Becoming Accredited by the Joint Commission

The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization created in 1951 that accredits more than 20,000 US health care programs and organizations. TJC’s goal and mission are to ensure quality healthcare for patients, prevent harm, and improve patient advocacy by creating a set of standards that must be diligently followed in order to achieve or retain accreditation. Some of their focus areas include quality of care, competent staff, safety measures, environment of care, medication management, performance improvement, and rights of individual. 

TJC helps hospitals and healthcare facilities to gain reputation by awarding them accreditation. These health care organizations are reviewed every 2 to 3 years. During this process, patients are randomly selected to complete a survey about their hospital stay. Typically, they announce their visit at the start of the week, without stating a specific date. Hence, the visits are considered unannounced as they must continuously prepare for the visit.

If organizations are compliant with all the standards, they receive accreditation. Otherwise, organizations must develop plans of action to improve safety and quality to satisfy the TJC guidelines. If a facility would like to be accredited by TJC, they pay a fee to the agency. After they have received a passing grade, they can display the results to the public, giving them leverage and helping their reputation. Furthermore, if a hospital can secure accreditation from TJC, it becomes eligible to obtain liability insurance and Medicare funding. 

The Joint Commission’s standards and emphasis on clinical practice guidelines help organizations establish a consistent approach to care. This in turn will create less variation in clinical processes, which ultimately will reduce the risk of error and improve the quality of patient care. It will also allow you to develop strategies that can be utilized to address complex issues and key vulnerabilities in the patient care experience. A strategy that TJC uses when regularly updating their guidelines and requirements for accreditation is to seek input from healthcare professionals and others with knowledge in a variety of settings. This allows them to keep their community informed on what to expect and involved in the process of selection. 

MJ Resource Management specializes in compliance that includes certification and accreditation. We understand that being certified or accredited will not only enhance your company’s image, but will help your business grow. Our staff is trained and dedicated to helping you highlight the skill level of your staff, ensure a safer work environment, increase productivity, and practice sound legal compliance. We are here to help guide you through the process of becoming accredited by the Joint Commission and are also available to help guide you through renewals and recertification processes.

Achieving accreditation by the Joint Commission is a powerful tool for your business to possess. It is a visible demonstration to your clients, staff, and community that your organization has gone above standards to deliver and continuously improve the care that you provide. There was a time when there weren’t any reputable sources for detailed information on hospitals. TJC responded to this demand by becoming a public voice for health care improvements. 

All businesses require certifications specific to the services they provide. In some instances, dozens of certifications are required for both the business and sometimes employees including the Joint Commission, CARF, and more. It is important to ensure that those certifications are up to date and appropriate for the business to have. MJ Resource Management can help with this process, allowing companies to stay focused on growing their businesses.