NAMES IN THE NEWS

AAAHC Releases 2025 Quality Roadmap

SEPTEMBER 22, 2025

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) released its 2025 Quality Roadmap, an annual report that provides ambulatory care organizations with actionable insights to strengthen compliance and improve patient outcomes, according to a release. Drawn from more than a year of AAAHC survey findings, the report highlights the most common accreditation deficiencies and offers compliance guidance directly from experienced AAAHC surveyors.

New in 2025, the Quality Roadmap features a dedicated section of Life Safety Code findings to help organizations identify risks related to fire safety and facility readiness. The report also includes a heightened focus on Medicare Deemed Status (MDS), with practical guidance to strengthen compliance for organizations participating in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) programs, according to the release. In addition, it offers detailed guidance on Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) findings, providing insights and recommendations to address the most serious patient safety concerns identified by AAAHC surveyors.

The 2025 report details the top three deficiencies in three key categories. For surgical and procedural care, the most common challenges include Facilities and Equipment (FAC), Medication Management (MED), and Credentialing & Privileging (CPV). In Life Safety Code compliance, the top deficiencies are Fire Emergency Plans (FEP), Smoke and Fire Protection (SFP), and Essential Electrical Systems (EES). For primary care, Infection Prevention & Control (IPC), Emergency Management (EMG), and CPV remain the leading areas for improvement, according to the release.

“This year’s Quality Roadmap raises the bar by offering expanded analysis and practical tools organizations can immediately apply,” said Noel Adachi, president and chief executive officer of AAAHC, in the release. “The 2025 edition reinforces our commitment to turning survey findings into actionable strategies that support continuous quality improvement, helping healthcare leaders strengthen compliance and deliver safer, more reliable care every day.”

In addition to deficiency data, the Quality Roadmap reinforces that accreditation is a 1,095-day journey, underscoring the importance of embedding compliance and quality improvement into daily operations, not just during survey preparation, according to the release.

“The 2025 Quality Roadmap provides more in-depth analysis and substantive insights than ever before,” said Julie Lynch, RN, director of the AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement, in the release. “By drilling deeper into high-deficiency standards and incorporating surveyor recommendations, the report reveals a clear path for organizations to address gaps, involve staff in corrective action, and drive measurable improvements in patient safety and outcomes.”

The Quality Roadmap encourages organizations to benchmark against national survey findings, compare deficiencies to their most recent onsite report and self-assessment, and review policies, procedures and practices to ensure relevance and alignment with AAAHC standards, according to the release. It also highlights opportunities to leverage AAAHC toolkits and resources to improve patient and team safety, and encourages leaders to share findings across their organizations to drive corrective action and measurable improvement initiatives.

The 2025 AAAHC Quality Roadmap is now available for download. For more information or to access the report, visit www.aaahc.org/quality-institute/quality-roadmap.