The Joint Commission and the National Association for Healthcare Quality Form Strategic Alliance to Advance Global Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality
Media Contacts
Katie Bronk
The Joint Commission
(630) 792-5175
Evelyn Warren
National Association for Healthcare Quality
(704) 488-7690
(CHICAGO and OAKBROOK TERRACE, Illinois, November 19, 2024) – The Joint Commission and the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) announce a strategic alliance to advance global healthcare Quality and safety for all.
The alliance stems from a shared vision for safe, high-quality and equitable healthcare between NAHQ, the industry leader in defining Quality competencies and developing and certifying the healthcare Quality workforce, and The Joint Commission, the world’s premier and most recognized brand in standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare.
With the alliance, The Joint Commission and NAHQ will transform healthcare by:
- Uniting to a universal set of Quality competencies: The Joint Commission endorses and encourages healthcare organizations to adopt NAHQ’s Healthcare Quality Competency Framework™, which defines the full spectrum of work required for a high-functioning Quality program. This framework will not be a requirement for Joint Commission accreditation or certification. It will not be scored or determinative of survey or review outcome.
- Skilling healthcare professionals: NAHQ offers the only accredited certification in healthcare Quality through its Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ)® Certification. To support the importance of competency development, Joint Commission and Joint Commission International (JCI) surveyors and reviewers will obtain and maintain this certification. Furthermore, The Joint Commission and NAHQ will jointly offer 25 annual scholarships to fund CPHQ attainment in underfunded organizations.
- Co-developing best-in-class training and education: The alliance will create training and education on the most critical topics in healthcare, along with other global products and services. NAHQ will develop a series of micro-credentials aligned with each of the eight domains of its Healthcare Quality Competency Framework, including a micro-credential in Regulatory & Accreditation in collaboration with The Joint Commission.
- Aligning critical missions and approaches: NAHQ recognizes and endorses Joint Commission and JCI accreditation and certification approaches and products as best practices for assessing Quality and safety within healthcare organizations around the world.
“Our shared missions to improve healthcare safety, Quality and equity for all create a powerful synergy enabling and affirming the highest standards of healthcare delivery,” says Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, president and chief executive officer, The Joint Commission Enterprise. “The alliance creates something greater than the sum of its parts and we are excited to begin this important work.”
“This alliance is a massive step toward our mission of adoption of a universal Quality competency framework and standardized education and certification of the workforce,” adds Stephanie Mercado, president and CEO of NAHQ. “It’s a huge win for achieving our two organizations’ shared vision of better healthcare Quality and safety — and better healthcare — for everyone.”
The organizations will remain completely independent. However, to further collaboration and establish a long-term relationship, Dr. Perlin will join NAHQ’s Board of Directors, and Ms. Mercado will join Joint Commission Resources’ (JCR) Board of Directors, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
To learn more, please visit jointcommission.org/nahq-alliance or nahq.org/jointcommission-alliance.
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About The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve healthcare for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating healthcare organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 23,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.
About NAHQ
The National Association for Healthcare Quality® (NAHQ) is at the forefront of elevating the profession and advancing the discipline of quality & safety across the continuum of care. We set the industry standard through our expert-created, twice-validated Healthcare Quality Competency Framework™ and help individuals and organizations achieve it through educational programming, industry leading data-driven intelligence, and the only accredited certification in healthcare quality, Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality® (CPHQ). NAHQ also serves as a welcoming membership community and a trusted partner to 150+ organizations helping build quality infrastructures, workforce planning and professional development programs and quality cultures. Learn more at NAHQ.org.