Two female medical practitioners using a digital tablet together in a hospital.
Process
If your ambulatory health care facility is considering accreditation, you probably have questions about the process, survey, and pricing. Find answers to these questions here.
Have more time? Access our overview for more details on the accreditation process.
Curious what your path to ambulatory health care accreditation looks like? Here are some steps to guide you through the accreditation process with confidence.
When reviewing the standards, make a list to determine:
Requirements that are applicable.
Areas of compliance and non-compliance.
If and where policies/procedures might need to be changed.
If you need any help interpreting the standards or what to do to meet them, you can browse frequently asked questions about the standards and get further help from our Standards Interpretation Group.
Contact our business development team to start the application process:
Our team will set up a secure account page for your organization on The Joint Commission’s extranet site.
Access the extranet site with your login name and password to complete your application.
Indicate your preferred survey month, which can be up to 12 months from the time you apply.
Submit your application when complete and pay the $1,700 deposit to begin the scheduling process.
Upon submitting an application, you will be assigned a dedicated point-of-contact to assist you with the application and everything after. Find your Account Executive on your extranet site.
Establish a timeline to implement any changes needed to comply with all the standards by the time of your on-site accreditation survey.
Access Resources and Prepare for Your On-Site Survey
Download the Survey Activity Guide, which provides all the details of the surveyor(s) onsite agenda and access additional resources that will help you prepare for accreditation.
Meet your Joint Commission surveyor(s) and undergo the comprehensive on-site review. A preliminary, written accreditation report will be made available to you at the end of the survey.
Complete Any Post-Survey Follow Up Activities
If further changes are requested:
Resolve the issues via the Evidence of Standards Process Compliance (ESC) process.
Report back to your Account Executive within the requested time period, usually about 60 days.
Celebrate/Publicize Your Accomplishment
When you’ve attained The Gold Seal of Approval® — let the world know! Explore our publicity kit for tips and artwork to use. As an accredited facility your organization will be listed on our Find Accredited Organizations webpage.
Don’t forget to report your new status to your liability insurer to see if you qualify for reduced rates.
Take advantage of many resources to maintain your compliance with Joint Commission requirements.
Use the Focused Standards Assessment process to continuously improve your organization’s performance in the years between surveys.
Notify your Account Executive of any major changes in your organization.
Check your extranet site periodically for any updates to Joint Commission standards or processes.
Understand Your Survey
The Joint Commission’s accreditation survey helps organizations improve the safety and quality of care and services. The process begins with an on-site survey that assesses compliance with Joint Commission standards.
Joint Commission surveyors are specially trained professionals with experience in the ambulatory health care industry who understand the day-to-day issues that confront providers and have the hands-on expertise to help organizations resolve them.
On-site surveys involve:
Tracing the patient’s experience, which involves observing services provided by various caregivers and programs within the organization, as well as hand-offs between them
On-site observations and interviews
Assessment of the physical facility
Review of documents provided by the organization
Your accreditation experience is supported by experts who will help you before, during and after your survey. Listen to a quick video by Joint Commission staff to learn the key takeaways in going through your first Joint Commission ambulatory health care survey.
