to main content Health Care Equity Certification | The Joint Commission

Like you, we believe all people deserve access to safe, high quality health care.

While systemic inequities in the quality and safety of the patient care experience exist — including gaps in interpreting services and access to telehealth — we believe there is a path forward.

This new, voluntary advanced certification for health care equity program provides the structure to guide your organization’s journey to achieving health care equity. It guides forward movement in imbedding health care equity in all aspects of care, treatment, and service delivery.

Certification Benefits

This certification is well-suited for organizations that are already on their journey to health care equity and would like to formalize structures, processes, and goals for identifying and addressing health disparities.
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Lead

Make health care equity a key pillar of the organization’s strategic plan.
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Collaborate

Advance collaboration with other organizations to understand the needs of the community.
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Analyze

Improve data collection and analysis of disparities in care to guide actions to address gaps.
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Ensure

See how diversity, equity and inclusion for staff relate to the organization’s ability to ensure equitable care to those they serve.
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Improve

By analyzing collected data, an organization can identify areas to improve and evaluate any changes it makes to support its health equity goals.

Steps to Certification

Earning a certification award typically takes 4-6 months from application submission to final decision. We help make the path to gold clear and manageable.
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Request access to the prepublication requirements
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Explore the Health Care Equity Certification Resource Center
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Submit a pre-application for certification

Health Care Equity Collaborations

Improving health care equity requires engagement and partnerships across the entire health care industry, as well as with industry stakeholders such as employers, regulators, and community-based organizations. When multiple organizations, from across different aspects of the health care experience, work together for a common goal, we all can achieve more.

  • ,,We’ve built the requirements for this certification to help support organizations on their journey to ensure all people receive safe, high quality care.,,

    Dr. David W. Baker, MD, MPH, FACP - Executive Vice President for Health Care Quality Evaluation - The Joint Commission

The Joint Commission's commitment to advance health equity extends beyond our newest certification. We are proud to be part of the Advancing Equity through Quality and Safety Peer Network, a one-year mentorship and networking program lead by American Medical Association (AMA), Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Joint Commission designed to teach health systems how to better incorporate racial justice equity into their quality and safety practices. Eight hospitals and health systems including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Vanderbilt University Medical Center are participating.

Join the Movement

Learn what this achievement can mean to your community, organization and its valued partners.

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Reduce Health Disparities

Understand patients’ needs so you can better address potential health issues and provide preventive care.
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Create Organizational Alignment

Improve quality, monitor improvement, and standardize processes fundamental to reaching health equity goals.
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Differentiate Your Organization

Among payors, government agencies, and employers in contracting and across the communities you serve.