The Joint Commission (TJC) describes Critical Access facilities (CAHs) as hospitals that meet three primary conditions as follows. First, the hospitals should not maintain more than 25 beds, including swing and acute care beds. Second, they should keep inpatients for not more than 96 hours. Finally, such hospitals should be under authorization from the state government to become CAHs. My change project looks at reducing the length of stay/excuse days for patients in CAHs. It is my hope that reduced length of stay following TJC accreditation not only improves the quality of care but also reduces the cost of care at such facilities (The Joint Commission, 2015).
Thus, the CAH accreditation process includes the following four primary steps. First, the facility will have to fulfill the state’s set standards for licensure for all healthcare facilities. Such conditions will include having the right resources to operate as a CAH. Second, if the facility plans to seek Medicare payments, the management will have to apply for its certification to the CMS. The JTC requires verification on successful application from the CMS before on-site surveys (The Joint Commission, 2015).
Third, the CAH then sends subsequent notifications to the CMS and the State Health Department detailing the impending status survey by TJC. Finally, during the survey, TJC requires that the CAH meets the following minimum inpatient requirements. First, it should have at least one active inpatient case as well as ten similar records at the time of visit. Second, new TJC facilities must produce a minimum of either 20 or 30 inpatient records depending on their average daily census (The Joint Commission, 2015).
The cost of CAH accreditation only applies upon on-site surveys. It covers all survey-associated expenses and depends on the facility’s volume as well as the services offered. As of 2015, the annual accreditation fee for CAHs was USD 2,610 while the physical survey fees ranged between USD 7,000 and USD 9000. After the survey, facilities that meet the set standards receive the accreditation (The Joint Commission, 2015).
References
The Joint Commission . (2015, October 9). Facts about Critical Access Hospital Accreditation. Retrieved from The Joint Commission Web site: http://www.jointcommission.org/accreditation/critical_access_hospitals_seeking_accreditation.aspx
