to main content Health Care Staffing Certification | The Joint Commission

Why Become Certified

Health Care Staffing Services (HCSS) certification provides you with an independent, comprehensive evaluation of your firm’s ability to offer expert staffing services. Health care staffing firms seek certification because it demonstrates their commitment to delivering a higher standard of service. Other benefits of certification include:

  • Provides a framework for organizational structure and management
  • Provides a competitive edge in the marketplace
  • Enhances staff recruitment and development
  • Is recognized by insurers and other third parties
  • May reduce liability insurance costs

Process

The process to become certified includes the following steps:

  • Review the standards
  • Assess your program against the standards and resolve any gaps
  • Apply for certification
  • Collect performance measure data

Eligibility

Health care staffing firms are eligible for Joint Commission certification if they:

  • Place temporary clinical staff in other organizations that direct or provide direct patient care. This includes disciplines such as physicians, RNs, LPN/LVNs, nursing assistants, pharmacy personnel, radiology technicians, surgical assistants, respiratory therapists, laboratory staff, etc. These settings include health care organizations, schools, occupational and community settings, etc.
  • Place temporary clinical staff under the direct supervision of another organization's personnel
  • Collect and present four months of data for each of the four standardized performance measures by the time of onsite review
  • Place at least 10 clinical staff by the time of onsite review

Types of programs that are NOT eligible for certification include:

  • Permanent placement firms that do not provide temporary staffing services
  • Internal organization registry or “pool” programs
  • Contracted services for management of functions within existing organizations, such as emergency department management, pharmacy management, and housekeeping management services
  • Non-clinical staff (e.g. housekeeping, medical records or coders, home companions)
  • Individual employees

Performance Measurement

Joint Commission-certified health care staffing firms and firms seeking initial certification are required to adopt a set of standardized performance measures specific for per diem and travel temporary clinical staff. The set includes these measure topics:

  • Do Not Return – Per Diem
  • Do Not Return – Travel
  • Completeness of Personnel File – Per Diem
  • Completeness of Personnel File – Travel

Certified health care staffing firms collect monthly data for each required measure in the set. The data is then submitted quarterly to The Joint Commission.