What is JCAHO?

Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

Joint Commission accreditation is the most recognized seal of approval for behavioral health care providers. Accreditation helps behavioral health care organizations improve their performance, raise the level of care to individuals served, demonstrate accountability, and increase participation in managed care and other contracted arrangements. JCAHO stands for the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. An independent, not-for-profit organization, JCAHO is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Since 1951, JCAHO has developed state-of-the-art, professionally based standards and evaluated the compliance of health care organizations against these benchmarks. JCAHO's mission: 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.

Standards and Performance Measurement
JCAHO's standards address the organization's level of performance in key functional areas, such as patient rights and patient treatment. Standards set forth performance expectations for activities that affect the safety and quality of patient care. If an organization does the right things and does them well, there is a strong likelihood that its patients will experience good outcomes.


Benefits of JCAHO Accreditation

• Leads to improved patient care
• Demonstrates the organization's commitment to safety and quality
• Offers a consultative and educational experience
• Supports and enhances safety and quality improvement efforts
• May substitute for federal certification surveys for Medicare and Medicaid
• Provides a competitive advantage
• Fulfills licensure requirements in many states
• Recognized by insurers and other third parties
• Strengthens community confidence

Questions or Comments for JCAHO?

General phone number: (630) 792-5000
Customer Service Center: (630) 792-5800
Media inquiries: (630) 792-5175
Toll free complaint hot line: (800) 994-6610
Standards interpretation: (630) 792-5900
Web site: www.jcaho.org