4 | Joint Comission
served as the basis for the creation of The
Joint Commission by the ACS, American
College of Physicians (ACP), the American
Hospital Association (AHA), the American
Medical Association (AMA), and the Cana-
dian Medical Association (CMA) in 1951.
In 1959 the CMA withdrew as a corporate
member to form its own accrediting orga-
nization in Canada. The American Dental
Association joined as a corporate member in
1979
ACCREDITATION AND
CERTIFICATION
Seeking accreditation and certification from
The Joint Commission is a voluntary deci-
sion to pursue achievement of the highest
standards for quality and safety for the de-
livery of health care. For selected accredita-
tion programs, Joint Commission accredita-
tion can provide a health care organization
with eligibility for deemed status from the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The Joint Commission’s 20,000 accredited
and certified organizations are comprised of
health care organizations and clinical pro-
grams across the continuum of care. Hos-
pitals and home care services are the largest
segments of organizations that seek Joint
Commission accreditation. In addition, The
Joint Commission accredits laboratories,
ambulatory care facilities, long-term care fa-
cilities, office-based surgery centers and be-
havioral health care organizations. The Joint
Commission also provides certification of
health care staffing services and more than
2,400 programs have earned Joint Commis-
sion certification in programs devoted to
improving the care of patients with chronic
diseases and conditions such as stroke, joint
