What are the top health care accreditation programs in the U.S.?

Accreditation programs are extremely pivotal to achieving a higher standard of health care quality and safety. The purpose of health care accreditation is to help improve the organization’s quality by meeting specific standards that will lead to better overall quality of care. While accreditation benefits patients, it is also frequently appreciated by health care professionals. This standard for organizations helps improve the systems that are user-friendly and lead to better outcomes. 

Health care accreditation holds programs in the United States to a higher standard. The goal of pushing for accreditation programs is to emphasize quality assurance regarding patient safety and outcomes by reducing unnecessary risks by adding better practices. Additionally, accredited organizations are being held to a higher level and expected to keep growing to meet new compliance standards, regulations are constantly being reevaluated for areas of improvement.

Overall, accredited health care programs create a deep trust between the patient, partners and stakeholders. These programs aim to stand out and succeed in providing the best quality health services and are willing to improve each program continuously. 

Methodology: How We Evaluated the Top Accreditation Programs

Discovering the top five health care accreditation programs in the U.S. included looking for specific organizations that matched the research-based criteria. Only authoritative sources were taken into consideration to rank as the top accreditors. The following areas were considered:

• Goal of the accreditor: The organization had to value quality and safety for all patients to enhance quality of life. 
• Large selection of programs: To find the best pick for a health care plan, the accreditor had to offer a variety of programs to choose from to pick the right program for the health care organization.
• Credible services: The accreditor had to be highly trusted and valued. The health care industry does not have room for any errors since the stakes are so high. The compliance standards had to be up to date and highly credible.

What Is Health Care Accreditation?

Health care accreditation aims to hold organizations accountable for meeting specific standards to ensure public health services continue to adapt to new advancements and provide the highest quality service. According to recent reports, health care departments have noticed a 95% increase in quality improvement due to accreditation. These organizations are being held accountable and, as a result, are more motivated to create better quality services. To do this, health care professionals must consider areas of weakness that could be much more efficient with new tactics implemented. 

Overall, accredited organizations have a mission to improve the organization, which includes more evidence-based practices, referring to authoritative resources and maintaining excellent relationships with partners and other key stakeholders.

Key Features of Leading Health Care Accreditation Programs

Before you choose the perfect organization for you, it is vital to consider the following key features that should stand out to you for a highly accredited health care organization:

• Evidence-based standards: This feature should include using and staying up to date on the best practices in clinical research in order to incorporate the newest advancements in technology and medical models.
• Accessible health care physicians: This feature makes sure that physicians can be readily available to best help the needs and flow of any health care program. This includes measuring the time and availability of each health care provider. Health care organizations will thrive the most when the environment is organized and efficient. Holding the organization accountable to meet specific standards will help maintain a more fluid workspace.
• Compliance with recent regulations: It is important to ensure that each program is going through the proper evaluations of rigorous standards. The health plans for patients should reflect thoughtful consideration and in-depth research.
• Flexibility in patient care: Accredited programs need to evaluate how to manage patient needs to ensure which care plans are appropriate. Proper protocols must be in place to ensure that patients use the correct program.  
• Years of experience: In the past 10 years, the world has seen many technological advancements and innovations. One aspect to consider is how organizations have adapted to technological innovations over the past decade.

Throughout the process, it is pivotal to remember the organizations that have remained trusted and credible.

How Accreditation Impacts Health Care Quality and Safety 

Accreditation is directly tied to improving quality and safety in health care because it holds organizations to new and greater standards. These standards emphasize overall patient care quality, service providers and stakeholders. As more modern advancements are considered, health care systems will become more efficient, reducing the margin for error. Without valuable strategies to improve, health care structures will not adapt, ultimately hindering any progress to enhance the quality of service. 

The Top Five Health Care Accreditation Programs in the U.S

1. URAC URAC is a highly accredited organization that strives to prepare health care organizations to better innovate and thrive. It was founded as an independent, nonprofit accreditation entity in 1990. URAC prepares organizations to meet new standards in a way that excels in quality without compromising the approachable human aspect by providing certification and accreditation programs emphasizing special attention to quality and safety. It firmly believes in a mission that the accreditation proves your unwavering commitment to uphold and improve all aspects of the health care world. 

The company provides resources to help you find the right program to keep your company up to date on safety and quality commitments. URAC works with over 1,000 well-known health care organizations like Johns Hopkins Medicine, CVS Pharmacy, Blue Cross Blue Shield (Arizona) and more. 

Key features:

• Quick results
• A singular point of contact
• 35 years of experience

2. Joint Commission

The Joint Commission aims to prioritize high standards that focus on overall health care quality and the safety of patients. It focuses on building highly accredited health care organizations throughout the world. It aims to achieve the best health care quality across many different settings. Its expertise empowers organizations to consider advanced improvements for the organization by considering stakeholders, staff and patients directly affected by all program standards. 

