The following communication guidelines have been developed to help your organization appropriately announce its certification from The Joint Commission. The Joint Commission requires that a certified program or organization accurately describe the nature and meaning of its certification. Any program or organization that materially misleads the public about any matter relating to its certification may have to undertake appropriate corrective advertising or risk loss of certification.
- If your program or organization has sites or offers services that are not certified, any reference to certification must clearly specify which sites/services are certified.
- Certification does not “endorse” a program or organization’s quality of care; nor does it “prove,” “assure” or “testify” that a program or organization provides quality care. Certification demonstrates a commitment to excellence in providing disease specific care, health care staffing, or transplant center services.
- Accurately state the program or organization’s certification accomplishment. To say that your program or organization is the “first” or the “only” program or organization in the area to receive certification may not be true and can be misleading.