NAMES IN THE NEWS

AAAHC Ramps Up Survey Operations

JUNE 2020

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) of Skokie, Illinois, is resuming onsite surveys after temporarily pausing activities during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a June 22 release. As the healthcare industry finds new ways to safely resume operations, AAAHC will continue to emphasize specific focus areas, such as ongoing emergency readiness and infection prevention and control processes. During surveys, AAAHC will provide healthcare organizations with a worksheet specific to their survey type—Medicare, surgical non-Medicare or primary care—to help them address emergency preparedness and infection prevention and control.

“All organizations that have submitted an updated, completed application for accreditation should conduct an internal assessment to evaluate their readiness and implement an action plan to address any quality gaps identified,” said Tess Poland, RN, senior vice president of accreditation services at AAAHC, in the release.

AAAHC will contact all organizations pending an initial or reaccreditation survey who have completed an accreditation application, including those whose accreditation has been extended due to a postponed survey. Organizations should be prepared to share updates regarding the impact of COVID-19 on operations. AAAHC will record any organization profile changes, such as altered hours of operation and actual or potential exposure of staff and/or patients to COVID-19.

Accredited organizations with an upcoming expiration date should complete and submit their application before the expiration date to prevent a lapse in accreditation.

Learn more about AAAHC resuming surveys.