Here are nine key updates from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and The Joint Commission in 2020:
1. The Joint Commission released new requirements for total knee and hip replacement certification. It also updated its ambulatory care standards to match CMS policy changes in March.
2. The AAAHC released new standards in its 41st edition of the Accreditation Handbook for Medicare Deemed Status in September.
3. The AAAHC received four-year accreditation from the International Society for Quality in Health Care.
4. The AAAHC named winners of the Bernard A. Kershner innovation awards including Nemours Children's Primary Care in Orlando, Fla., and Surgery Center of Fairfield, Conn.
5. The Joint Commission debuted an ASC resource hub including customer videos and case studies demonstrating standards.
6. The AAAHC released COVID-19 guidelines at the start of the pandemic and changed operational processes.
7. Both The Joint Commission and AAAHC halted surveys during the pandemic and resumed them in June.
8. CMS renewed The Joint Comission's deeming authority, which will be valid through 2024.
9. The AAAHC released guidelines covering topics including preoperative evaluation, health plans and chronic pain management.