The Joint Commission's Report To The Carnegie Foundation

Within the early 19th century, the practice of medicine was disorganized and contained poor quality care. There were several organizations and individuals that joined together in an effort to correct this underlying problem. Founded in 1847, the American Medical Association encouraged Abraham Flexner to further research into this problem which later led to his final report in 1910 called the Report to the Carnegie Foundation. The report documented the state of the nation’s medical schools and major hospitals which proved to be in an unacceptable state. Another pioneer named Ernest Codman of Boston Massachusetts General Hospital advised the need to improve hospital conditions and track patients to ensure the care provided was effective and valuable.

Their mission is “to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value”, (Joint Commission, 2014). The accreditation from the Joint Commission can be earned by multiple health care organizations including critical access hospitals, office based surgery centers, behavioral health care facilities, and home care services.

For a hospital setting, the Joint Commission places the performance measures into accountability and non-accountability measures. They look at research and if the facility is performing evidence-based care process which improves health outcomes, proximity which the care process is linked to the patient outcomes, accuracy for whether or not the care process has indeed been provided, and any adverse effects. To earn and maintain The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™, an organization must undergo an on-site survey by a Joint Commission survey team at least every three years (Joint Commission,

Each one of the accreditation goes through the same process but with different standards depending on the setting. For example, Managed Behavioral Healthcare Organizations have to prove their proficiency across five different standards. First they look at the Quality Management and Improvement in which the organization has processes in place to monitor, evaluate, and improve the quality and safety care to its members. Second, is the Care Coordination to where they check if the organization coordinates medical care and behavioral care to its members. Third, Utilization Management is looked at to check if the organization notifies the members and practitioners about coverage decision within a required timeframe. Fourth, they look at the Credentialing and Recredentialing process to verify the credentials of the practitioners in its network. Lastly, they review the Members’ Rights and Responsibilities to ensure that there is a written rights and responsibilities policy in place within the