to main content Eligibility for Hospital Accreditation | The Joint Commission

Determine Your Eligibility

Your hospital must meet these eligibility requirements to be considered for Joint Commission accreditation:

  1. The organization meets parameters for the minimum number of inpatients/volume of services required for organizations seeking Joint Commission accreditation for the first time; that is 10 inpatients served, with one active at the time of survey. A hospital that is seeking Medicare Certification and is new to The Joint Commission must have two active inpatient case at the time of survey.
    • If the hospital’s Average Daily Census is less than 21 (1-20), the hospital must be able to provide 20 inpatient records.
    • If the hospital’s Average Daily Census is 21 or more, or if the hospital is a specialty hospital (cardiac, orthopedic, or surgical), the hospital must be able to provide inpatient records for at least 10 percent of the ADC, but not less than 30 inpatient records at the time of survey.

Ready to Move On?

Assess Your Eligibility

You've checked that your organization meets these eligibility requirements to be considered for Joint Commission accreditation.

Next Step

Learn about the accreditation process and what happens during a survey.