Bureau of Primary Health Care
Benefits
Health 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.
Hear how Joint Commission accreditation has made a positive impact on a community health clinic in East Harlem, NY.
Process
Health centers must first submit to BPHC their Notice of Intent (NOI) to participate in the accreditation initiative. Once approved, The Joint Commission will work with the health center to finalize an application for accreditation, confirm a survey date, and provide other assistance regarding survey preparation.
Educational Assistance & Resources
The Joint Commission provides resources to help your health center achieve accreditation or Primary Care Medical Home certification. These resources include:
- Dedicated account executive and business development staff to guide you through the process, provide you with a resources, and access to our online E-dition Standards
- Webinars on a variety of topics including infection prevention, emergency management and medication safety
- Scholarships to education events that provide tips, tools, and strategies to be successful in achieving ambulatory care accreditation 
- Publications with readiness resources, practical checklists and toolkits
HRSA, in conjunction with The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources, created this hub to house all current educational offerings offered through HRSA by Joint Commission Resources. Learners who registered for any education offering through HRSA by Joint Commission Resources in the past two years will automatically be upgraded to receive access. Staff from HRSA organizations which have never attended past education offerings can also register for access.
Cost
For FQHCs, HRSA/BPHC pays the onsite and annual accreditation fees — for both initial and subsequent accreditation surveys. In addition, HRSA/BPHC also covers the accreditation fees for PCMH certification surveys combined with an ambulatory care accreditation survey.