Working with the Joint Commission

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission is a U.S.-based, non-profit organization. It’s responsible for accrediting over 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs. The organization also has an international branch to accredit and standardize medical services across the globe. Their goal is to “continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value”. They achieve this through establishing hospital safety and quality standards, combined with evaluations and collaboration with staff and stakeholders.

The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. They’re considered the “gold standard” of healthcare accreditation.

The Joint Commission has two nonprofit affiliate organizations. The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare aims to solve health care’s most critical safety and quality problems. They offer tools, training programs, and (especially of note), the TRIO Program. TRIO is an acronym for “Trust, Report, and Improve Organizations.” The program works to support a healthcare organization’s internal structure and culture.

Joint Commission Resources (JCR) offers educational services, publications, and software to complement the accreditation experience. JCR offers a digital learning center with courses covering various healthcare topics. JCR also includes Joint Commission International (JCI). JCI is the division that accredits and certifies international health care organizations.

Accreditation with The Joint Commission

Accreditation is a voluntary process—theoretically, a healthcare provider doesn’t “need” to be accredited to offer services. So why do hospitals and other healthcare providers pursue accreditation with The Joint Commission?

• Medicare and Medicaid: Accreditation from The Joint Commission or another federally approved organization is required for healthcare providers to receive payment from Medicare and Medicaid programs.
• Patient Safety: One of The Joint Commission’s missions is to promote patient safety. As healthcare providers naturally have the same goal, meeting Joint Commission standards is an excellent way to achieve it.
• Community Recognition: Joint Commission accreditation solidifies an organization’s position in their community. Patients can trust that their healthcare provider prioritizes quality care–especially as it’s a voluntary process.
• Access to Resources: After going through the accreditation process, organizations have access to classes, texts, resources, and professionals to continue their development. This creates an environment of consistent improvement.
• Decreasing Costs: Implementing Joint Commission standards decreases costs, through time and labor management, as well as efficiency practices.
• Professional Recognition: Providers accredited by the Joint Commission are professionally recognized for the standards they uphold. Accreditation makes a healthcare provider a good choice for partnerships with insurers and managed-care organizations. These organizations can trust that a Joint Commission accredited facility is committed to quality and safety.