Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care

rdf:langString Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care

rdf:langString Skokie, Ill.

rdf:langString The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), founded in 1979, is an American organization which accredits ambulatory health care organizations, including ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery centers, endoscopy centers, and college student health centers, as well as health plans, such as health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations. AAAHC has been granted "deemed status" to certify ambulatory surgery centers for Medicare by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In 2009, the AAAHC added the Medical home to the types of organizations that it accredits. It offers on-site surveys for organizations seeking Medical Home accreditation or certification. The AAAHC survey model is one of cooperation and education. It is unique in offering accreditation surveys that are conducted by professionals who are actively involved in ambulatory care and have first-hand understanding of the specific issues facing the facilities they survey. Surveyors assess how an organization meets prevailing Standards and share their knowledge and experience with others to help ambulatory service providers maintain high standards. AAAHC is one of three organizations that accredits office-based surgery practices, the others being the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities. In 2010, the organization extended its accreditation services internationally, beginning with Costa Rica. The program has since expanded to Peru and further expansion is planned. AAAHC announced the launch of a new accreditation program for hospitals in 2012, which will focus on small hospitals and will be offered through a new entity established by AAAHC, the Accreditation Association for Hospitals/Health Systems Inc. (AAHHS). AAAHC continuously reviews its standards and revises current standards and adds new standards as required by the constantly changing health care arena. Each year in August there is a public comment period where these revisions and additions are presented for review and comment by interested parties.