Just launched: Health Care Equity Certification program

The Joint Commission has developed a new Health Care Equity (HCE) Certification program that will be effective July 1, 2023. This advanced certification program will recognize accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals that strive for excellence in their efforts to provide equitable care, treatment, and services.

The HCE Certification also will be available for non-Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals that comply with applicable federal laws, including U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation.

Improving healthcare equity is a quality and safety priority. The HCE Certification builds on The Joint Commission’s longstanding accreditation requirements that support healthcare equity and the new requirements to reduce healthcare disparities. The new certification requirements emphasize the structures and processes that healthcare organizations need to decrease healthcare disparities in their patient populations; promote diversity, equity, and inclusion for their staff; and address the following topics:

• Leadership
• Collaboration
• Data collection
• Provision of care
• Performance improvement

The Joint Commission also plans to expand its online Health Care Equity Accreditation Standards and Resource Center to provide strategies and tools specific to HCE Certification to assist hospitals and critical access hospitals as they prepare to meet the certification requirements. The resource center includes innovative strategies and focused resources to support standards compliance.

View the prepublication standards. Questions may be directed to the Department of Standards and Survey Methods.