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Accreditation Options

Below are just some of the larger ambulatory care settings The Joint Commission accredits.

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Advanced Imaging Services Accreditation
Suppliers furnishing the technical component (TC) of advanced imaging services must be accredited by a CMS-designated accrediting organization for Medicare Part B payments to be made under the Physician Fee Schedule. CMS named The Joint Commission a designated accreditation organization to help advanced imaging services meet diagnostic imaging safety, reliability, clarity and accuracy standards.

Learn more about Advanced Imaging Services Accreditation

Compliance checklist for imaging standards

Ambulatory Surgery Center Accreditation
Ambulatory Care accreditation applies to organizations with “health care occupancy,” providing care to four or more individuals at the same time, who are either rendered incapable of self-preservation in an emergency or are undergoing general anesthesia. 

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Community Health Center Accreditation
Human Resources & Services Administration/Bureau of Primary Health Care (HRSA/BPHC) encourages health centers to undergo comprehensive accreditation processes to support the achievement of national benchmarks and demonstrate the highest standards of health care quality. A comprehensive accreditation survey process provides structure and resources to guide and inspire health centers to provide safe care and deliver high quality outcomes.

Learn more about Community Health Center Accreditation

Corporate Advantage for Ambulatory Care Accreditation
A program designed for multi-facility organizations, Corporate Advantage provides an objective foundation for data-driven action plans to achieve corporate quality and safety benchmarks to address the unique management and oversight needs of multi-facility corporation leaders.

Learn more about Corporate Advantage for Ambulatory Care Accreditation

Deemed Status for Ambulatory Surgery Centers Accreditation
The Joint Commission is designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as an approved accreditor for ASCs seeking Medicare certification, and can provide accreditation and Medicare certification simultaneously through its survey process. CMS, not The Joint Commission, grants the final decision for Medicare certification.

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Medical Group Practice Accreditation

Whether you're a part of an organization with a just few or several medical group practice sites, the benefits of seeking Ambulatory accreditation with The Joint Commission are undeniable. By pursuing the gold standard in medical group practice surveys, your organization will enhance and objectively validate its performance reliability; proactively minimize risk areas for your clients, staff and brand; create a performance-focused competitive edge to help boost market share; leverage a vetted framework to grow or expand services; and meet state/federal mandates or eligibility requirements for payers and network providers. All which make the investment worth its weight in gold.

Learn more about Medical Group Practice Accreditation

Office-Based Surgery Accreditation
Office-Based Surgery Accreditation applies to organizations with “business occupancy,” providing care to three or fewer individuals at the same time, who are either rendered incapable of self-preservation in an emergency or are undergoing general anesthesia.

Learn more about Office-Based Surgery Accreditation

System Accreditation
Awards a single accreditation decision to an ambulatory “system” composed of a corporate office and multiple sites. Under this option, the main site is visited to assess system-wide policies and functions and then a random sample* of sites are visited to assess the execution of the policies and the delivery of care.

Learn more about System Accreditation

Urgent/Immediate Care Center Accreditation
For any health care setting, attaining Joint Commission accreditation is a proxy for quality. Its robust standards, specifically tailored for Urgent/Immediate Care organizations, help ensure a streamlined approach to safety processes and quality of care across sites.

Learn more about Urgent/Immediate Care Accreditation



*Note: Sampling process is not applicable to ambulatory care systems who use sedation/anesthesia for invasive or surgical procedures. For these organizations, all sites are surveyed.

Certification Options

Primary Care Medical Home Certification
The Joint Commission's Primary Care Medical Home option recognizes organizations providing superior access to primary care for patients and offers the potential for increased reimbursement. Built into the ambulatory on-site accreditation survey, organizations successfully completing this process will be both Joint Commission-accredited and certified as a Primary Care Medical Home.

Primary Care Medical Home Certification

Orthopedic Certification for Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Joint Commission orthopedic certifications provide structure for programs to improve their patient outcomes and reduce patient risk through clinically proven evidence-based care. Options include core certifications for hip/ knee replacement and spinal surgery and Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement (THKR).

Orthopedic certification program

Rely on Our Experts

If you’re not sure which option best suits your needs, or you’d like help getting started, our team of experts can help. Find out more about our accreditation and certification options.

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