The Joint Commission is commemorating 40 years of ambulatory health care accreditation.
"The ambulatory program at The Joint Commission covers a wide variety of different kinds of organizations that deliver care in various ambulatory settings," said Mark R. Chassin, MD, CEO and President of Joint Commission. "One of the things we've been able to do is to create standards that are evidence-based, relevant and adaptable to these many different situations."
Here are five key notes on The Joint Commission's ambulatory accreditation:
1. The Joint Commission ambulatory accreditation program began in 1975.
2. The organization currently accredits 2,100 ambulatory care organizations around the United States.
3. The accreditations support 8,100 sites of handing with more than 83 million patient visits each year.
4. The ambulatory care program is building an online repository to commemorate the important milestones that include interviews with customers, staff and surveyors over the past 40 years. There are also current customer testimonials and a photo gallery.
5. The accreditation program includes ambulatory surgery centers, medical and dental, diagnostic and therapeutic services and episodes of care.