ASC Accreditation, Licensure & Medicare Certification

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care changed its governance structure after nearly 40 years, establishing a 13-member board of directors.

Middletown, Conn.-based Community Health Center received The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation and Behavioral Health Care Accreditation, both valid for three years.

The Joint Commission accreditation helps organizations prove their high quality of care to patients, potential hires and payers, according to The Joint Commission's Mike Dye, senior associate director of business development in the ambulatory care program.

Three of the 10 toughest standards for accredited ambulatory care organizations and office-based surgery practices were related to infection and prevention control activities, according The Joint Commission's Sylvia Garcia-Houchins, infection control director.

The American Occupational Therapy Association accredited the occupational hand therapy fellowship program of Charlotte, N.C.-based OrthoCarolina.

The Joint Commission issued a sentinel event alert to help recognize and handle violence in various healthcare settings, where workers are four times more likely to be victimized than private industry workers.

The Joint Commission proposed new standards for pain assessment and management in ambulatory settings and office-based surgery settings.

Baltimore-based MedStar Union Memorial Hospital's MedStar Orthopaedic Institute received The Joint Commission's advanced subspecialty certification in shoulder replacement surgery.

Here are five outpatient centers that achieved accreditation, reaccreditation or certification in March 2018.

The Joint Commission’s Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals emphasized the importance of safety culture in its Patient Safety Systems chapter, which expanded to ambulatory care and office-based surgery settings as of Jan. 1, 2017.