. Becoming an inspector is a wonderful way to contribute to maintaining global quality standards. As the number of JACIE applications has increased, we are constantly looking for new inspectors to join our ranks. At the moment, we are particularly keen to hear of German, French and Spanish speaking Clinicians and Quality Managers.
Each month, you will have the opportunity to meet with one of our JACIE Inspector who will share his/her experience.
Read our interview with Carlos Torrico León, JACIE Inspector and Operations Manager at the Tissue and Cell Bank of the Blood and Tissue Bank of Catalonia, Spain.
As of today Carlos has performed six inspections, and is committed to other three happening this year. Also, he was a reviewer of abstracts for the Annual Meeting of the EBMT 2023.
Introduce yourself and your role(s) and position(s) within EBMT and outside of EBMT
My name is Carlos Torrico León and I have a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Barcelona. I currently combine my activity as a JACIE Inspector with my usual duties as Operations Manager at the Tissue and Cell Bank of the Blood and Tissue Bank of Catalonia.
Among these tasks that I mention, is the correct processing of tissues and cells in a clean room facility. In previous stages I was responsible for the laboratory of a Cell Therapy Unit and Umbilical Cord Blood Bank as well as production manager of an Advanced Therapies Production Unit. The wealth of knowledge from these different stages has allowed me to be a JACIE Inspector of processing and quality assurance.
Why did you decide to become a JACIE inspector?
I did the Inspector training in the first editions of the JACIE courses, but at that time the activity and the pace of work did not allow me to delve into these inspection tasks, although I always remained attentive to JACIE developments.
Years later, EBMT-JACIE staff contacted me again to resume these activities. They knew my career and my profile and considered that it could be interesting for the institution and for me to be part of the group.
At that time, the circumstances were propitious to start my career as Inspector JACIE and I joined the team.
What has been the most memorable inspection that you have ever done?
It is always said that the first time is the most intense. I was fortunate to be well covered, accompanied and guided by expert inspectors and everything became easier.
In fact, I believe that the most memorable inspection has not yet arrived and that keeps alive the spirit that all JACIE Inspectors are curious to learn and improve in their work.
The search for the inspection challenge that puts knowledge and know-how to the test, keeps inspectors expecting what the next institution to accredit can teach.
What ‘keys to successful JACIE accreditation’ can you share with us?
Many times, all of us focus on the day to day that our activity imposes on us, but we have to pay attention to the environment of that daily work.
Of course, we have to focus on the patient and their disease, but also learn from each case and how each case can make us better.
Let me explain: it is about providing a transversal service of total quality throughout all the different aspects of our work. Give relevance to the quality systems of our unit, training, monitoring of the activity and quality indicators, the participation of third parties... In short, pay attention to the Big Data attached to our work in order to learn and improve day by day.
How has your career/work benefited from being a JACIE inspector?
Really the benefits are more aimed at recognition and knowledge.
Regarding recognition, working as JACIE Inspector has allowed me to be part of commissions and projects in my company that perhaps otherwise would not have reached me.
Regarding knowledge, interaction with colleagues, the evolution of standards, etc... allows us to walk on a line of constant evolution and improvement.
In any case, I believe that the great benefit of being part of the JACIE family of inspectors is the knowledge that is acquired with each inspection. Being able to observe how colleagues have generated organizational structures and ways of working adapted to their circumstances allows me to take new knowledge to solve, if necessary, similar situations that may occur in your institution.
Do you have any tips or advice for anyone who aspires to become a JACIE Inspector?
I believe that each JACIE Inspector can give a large number of tips or instructions for those people who consider being JACIE Inspectors.
If one must give one that, in my opinion, summarizes what should be one of the fundamental parts of the spirit of JACIE Inspector, it is the ability to keep an open mind and empathy with the inspected colleague. There are multiple ways to approach a standard to reach that point of consensus of quality. Ours is not the best or the worst, but one of the existing ones.
And remember: Every inspector in each one of the inspections represents what EBMT-JACIE reflects in its standards: concern for the patient and their well-being from a Total Quality point of view.