Mcdonalds Report
When a hospital or provider is seeking reimbursements from Medicare, wanting recognition amongst peers or an edge over competitors, Credentialing is a major facet in getting the job accomplished. Accreditation announces to the public and professional arena that you meet at a minimum the high standards set by the accrediting association. ‘Hospital and Provider Credentialing' is completed by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO).
Historical Background
As stated on their website, "The mission of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations".
JCAHO began back in 1910, as a brain child of Ernest Codman, M.D., who proposed the "end result system of hospital standardization." Under this system, a hospital would track every patient it treated long enough to determine whether the treatment was effective. Then in 1917 ACS was established to further the works of Dr. Codman and developed a minimum standards for hospitals. In 1952 the ACS officially transferred its association to JCAH. A pivitol point for this organization was in 1965 when Congress passed the Social Security Amendments of 1965 with a provision that hospitals accredited by JCAH are "deemed" to be in compliance with most of the Medicare Conditions of Participation for Hospitals and, thus, able to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Throughout the years JCAH moved into new arenas and provided accrediting for long term care facilities, psychiatric, and now covers most every area that serves the public with medical issues.
Current Issues Facing This Profession
The Joint Commission is currently addressing the following public policy issues that are having a major impact...
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