The National Quality Forum—a nonprofit organization that aims to collaborate with health care-focused stakeholders—works alongside the Joint Commission to succeed in the intended mission to prioritize quality and safety of all. It works closely with partners like Archangels, Alzheimer’s Association, American Heart Association and more.

Key features:

• Using Artificial Intelligence
• National Quality Forum collaboration
• Over 70 years of experience

3. National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) builds its initiative around improving the overall quality of health care. It firmly believes that better standards will lead to better care. This nonprofit organization was founded in 1990 under the premise of “turning on the lights.” NCQA aims to consider how well current health plans provide evidence-based care, and actively looks for solutions to advance the overall quality of the health care organization. 

NCQA built the company around maintaining high principles of accountability, measurement and transparency to strive for high levels of improvement. NCQA stands out for having a unique program-based consumer experience and clinical performance. To feel fully prepared in all areas of accreditation, NCQA offers accreditation education courses that will walk you through the need-to-know aspects during your journey with certification.

Key features: 

• Contract and Professional Services
• 35 years of experience
• HEDIS-reporting health plans

4. Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)

The AAAHC focuses on ambulatory health care to emphasize the importance of each day. This organization aims to succeed in making client services a top priority, meaning clients can rely on the comfort of receiving the best support for its services. The AAAHC was founded in 1979 and leads the ambulatory health care accreditation. This organization aims to help various ambulatory surgery centers, dental group practices, worksite health clinics and more. 

AAAHC fiercely advocates for improving health care while continuously adopting new developments and standards. AAAHC continues to be recognized by third-party payors, liability insurance companies, the public and many more.

Key features:

• Ambulatory accreditation leader
• 45 years of experience
• Benchmarking studies

5. Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)

The CARF aims to promote a higher quality, value and outcomes of many health care services, while considering unique aspects of each patient. This independent, nonprofit accreditor was founded in 1966 as the notable Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. 

This organization takes pride in its diverse and dynamic environment, which aims to enhance the quality of life for all persons. Outside of offering a vast array of accreditations, CARF also has an additional focus on education, publishing and research. However, its primary focus is on health and human services accreditation.

Key features:

• Established by two credible national organizations
• 59 years of experience
• Secondary business focuses on research, education and publishing

Accreditation Programs Offered By These Organizations

These five organizations offer credible accreditation programs focusing on high quality and safety. Here is a comprehensive list of the current accreditation programs provided at each of the companies stated above:

Name of the Accreditor	Types of Accreditation Programs
URAC	PharmacyPatient Care ManagementAdministrative ManagementDigital Health and TelehealthHealth PlanMental Health and Substance Use Disorder ParityURAC Program Designations
Joint Commission	Ambulatory Health CareAssisted Living CommunityBehavioral Health Care and Human ServicesCritical Access HospitalHome CareHospitalLaboratory ServicesNursing Care CenterRural Health ClinicTelehealth
NCQA	Certified Community Behavioral Health ClinicsVirtual CareCase ManagementCredentialingHealth EquityHealth PlanPopulation Health ProgramProvider NetworkUtilization ManagementWellness and Health PromotionTelehealth
AAAHC	Ambulatory AccreditationHealth Plan AccreditationMedicare Deemed Status Health Plan FEHBAmbulatory Surgery CentersOffice-Based Surgery Centers
CARF	Aging ServicesContinuing Care Retirement CommunitiesBehavioral HealthOpioid Treatment ProgramsChild and Youth ServicesEmployment and Community ServicesMedical RehabilitationVision Rehabilitation Services

How to Choose the Right Accreditation Program

Choosing the right accreditation program for you can seem overwhelming. However, it is crucial to remember a few critical aspects to help ease your search because accreditation is important to find high quality and service. 

For one, committing to looking out for credible companies is imperative. This aspect of considering more credible organizations will be crucial since health care directly affects the lives of many. Moreover, standards change frequently, so it is important to make sure the organization is staying up to date as regulations continue to update. A more reliable accreditor might take more time to improve its standards and will have a good commitment to achieving the best quality for health care services. 

Furthermore, your chosen organization must have a vast array of accreditation programs. Showing a large category of options to choose from will reveal to you if the company is a knowledgeable and credible source. Having more options can help you find the most compatible option for you. It is important to keep in mind that each health care organization is unique. While the overall goal can be to improve the quality and safety of an organization, there are several ways to get there. The perfect accreditation program will fit your needs and be able to support this process to improve. 

Finally, the right program for you will show vast resources continuously being considered to stay current on new standards. In order for an organization to be credible, look through the providers, investors and previous customers. It is pivotal to ensure your organization will be placed in the right hands.

While these are just some of the considerations, these aspects are crucial for the selection process. Overall, your chosen accreditation program will directly impact your organization, so you must pick the right place for your needs. 

The Value of Accreditation for Health Care

Choosing the right health care accreditation program can come with challenges, but with so many great programs, the services can be personalized to best fit your needs. Accreditation cannot be optional. Accreditation will build trust and credibility. It further shows how the health care industry strives to incorporate new and improved standards to achieve high quality and safety for patients, staff and stakeholders.