Joint Commission Topic Library

Facts about Speak Up™ Initiatives

The Joint Commission’s award winning Speak Up™ program urges patients to take an active role in preventing health care errors by becoming involved and informed participants on their health care team.

05/21/2013

Laboratory Services

Facts about Laboratory Accreditation

The Joint Commission has been evaluating and accrediting hospital laboratory services since 1979 and freestanding laboratories since 1995.

05/13/2013

International Certification, International Accreditation

Facts about Joint Commission International

Joint Commission International (JCI) was established in 1994 as a division of Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (JCR), a private, not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission.

04/29/2013

Facts about The Joint Commission

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them...

04/15/2013

Critical Access Hospitals

Facts about Critical Access Hospital Accreditation

The Joint Commission has accredited hospitals for more than 50 years. In 2001, The Joint Commission introduced a new program to accredit critical access hospitals. CAHs are hospitals identified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as having met, or eligible to meet, the conditions for...

04/12/2013

Facts about the Nursing Advisory Council

Related Topics: Fact Sheets, Nurse, Advisory Group Fact Sheets

03/08/2013

Facts about the Board of Commissioners

The Board of Commissioners is The Joint Commission’s governing body, providing policy leadership and oversight.

03/08/2013

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Office-Based Surgery, Home Care

Accreditation Process Overview

The Joint Commission’s accreditation process seeks to help organizations identify and resolve problems and to inspire them to improve the safety and quality of care and services provided.

03/07/2013

Facts about Pain Management

It is estimated that in the United States more than 76 million people suffer from pain. Pain can be chronic or acute, such as post-surgical pain.

02/27/2013

Ambulatory Health Care

Facts about Ambulatory Care Accreditation

The Joint Commission’s Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program was established in 1975, and today more than1,900 freestanding ambulatory care organizations are Joint Commission-accredited.

02/25/2013

Facts about patient safety

The Joint Commission is committed to improving health care safety. This commitment is inherent in its mission to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe. . .

01/18/2013

Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals

Facts about ORYX® for Hospitals (National Hospital Quality Measures)

ORYX® is The Joint Commission’s performance measurement and improvement initiative, first implemented in 1997.

01/11/2013

Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Facts about the Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Accreditation and Rehabilitation and Advanced Care Certification

On January 7, 2013, The Joint Commission launched its new Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Accreditation program. This program replaces the previous Long Term Care Accreditation program, which was established as the Accreditation Program for Extended Care Facilities in 1966.

01/07/2013

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Office-Based Surgery

Facts about the Universal Protocol

The Joint Commission Board of Commissioners originally approved the Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure and Wrong Person Surgery™ in July 2003, and it became effective July 1, 2004 for all accredited hospitals, ambulatory care and office-based surgery facilities.

01/03/2013

Facts about the Public Information Policy

The Public Information Policy applies to all organizations that have an accreditation history with The Joint Commission.

12/28/2012

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Laboratory Services, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Office-Based Surgery, Home Care, Advanced Certification , Disease-Specific Care, Health Care Staffing Services

Facts about Joint Commission Accreditation and Certification

Since its founding in 1951, The Joint Commission has been acknowledged as the leader in developing the highest standards for quality and safety in the delivery of health care, and evaluating organization performance based on these standards. Today, more than 20,000 health care organizations. . .

12/05/2012

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Laboratory Services, Home Care

Facts about federal deemed status and state recognition

In order for a health care organization to participate in and receive payment from the Medicare or Medicaid programs, it must meet the eligibility requirements for program participation, including a certification of compliance with the Conditions of Participation (CoPs).

11/12/2012

Hospitals

Facts about Hospital Accreditation

The Joint Commission has accredited hospitals for more than 60 years and today it accredits approximately 4,168 general, children’s, long term acute, psychiatric, rehabilitation and specialty hospitals, and 378 critical access hospitals, through a separate accreditation program.

Related Topics: Hospital, Fact Sheets, Accreditation

09/19/2012

Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals

Facts about accountability measures

In June 2010, in order to help hospitals prepare for performance measurement in the new health care environment, The Joint Commission categorized its performance measures into accountability and non-accountability measures.

09/18/2012

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Laboratory Services, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Office-Based Surgery, Home Care

Facts about the unannounced survey process

Find out more about The Joint Commission's unannounced survey process.

09/17/2012

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Laboratory Services, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Office-Based Surgery, Home Care

Facts about the Early Survey Policy

The Joint Commission’s Early Survey Policy allows health care organizations to undergo a survey prior to having the ability to demonstrate full compliance with all Joint Commission standards, and receive a preliminary accreditation decision.

09/11/2012

Facts about the Patient and Family Advisory Council

A diverse group of nationally prominent individuals and organizations serve on The Joint Commission’s Patient and Family Advisory Council.

09/04/2012

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Laboratory Services, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Office-Based Surgery, Home Care

Benefits of Joint Commission Accreditation

A listing of the benefits of Joint Commission accreditation.

08/27/2012

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Laboratory Services, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Office-Based Surgery, Home Care

Facts about Scoring and Accreditation Decisions for 2013

The scoring and decision process is based on the criticality of the standards and other requirements regarding their relationship to the quality and safety of patient care.

08/27/2012

Ambulatory Health Care

Facts about Primary Care Medical Home Certification

Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) Certification for Joint Commission accredited ambulatory care organizations focuses on care coordination, access to care, and how effectively a primary care clinician and interdisciplinary team work in partnership with the patient (and where applicable, their family)

08/07/2012

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Facts about Speak Up™ Initiatives

Facts about Laboratory Accreditation

Facts about Joint Commission International

Facts about The Joint Commission

Facts about Critical Access Hospital Accreditation

Facts about the Nursing Advisory Council

Facts about the Board of Commissioners

Accreditation Process Overview

Facts about Pain Management

Facts about Ambulatory Care Accreditation

Facts about patient safety

Facts about ORYX® for Hospitals (National Hospital Quality Measures)

Facts about the Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Accreditation and Rehabilitation and Advanced Care Certification

Facts about the Universal Protocol

Facts about the Public Information Policy

Facts about Joint Commission Accreditation and Certification

Facts about federal deemed status and state recognition

Facts about Hospital Accreditation

Facts about accountability measures

Facts about the unannounced survey process

Facts about the Early Survey Policy

Facts about the Patient and Family Advisory Council

Benefits of Joint Commission Accreditation

Facts about Scoring and Accreditation Decisions for 2013

Facts about Primary Care Medical Home Certification