What Is JCAHO?

JCAHO (the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations), more commonly known as the Joint Commission, is an independent, non-profit organization that sets standards for and accredits health care organizations in the United States.

Mission

• The Joint Commission strives to improve overall national health care. It attempts to do this by evaluating health care organizations to see how they can provide services of the highest value and quality.

HIstory

• The Joint Commission was founded in 1951. Over the past several years, the organization has grown to evaluate and accredit more than 17,000 health care organizations and programs throughout the United States. It is the oldest organization of its nature.

Governance

• A 29-member Board of Commissioners governs the Joint Commission. It comprises diverse members of the health care field such as physicians and nurses, administrators, health plan leaders and educators.

Location

• The Joint Commission is headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. However, it also has a satellite office in Washington, D.C. to interact with federal government agencies and Congress and influence policy.

Services

• The Joint Commission has a number of standards for performance measurement of medical practices, as well as offers accreditation services (Accredited organizations receive a "Golden Seal of Approval"). The Joint Commission also provides an online guide that the public could use to find the best health care organizations in the nation.